Manfred Weber, chair of the European People’s Party (EPP), said the proposal to introduce the principle of discontinuity at the EU level is correct. He told the Bavarian media group that this would be another step toward a true parliamentary democracy. At the state and federal level it is already clear that a new government means a restart, and the same is needed in Europe.
The idea was put forward by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during German‑Italian government consultations in Rome last Friday. It would mean that any legislative procedure that starts during an EU legislature would automatically lapse when that election term ends. Presently that is not the case, and the resulting “zombie initiatives” must be withdrawn consistently. Weber called the plan a good proposal that shows Germany and Italy are taking leadership in Europe.
