Hacker News Reader

Anecdata but I also had good experiences reaching out to MEPs, so not all is lost.

At its core, the core issue seems to be the lack of accountability between the MEP, and people that voted them in. Few people vote in the EU elections, and even fewer follow up on what happens there.

Chicken and egg problem but if you want your MEP not to be just "a good obedient MEP they are", the electorate needs to ask more of them.

View on HN

So we expect our public to care, and to engage with a Parliament in a foreign country, where elected representatives wield barely any power and cannot originate law?

Prior to Brexit, the UK had less than 10% of a stake in the European Parliament, so our 73 representatives had little effect on the overall system.

I didn't know a single person who could name their MEP.

Direct democracy at the national level is simply more engaging and relatable. It matters that the electorate, and their representatives are accountable for the outcomes of their decisions.

Direct democracy in reality is people doing a mexican wave at a sports game.... anything more complex is doomed to failure!

Reply on news.ycombinator.com