means that many aspects of our lives

意味著我們生活的許多方面 被一個奇怪的實體監管。

are regulated by a weird entity.

這感覺就像一個龐大的官僚機構 正在做我們無法理解的決定。

It feels like a huge bureaucracy is making decisions over our heads.

許多歐洲人認為 他們在歐盟選舉中的投票不被計算，

Many Europeans think

而歐盟並不民主。

that their vote in the EU elections doesn't count,

歐盟到底有多民主？

and that the EU is not democratic.

還有，你的投票真的有成果嗎？

How democratic is the EU really?

在民主國家，公共政策 是基於人民的意志。

And, does your vote actually achieve anything?

但是，人民的意願卻並非相通的。

In democratic states,

無數不同群體 爭奪著影響力和權力，

public policies are based on the will of the people.

從而制定有利他們的法律和規則。

But, the people

在正運行的民主社會中，

are not a coherent thing.

有被預期用來創造公平的環境 的各種檢查和平衡

Countless different groups are battling for influence and power

好讓這些鬥爭可以進行。

to establish laws and rules that benefit them.

任期限制使派系們不會佔據太多主導地位。

In a working democracy,

但所有這一切都在我們的邊界結束。

there are checks and balances

國際政治並不民主， 而是群龍無首。

that are supposed to create a fair environment

沒有中央權威足夠強大 去確保公正或去執法，

where these battles can be fought.

所以唯一的法律就是 最強大的獨裁暴政，和無法無天。

Term limits stop factions from dominating too much.

因此在大多歷史裡，強大的國家 以勒索或暴力，

But all of this ends at our borders.

從他人那裡得到了他們想要的。

International politics are not democratic,

第二次世界大戰後， 聯合國的成立解決了這種無政府狀態，

but anarchic.

它制定了各國的行事規則。

No central authority is powerful enough to ensure fairness, or enforce laws,

但由於聯合國幾乎沒有權力， 而其成員的利益往往相反，

so the only law is the tyranny of the strongest, and anarchy.

所以它通常被禮貌地忽略了。

So for most of human history,

歐盟是一個嘗試為其成員國 製定規則和法律的組織。

powerful countries took what they wanted from others

而這些規條實際是能強制執行的， 因為歐洲法院的決定具有約束力。

either by extortion

最初，歐盟成立 確保歐洲國家之間的和平

or by violence.

和歐洲大陸的繁榮。

After World War Two,

但這也是為其成員 贏得國際力量一種嘗試。

the United Nations were founded to overcome this anarchy

這就像一個超級國家

by establishing rules on how countries should behave.

它正在努力實現民主， 並爭取所有公民認同其合法性。

But since the UN has virtually no power,

要做到這一點，它必須解決 不同的成員想要不同的東西的問題。

and its members often have opposing interests,

它用非常不一樣的優先度， 只解決成員國的問題。

it's usually politely ignored.

那麼，這是如何運作的？

The EU is a construct that tries to have rules and laws for its member nations

由於歐盟非常複雜，

that are actually enforceable,

而政治家的命名水準甚至比科學家更糟糕，

as the European Court of Justice is able to make binding decisions.

我們將大規模簡化並省略很多細節。

Originally,

你可以在我們的來源文件中 找到進一步的閱讀材料和解釋。

the EU was founded to ensure peace

好吧，如果你想創建一個 由獨立國家組成的民主聯盟，

between European nations

你有兩個選擇。

and prosperity for the continent.

1：讓每個人都投票給自己國家的政客， 然後讓他們一起為聯盟做出決定。

But it's also an attempt to gain international power for its members.

或者，

It's like a super state

2：讓每個公民直接投票給 能做出有約束力決定的獨立機構。

and it's striving to be democratic and legitimized by all of its citizens.

這兩種方法都有其優點和缺點，

To do that,

而歐盟最終選擇了混合兩者。

it has to solve the problem of different actors wanting different things.

