European Parliament debates issues of its choice: Foreign Ministers' Dean

New Delhi: European Parliament has the right to debate any issue of its choice, European foreign ministers’ dean and Luxembourg foreign minister Jean Asselborn has said ahead of the proposed EP debate on draft resolutions on India’s Citizenship Amendment Act. “Like in all democracies, the European Parliament has the right to debate on issues it chooses. It even questions EU member states on the rule of law or political solidarity, like it did on Poland and Hungary. There is indeed a separation of powers between EU institutions,” Asselborn told ET in an exclusive interview during his ongoing visit to India. Luxembourg is one of the founding members of EU.

The EU mission in Delhi, meanwhile, said “the European Parliament is an independent institution, sovereign in the organisation of its work and in its deliberations. The text referred to are draft resolution by political groups in the EP”. Even if passed, the resolutions are not legally binding. Backing the Modi government, a French diplomat told ET, CAA was India’s internal political matter.

“We have stated this on several occasions. The European Parliament is an institution independent of member states and the European Commission.” On his part, Asselborn emphasised on strengthening Indo-EU ties. India and EU are the biggest parliamentarian democracies and EU is committed to political and economic links with Delhi, he said. “I want to underline that at the last foreign affairs council we clearly stated our wish to strengthen our political and economic links with your great country. In my opinion, India is a fascinating country with many faiths, languages and cultures. This multicultural approach is a unique advantage, which we Europeans know how to appreciate.”


The next Indo-EU summit will be held on March 13 in Brussels. On India’s economy, the minister said: “Despite a relative slowdown, India’s growth is still high, compared to other regions. India represents a sizeable and dynamic market in global economic governance and as such an important trade and investment partner for the EU and Luxembourg.”