O Lisbon Treaty is a document with agreement and terms drawn up by the member countries of the European Union what do you want reform or change certain legislative characteristics of the bloc. After six years of debate, the treaty was concluded in 2007, when it was signed by most European countries and entered into force in 2009.
This treaty gained greater repercussion due to the controversies and intense debates held around its realization. The main issue, which has been receiving more attention in international politics, is the fact that the event grants greater power to the bloc to the detriment of the sovereignty of National States.
To better understand the characteristics and discussions around the topic, let's get to know the points of this agreement.
The first and main objective is the strengthening of the European Parliament, as well as national parliaments, which may take joint actions as long as they are jointly decided by a majority of members. In this way, the functioning of the European Council occurs through the approval of decisions through the favorable vote of at least 55% of the national parliaments with representation of 65% of the population.
A second aspect is the increasing the political power of citizens from the bloc that will be able to intervene and request political-bureaucratic changes, as long as they are organized in groups with a number of people in excess of one million individuals with recognized citizenship.
Another point, which has been generating many discussions, is the block exit possibility. Previously, this right was not guaranteed to member countries, which, from then on, will be able to withdraw from the European Union only with internal approval, it is not necessary to justify its withdrawal to the others nations. With the recent economic crises that have dominated the European market, many questions are asked if some of the countries will not think of leaving the group, remembering that, for this to happen, prior notice from a year.
There is also the granting of greater decision-making powers to the block in relation to countries. Thus, the European Parliament will have decision-making power over social and sovereignty issues, namely: a) control over immigration and emigration policy; b) security issues in terms of internal violence and terrorist attacks; c) integration in terms of legal legislation; d) establishment of sustainable development programs; among other terms.
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The Treaty of Lisbon also establishes the creation of the position of European President, who is actually not really a “president of Europe” or something like that, but the leader of the Council of Europe. Its attributions are not based on a mandate, but on presiding and commanding sessions of any kind, as well as guaranteeing the functioning of the institution in question. In addition to the president, other positions were also created by the agreement.
Of course, these are the points considered “main” or most important. The Treaty of Lisbon is very extensive and involves a series ofand of bureaucratic changesTheonly with regard to the operation of the block. your justification is in fact in what the old treaties they were relatively old, and there were many discrepancies regarding political and bureaucratic differences involving member countries.
Many citizens, on the other hand, have been criticizing the Lisbon Treaty, especially the more nationalist populations. This is because there is great fear of exacerbated weakening of nation-states, to the detriment of strengthening the bloc. With this, many people are afraid of no longer being considered Portuguese, English, French, for example, and becoming simply European.
The population of Ireland, for this reason, even rejected the Treaty of Lisbon in a referendum in the year of 2008, approving it only the following year, when the terms were better explained by the authorities. Czech Republic and Poland also showed resistance to signing the agreement on the terms in question.
Perhaps this is one of the main problems not only with this treaty, but also with the European Union itself. The big question is that while most nations and ethnic groups pursue their sovereignty and independence, providing a greater fragmentation of territories, the EU is on the opposite path, which is that of integration across different borders. The Lisbon Treaty, in short, provided another long step in this direction.
By Rodolfo Alves Pena
Graduated in Geography
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
PENA, Rodolfo F. Alves. "Treaty of Lisbon"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/geografia/tratado-lisboa.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.