Mario Draghi's report calls for an 800bn-a-year public spending increase to revitalize Europe's economy. It critiques the EU for being complacent and warns of a decline if it does not improve its competitiveness. However, the report underaddresses the importance of democracy, mentioning it only three times compared to frequent references to integration and defense. As public engagement is crucial, the outdated top-down governance approach must change to foster better citizen involvement, as voter turnout in European elections remains low despite increased parliamentary powers.
Mario Draghi concluded that an 800bn-a-year public spending boost would be needed to end years of stagnation in Europe. If Europe did not catch up with its rivals, it would face a slow and agonising decline.
One ingredient was missing from Draghi's recipe: democracy. The word democracy is mentioned only three times, while integration and defence feature prominently in his report.
If the EU can't find a way to better engage its citizens, it will be difficult to achieve any more of the integration that Draghi says is indispensable.
The old method of decision-making that a generation of European leaders relied on is obsolete, and there's an urgent need to reform the EU.
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