End of "Chat Control": EU Parliament Stops Mass Surveillance in Voting Thriller

Re:End of "Chat Control": EU Parliament Stops Mass Surveilla... by freehorse on Thursday March 26, 2026 @10:05AM (#47530623)

I agree there is a strong democratic deficit in the current EU governance structure, but I disagree with a proposal such as

> directly elect some kind of president

We do not need a president with over-powers, and electing directly one does not solve anything for democracy, as the recent history in countries like the US and France shows. The point of directly electing a president is giving that role more power. The current structure in the EU is not so much president-centric either executive or legislative wise, but more like comission-centric, which is what imo has the biggest problem in terms of democracy in the EU.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:End of "Chat Control": EU Parliament Stops Mass Surveilla... by wolvoleo on Friday March 27, 2026 @09:02PM (#47550424)

Yes please. Not make an all powerful president whose election is more about the person than about their politics.

The current US is a perfect example why this is such a bad idea.

I support a president that's more of a figurehead though like in Ireland. More like an elected head of state for ribbon cutting but not really a strong political force. More like a negotiator than a dictator.

I guess the US' dogma of the winner takes all makes this palatable for them. But I don't see it leading anywhere but destruction especially in a forever-polarised zero-sum two party system.

[ Parent | on HN ]