Democracy & EU institutions
Reinforcing transparency and ethical conduct of elected officials
Proposals by young citizens
Find a selection of the proposals made by young Europeans
Rohnek, 20We should tie the wages of politicians to the median wage of their country to encourage them to work in the best interest of their people.
77% approval- Anina
Politicians who have been convicted or are on trial must no longer be allowed to stand for election.
73% approval - Tene Mihai, 29
We need to create an institution to oversee, audit, prosecute and punish all corrupt politicians.
83% approval - Luis, 22
One should introduce stronger transparency rules within the EU to ensure that no lobby group has excessive influence.
84% approval - Tobias
There should be a ban in Europe on "political immunity" where e.g. politicians who steal money from the state are arrested.
81% approval - Laurent, 22
It is necessary for the European Union to form an anti-corruption body to monitor where the funds received by the government are going.
83% approval - Carmen
It is necessary that the salaries of politicians, of those who work in politics, do not exceed 2.5 times the average salary, so that they do not take it for that reason.
79% approval - Jitka
We whould introduce penalties for corruption and to abolish the criminal integrity of politicians so that they can be prosecuted for their actions against the people.
91% approval
Recent undue influence scandals at the EU level have reminded us of the need to uphold integrity and trust in the institutions and their elected and public officials.
To achieve this, new mechanisms need to be established to enforce common standards across the EU, including stricter rules on the transparency and conduct of civil servants and elected officials, a stronger Transparency Register, and an independent Ethics Body which can investigate cases and ensure common minimum standards.
Find the extended version here.
Responsesby European political parties
All European political parties that are represented with ten or more members in the European Parliament (in February 2024) were invited to provide their responses.
ALDE Party fights corruption through reforms to earn citizens’ trust. We want to build a space where politicians connect with citizens, create fair, efficient, and transparent institutions, and hold accountable those that breach the rule of law. We advocate for anti-corruption policies, reinforcement of national anti-corruption agencies and a functioning European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), ensuring national cooperation and adherence to recommendations. More about this party, their programme & national members
European Greens stand for increased transparency & accountability of decision-makers. We want a more democratic EU, with a strong role of the European Parliament (EP) as directly elected body by its citizens. In and outside of the EP, we Greens have been fighting for the creation of an EU ethics body. And our Group in the EP has given itself additional rules on top of the general rules of procedure of the EP to ensure transparency and ethical conduct. More about this party, their programme & national members
The Party of the European Left considers the transparency of democratic institutions to be a major element in the development of quality democracy. Transparency must be applied in all areas of politics, but it must also involve the private sector. In this sense, public administrations, the different branches of government and the different political spheres must be transparent in their management and always be open to public scrutiny. More about this party, their programme & national members
We want to ensure transparency in the funding of political parties and election campaigns and ban international interference, as well as encouraging citizen participation to guarantee greater transparency. On 9 April 2024, our Secretary General went to the European Commission to sign the "Code of Conduct for the 2024 European Parliament elections" to guarantee the ethical conduct of our elected representatives. More about this party, their programme & national members
EFA is a strong supporter of transparency, ethics and accountability in politics. We call for an obligatory code of conduct for EU officials, and we support calls for an ethics body that can enforce it. We also want to see protection for whistleblowers so that nobody is punished for calling out unethical practices. We believe cleaner, more open politics is essential for public trust and democracy. More about this party, their programme & national members
Transparency, accountability, and integrity are fundamental principles of democracy. We have zero tolerance for corruption, which threatens democracy and undermines public trust. Through the EU Ethics Body and its strengthened Transparency Register more transparency in lobby efforts must be ensured across EU institutions. The powers of both the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) and the future European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) must be strengthened to increase accountability and trust. More about this party, their programme & national members
This European political party did not provide a response. More about this party, their programme & national members
This European political party did not provide a response. More about this party, their programme & national members
This European political party did not provide a response. More about this party, their programme & national members
The answers by political actors are automatically translated and may contain mistakes.You can find the original, English version here.
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About EurHope
EurHope has the goal to activate young Europeans ahead of the European elections. At the core stands the Agenda of Hope, which was established on the basis of a participatory engagement campaign in 2023.
EurHope is co-lead by JEF Europe & Make.org and supported by more than 50 organisations from all over Europe (including European institutions).
