Il Fatto Quotidiano

Politica continentale sotto la lente del web, grazie al sito che pubblica il tasso di presenza, di ribellione rispetto al gruppo di appartenenza, le interrogazioni e gli interventi tenuti in plenaria.

Nell’Italia in cui la trasparenza degli eletti non rappresenta più un valore fondante del mandato elettorale, l’etica politica si affievolisce e gli unici a dover parare il colpo pagandolo con la sfiducia tout court sono i cittadini. Continue Reading

The SWIFT agreement ratified: the Parliament has approved the agreement between the EU and the US on transfer of data regarding the financial transactions of EU citizens. The House had rejected the initial form of this agreement earlier this year, but has now agreed to its amended form that provides additional guarantees aimed at ensuring the proper use of the data by the US authorities, such as the delegation of a special EU official to Washington to supervise these operations.

The legislative resolution was supported by an EPP+S&D+ALDE+ECR majority, while the Greens/EFA and the radical left – GUE/NGL have opposed it. Also on the opposing side were the British members of the EFD group, as well as 2 Italian ALDE MEPs, and a small number of German MEPs of the EPP and S&D groups. Notably, the ALDE and S&D groups, after they have rejected the initial agreement in February, have now voted in favor of the amended form, considering that this new deal provides the right balance between the right to privacy of EU citizens and the need to have proper tools to fight terrorism. Continue Reading

Irish Times

BELGIUM’S NEWLY installed rotating presidency of the EU is bracing for a scuffle with MEPs over the EU’s 2011 budget. Take note. The looming confrontation is but the latest illustration of the European Parliament’s growing might.

In this context, the balance of power within the parliament itself is all the more important. So where does it lie? Continue Reading

RTL Belgique

Le positionnement des trois principaux groupes politiques au Parlement européen varie largement en fonction des sujets, selon une étude du site web indépendant d’analyse VoteWatch. Si le Parlement penche à droite sur les questions économiques, il est plutôt à gauche sur plusieurs enjeux sociétaux.

A la différence d’un parlement national, l’assemblée européenne ne fonctionne pas sur base d’une majorité claire appuyant l’action d’un gouvernement. Continue Reading

NU Netherlands

BRUSSEL – De liberale fractie met D66 en VVD blijkt momenteel de invloedrijkste groep in het Europees Parlement te zijn. Dit ondanks dat de groep veel kleiner is dan de christendemocratische of socialistische fracties. Continue Reading

EUObserver

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – The centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) group in the European Parliament is losing ground despite winning the last elections, a new study of voting patterns says. The EPP has been on the winning side in parliament 93 percent of the time, voting Yes or No when the majority of MEPs voted Yes or No, in the 792 votes that took place in the past year, the survey, carried out by academics in the VoteWatch project, said. Continue Reading

Europolitics

The last European elections saw the European People’s Party (EPP) increase its share of members of the European Parliament. However, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) has been on the winning side of votes most frequently (over 95% of the time). These are the main findings of a VoteWatch.euannual report, released on 30 June, on voting behaviour in the Parliament in the first year after the new elections (July 2009 to June 2010). Continue Reading

EURACTIV

Rezolutia PE prin care cere Comisiei Europene sa interzica folosirea tehnologiilor de minerit pe baza de cianuri a starnit multe discutii in Romania, si in special in randul europarlamentarilor romani. Ei au votat, in general, in functie de disciplina de partid. Nu au lipsit, insa, surprizele.

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El Mundo

El grupo de los Liberales y Demócratas (ALDE), la tercera fuerza del Parlamento Europeo (PE), se ha consolidado en lo que va de legislatura como la formación clave en las decisiones de la Eurocámara, según un estudio elaborado por votewatch.eu hecho público en Bruselas.

Un análisis de las 792 votaciones nominales efectuadas desde las pasadas elecciones europeas muestra que la postura de los liberales es la que decide en un mayor número de casos la opción ganadora, en función de si se alinean con el Partido Popular Europeo (PPE) o con los socialdemócratas, las dos fuerzas principales. Continue Reading

This VoteWatch.eu 2010 report investigates the activities of the 2009-2014 European Parliament: the first year of the seventh-elected European Parliament. The report analyses the voting behaviour of the MEPs and political groups in all 792 recorded roll-call votes that took place between the first plenary session of the new parliament in July 2009 and the last plenary session in June 2010. Continue Reading