Letter
Secret ballot on EU budget can only be initiated by MEPs
The article article by two Swedish national MPs from the Moderate Party about the lowest-ever EU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2014-2020, entitled "Secret EU budget vote is unacceptable', is not accurate.
With reference to a possible vote by secret ballot in the European Parliament, let me underline that this must be requested by at least one-fifth of the component Members of Parliament or 151 MEPs, and cannot be initiated the parliament's President, who will chair this crucial vote.
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In President Schulz' speech to the European Council on 7 February where he raised the possibility of a secret ballot on the EU budget, he was communicating the majority wish of the European Parliament's political groups.
In actual fact, the initial suggestion for the use of the secret ballot stemmed from the political groups in the European Parliament in particular the Parliament's largest group - the European People's Party - EPP. The Swedish Moderate Party happens to be a full member of the EPP.
Armin Machmer is Spokesman of the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz.
Disclaimer
The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author's, not those of EUobserver.