在歐洲法院旁邊， 有四個我們今天要談的主要機構。

Only, that its members are countries with very different priorities.

歐盟高峰會，

So,

由成員國的政府或聯邦首腦組成。

how does this work?

歐盟理事會，

Since the EU is ridiculously complex,

由成員國的政府部長組成。

and politicians are even worse than scientists at naming things,

第三個是歐盟執委會，

we'll simplify massively

這事實上是歐盟的政府， 每個成員國都有一名委員。

and omit a lot of details.

最後，歐洲議會。

You can find further reading and explanations in our Sources Document.

在歐洲選舉中， 歐洲議會是歐盟中唯一一個組織， 由你，親愛的公民直接選出的。

OK,

原則上，歐盟所有這些機構 來自你的直接或間接投票，

if you want to create a democratic union

或是在國家，或是在歐盟層面。

of independent nations,

但有些人比其他人做得更多。

you have two options.

例如，你投票給你的國家代表，

you have two options.

因此幫助了組建國家政府，

One:

而其元首在歐盟高峰會中佔有一席之地。

Let everybody vote for national politicians

這些領導人選出了 歐盟執委會主席及其他委員，

who then make decisions for the Union together.

他們最終會得到歐洲議會的確認。

Or,

所以，這是一種間接民主。

two:

你沒有投票給執委會，

Let every citizen vote directly

但是你投票給了委任他們的人 和那些確認並監督他們的人。

for an independent institution

所以，實際上四個主要歐盟機構裡有2.5個

that's able to make binding decisions.

取決於成員國政府。

Both approaches have their upsides and downsides,

但既然你作為公民， 只能直接投票給歐洲議會，

and the EU ended up with a mix of both of them.

問題是：“它有多大力量？”

Next to the European Court of Justice,

你的投票有多大影響力？

there are four main institutions that we'll talk about today.

歐洲議會起初只有很小影響力，

The European Council,

但在過去二十年裡已變得越來越強大。

which is made up of the heads of government or states of the member countries.

現在，它要審核 對成員國具有約束力的新法例。

The Council of the EU,

它還可以為如何使用歐盟預算 和國際條約而投票。

with ministers from the member countries.

這一切令議會非常強大，因此即使在國際層面， 你的投票仍非常具影響力。

The third one is the European Commission,

儘管如此，與國家議會相比， 它仍缺少一種重要力量，

which is the de facto government of the EU,

因此歐洲議會不能正式自己提出新法例。

having one Commissioner for each member state.

這不時成為歐盟還不夠民主的爭論中心，

And, lastly,

並認為歐洲議會應該得到更多影響力。

the European Parliament.

現在，成員國政府 幾乎控制著歐盟。

The Parliament is the only part of the EU

給予議會更多權力能令 歐盟作為一個整體更加民主

that is directly elected by you, dear Citizen,

但這也會從成員國手裡搶走權力。

in the European elections.

目前尚不清楚哪種方法更好。

In principle, all of these institutions of the EU originate from your direct or indirect vote,

歸根結底，歐盟應該如何發展 是由成員國和作為公民的我們決定

be it at the national or EU level.

好吧，我們應該可以在這裡作出總結吧？

But some do more than others.

整體而言，歐盟並非 和其大多數成員國一樣民主，

For example,

但它仍是民主的。

you vote for your national representative

如果你不喜歡他們的決定，

and therefore contribute to form a national government

舉個例子，關於版權，

whose head of state has a seat in the European Council.

你可以查看你的代表投了甚麼， 並投票以撤下他。

These leaders choose the president of the EU Commission and its fellow commissioners,

為了使其更民主的鬥爭， 與誰在哪些事項上擁有權力息息相關。

who eventually are confirmed by the EU Parliament.

歐盟不斷變化。

So, this is a sort of indirect democracy.

你，親愛的公民，不僅要為當前的政治，

You didn't vote for the Commission,

還要為將來系統可能的樣子投票。

but you voted for the people who appointed them

有許多政黨和政治家 宣誓組成歐盟議會，

and for those who confirmed and police them.

