Germany is a federation as well as Switzerland and Canada, the US and India.
How centralised and integrated a federation is will always be an ongoing discussion, but one could argue that the EU is a federal state in all but name.
Do you live in one of those countries and if so, do you think you can stack more layers of government of top of the current one or will it breaks the system? I can image adding layers to the bottom is much easier than adding one on top.
I live in a city (layer1) in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (layer2) in the federal republic of Germany (layer3) which is a member state of the European Union (layer4). I have voted in elections for all of the above and have always supported the idea of a united Europe. I would vote for a federal democratic world parliament as well, if the UN would become a more meaningful body.
Imho a federal world should be the goal and a united Europe is a step in this direction — especially in times of worldwide crisis like climate change or global economic collapse. I like the principles of bottom up and subsidiarity, but I‘m aware that there will always be the possibility of to much centralisation. It’s a struggle that might never end.
I ask because I’m sure I want more European integration but am not sure about the way forward. It would make more sense if all levels had a similar election proces. Now I vote for my the leaders of the city in it, but in the Netherlands we don’t vote for our mayor. Then I also vote for the province, same story that the leader of the provincial government is always a neutral politician. But the provinces vote for the parlement (the part that doesn’t propose new laws but the part that approves them). Then I also vote for a person in the national elections, but this person is always part of a party although you don’t for the party. If your party wins, they can choose the prime minister. Although now for the first time ever the mayor party was forced by their coalition parties to have a neutral prime minister. Then I vote for someone a person in the EU, who is in a party which itself is in a party so even though my vote influences the flavour of the European government but it feels a bit off. I mean, europe considers itself an example of the democratic world but it feels like such a mess at the same time.
Oh, the different types of elections in Europe are a mess indeed but at the same time I‘m aware that they are the result of a long chain of compromises which are the foundation of any meaningful iterative democratic agreement.
The other one would be revolutionary and the last couple of decades were not a time of revolutionary change. Perhaps this happens in the coming years (looking at the current world political situation it seems more and more likely). But do we know if the outcome will be beneficial?
I would like to see the EU reform itself, but at the same time I know that democratic process has to be complex. „Streamlining“ as the US shows at the moment is not desirable if you like all the advantages of a caring society.
I prefer federated things
Germany is a federation as well as Switzerland and Canada, the US and India.
How centralised and integrated a federation is will always be an ongoing discussion, but one could argue that the EU is a federal state in all but name.
Do you live in one of those countries and if so, do you think you can stack more layers of government of top of the current one or will it breaks the system? I can image adding layers to the bottom is much easier than adding one on top.
I live in a city (layer1) in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (layer2) in the federal republic of Germany (layer3) which is a member state of the European Union (layer4). I have voted in elections for all of the above and have always supported the idea of a united Europe. I would vote for a federal democratic world parliament as well, if the UN would become a more meaningful body.
Imho a federal world should be the goal and a united Europe is a step in this direction — especially in times of worldwide crisis like climate change or global economic collapse. I like the principles of bottom up and subsidiarity, but I‘m aware that there will always be the possibility of to much centralisation. It’s a struggle that might never end.
I ask because I’m sure I want more European integration but am not sure about the way forward. It would make more sense if all levels had a similar election proces. Now I vote for my the leaders of the city in it, but in the Netherlands we don’t vote for our mayor. Then I also vote for the province, same story that the leader of the provincial government is always a neutral politician. But the provinces vote for the parlement (the part that doesn’t propose new laws but the part that approves them). Then I also vote for a person in the national elections, but this person is always part of a party although you don’t for the party. If your party wins, they can choose the prime minister. Although now for the first time ever the mayor party was forced by their coalition parties to have a neutral prime minister. Then I vote for someone a person in the EU, who is in a party which itself is in a party so even though my vote influences the flavour of the European government but it feels a bit off. I mean, europe considers itself an example of the democratic world but it feels like such a mess at the same time.
Oh, the different types of elections in Europe are a mess indeed but at the same time I‘m aware that they are the result of a long chain of compromises which are the foundation of any meaningful iterative democratic agreement.
The other one would be revolutionary and the last couple of decades were not a time of revolutionary change. Perhaps this happens in the coming years (looking at the current world political situation it seems more and more likely). But do we know if the outcome will be beneficial?
I would like to see the EU reform itself, but at the same time I know that democratic process has to be complex. „Streamlining“ as the US shows at the moment is not desirable if you like all the advantages of a caring society.