所以你的投票更強大。

So, in effect,

許多其他人希望保持現狀，甚至縮小它。

2.5 of the 4 main European Union institutions

你認為甚麼對歐盟的未來更好，由你決定。

depend on the member state governments.

目前，你自己國家投給誰對歐盟同等重要。

But since you, as a citizen, can only directly vote for the European Parliament,

因為這些人現在在歐盟擁有最大影響力。

the question is,

意見

"​How powerful is it?"

在各國內，歐盟也經常被當作代罪羔羊。

How much influence does your vote have?

政治家，特別是在全國大選之前，

The European Parliament started out with very little influence

喜歡假裝歐盟是全能的，

but has become more and more powerful over the past two decades.

並混淆政府和國民無法理解的規則和法律。

Today, it has to approve new laws

雖然，他們經常 直接為歐盟的所作所為負責。

which can be binding for the member countries.

民主很煩人， 很複雜，和通常很無聊。

It also votes on how the EU budget is spent

而在歐盟的民主 甚至比在成員國的更麻煩。

and on international treaties.

但是，投票和關心 我們的政治制度如何變化和發展，

All of this makes the Parliament very powerful

是我們作為公民可以做最有力的事情之一。

and, thus, your vote very influential,

最近幾年反映，通過選舉極端的事情也可以發生。

even on an international level.

我們必須決定是否想要 成為這個過程的積極參與者。

Compared to national parliaments, one major power is still missing though.

如果我們不參與政治權力的鬥爭， 其他人會。

The EU Parliament officially can't propose new laws on its own

而我們可能不喜歡他們為我們決定的東西。

which is often the core of the argument the EU is not Democratic enough

因為歐洲是我們重要的話題，

and that the European Parliament should be given more influence.

我們盡可能把這條影片 翻譯成了很多種歐洲語言。

Right now, the member states' governments pretty much control the European Union.

幾個歐洲YouTubers為其它配音， 並將其上傳到自己了的頻道。

Giving the Parliament more power would make the EU, as a whole, more democratic

感謝Funk和 所有幫助過我們的YouTubers。

but it would also take power from member states.

你可以在影片描述中 找到所有語言版本的播放列表。

It's not clear which approach is better.

Ultimately it's for the Member States and us as citizens to decide how the Union should develop.

OK, so can we draw a conclusion here?

As a whole,

the EU is not as democratic as most of its member states.

But it is democratic.

If you don't like decisions they make,

regarding copyright, for example,

you can look up what your representatives voted for and vote them out.

The struggle to make it more democratic

is closely tied to who holds power over what.

The EU keeps changing.

You, dear Citizen,

are not only voting on the current politics

but also on what the system will look like in the future.

There are many parties and politicians that vow to make the EU Parliament,

and therefore your vote, stronger.

Many others want to keep it as it is,

or even diminish it.

It's for you to decide

what you think is better for the future of the Union.

Currently, it's equally important for the EU who you vote for at home,

because these are the people who have the most influence in the European Union right now.

Opinion

At home is also where the EU is often used as a scapegoat.

Politicians,

especially before national elections,

like to pretend the EU is all-powerful

and mix up rules and laws over the heads of the governments and citizens.

Although, often, they were directly responsible for what the EU did.

Democracy is annoying

and complicated,

and often very boring.

In the European Union,

even more so than in the Member States.

But,

voting and caring about how our political institutions change and develop

is one of the most powerful things we can do as citizens.

The last few years have shown that extreme things can happen through elections.

We have to decide if we want to be an active part of this process.

If we don't take part in the struggle for power that is politics, others will.

And we might not like what they decide for us.

Because Europe is an important topic for us,

we've translated this video into as many European languages as possible.

A couple of European YouTubers narrated it,

and uploaded it to their own channels.

Thank you to Funk

and all YouTubers who helped us.

You can find the playlist with all language versions in the description.