Congratulations – you are now President of the European Union!

(Let's pretend for a second that a Presidential role exists and it’s you!)

As the President, you can decide what the most important issues are for Europe.  What would you change to make things better? How would you do that?

In reality, decision-making in the EU is a complex process and does not lie in the hands of just one institution or person. Generally, the European Commission proposes laws which then need to be adopted by the European Parliament and the Council. Each of the EU’s institutions has its own President but they don’t have absolute power, and they can’t interfere in EU countries’ authority.

Ideas

17 July, 2016 - 22:37

I would do two things:a)make everything accessible and inclusive to everyone (from transport to buildings and from education to employment). And b)make more informational campaigns, about the already existing inclusive opportunities for young people in Europe.

16 July, 2016 - 15:11

The people would be better informed of how the Union Works. The process of selecting representatives would go through them. The Union would support scientific progress, only bound by causality, not morality. Slow and very gradual steps will be taken for the whole of Europe to be federalized. Slow enough so that people can take all the time they need to abandon such petty concepts as ethnicity and nationality.

15 July, 2016 - 15:11

The European Union is simply not working. The United Kingdom has voted to leave due to the endless red tape and regulations, and other nations such as France and the Netherlands are calling for a referendum on the issue. This bureaucratic monster is too powerful, and is not listening to the 500 million citizens who live and work within its borders.As president, I would completely reform this failing bureaucratic organisation. I would create three tiers within the European Union, based on the strength of each nation's economy. A higher tier would include France, Germany, Austria, Ireland, Scandinavian nations and BeNeLux nations. A middle tier would include the Mediterranean nations of Portugal, Spain, Italy, Malta, Cyprus and Greece, with the lower tier consisting of the former Eastern Bloc. Each tier would have its own currency, which would remove issues caused by having a single monetary policy for all Eurozone countries. The prime objective for the European Union would be to work as a powerful trading bloc, with a secondary goal of enhancing the quality of education across the continent.The endless amount of bureaucracy and red tape imposed by the current system would be abolished, giving national parliaments greater power over their country. The ECHR would be abolished and replaced by a sensible bill of human rights that allow criminals to be brought to justice. Nations with failing economies would not be bailed out by other European nations, and the European Central Bank would be moved from Germany to a non EU nation, such as Switzerland or potentially the United Kingdom. All leaders of the European Parliament and European Commission would be democratically elected by all EU citizens, and the number of MEPs would be reduced to a more efficient level. The European Union would not admit nations such as Turkey, and the outer border of the Schengen Area would be strengthened to prevent illegal immigrants from entering the European Union. In addition, the EU would never create a European Army, and would never lead to the creation of a federal United States of Europe. Treaty changes would be made to restrict the total free movement of people: citizens would be able to move freely between countries that are in the same tier as their native country, and a points based system would be made for the movement of people between tiers. Citizens of another EU nation would be forced to return to their home country if they are unable to find work after 6 months, and would not be allowed to use the welfare system of their host country. Provisions would also be made to make it easier for nations to leave the EU, either partially or fully. A reformed European Union be less bureaucratic and would not impose on the power of national parliaments..

15 July, 2016 - 14:09

I would create a way of directly communicating with the European citizens, which should include some kind of advertising. The main reason for this is that the EU is allowing for national parties to lie to their populations, blaming the EU at will for all the problems without any kind of consequence or even correction. This is fueling extremism and I believe the EU should not stand still.

15 July, 2016 - 10:34

I would start from education, making equal all various school systems/organisation each region has. If we start a common, solid, accessible and free education for all european kids, that'd be the best point we can start from to fight discrimination, populisms, xenophobias, pollution, terrorism and so on, i.e. all issues we have to deal nowadays. Educated people is the key to solve all the future problems. Educated people always find the best ways to face all kind of crisis. Issues we have today are mainly based on ignorance and egoisms, not respecting each others. Of course there's not an immediate outcome, yet we are getting just now the results, in terms of european awareness, of projects such Erasmus. Invest in education, and make all countries do the same, and you will always find the solutions of all problems.

15 July, 2016 - 00:46

I am mum of a seven years old boy.I am on problems in my ,my San country of origin of his bourn date of today.Doctor mistake his name.It was seen five years later.It was seen by dentist on 2015!From 2008 to 2016 year my San is on problems unagreement of his biofather:he is bigger than me one year.So,my exhousebant bite me when I was pregnant,speak myselve very badly,he was hate myselve,he was hating my San!In my country:Bulgaria there is no any laws for pregnant,recorded,lonely mothers who care alone to their child!If I am a president of Europe,I will save kids:1.No,abortion!Stop kill kids!They need alive to live on fresh air!2.Give full rights to mother when she go devorsed.3.School open few to study from student house,home!Because my San is biten too many times in school territory!4.Give girl rights to go to work from 14 years old to be on their own power!5.No discriminated white people by the name of black one!Because,we are discriminated by school,neighbours,politician:Police,School,Justice,Health reform!6.To save people to do not be under power of doctors,teachers or samebody:People are tree they have to live free!7.No general personal doctor for patients:everyone have to can to go to the doctor,everywhere,in every city,every doctor!People are alive!They can not be sick by date,time,ect!They ,patient have to have rights to be prove their patience rights!My San was bitten in school more than 7 times,how school does not save himselve?Than show my San is winner!School have to pay my San 10 000 Lev's for unsavety conditions in school area from 2013 to 2016 year!I do not received child extra money,because my San is no healthy paper of doctor when he was I'll,to stay home!Even after home stay period teacher bite himselve in front of students because he is very clever,very good looking!8.Urgent Justice for teacher ,directors who try to kill my San!9._Urgent Justice for Justice who does not pay my San from 2012 to 2016!Police does not help myselve,my San to received kids money from his lazy,crazy baster!He is a smoker!He drinks alcohol!10.Sending father out of house where does he living because he sent myselve,my San on street on 2009year,when my San was 6 months older!11.God member.Every Christian to be listen,to be not undressed,not tursty,no hungry,no without money!Kids are God -kids!They are Christians!Amen!Thank you for attention!

14 July, 2016 - 19:34

I would change the structure of the system! We need the minister of happiness, love, compassion and group growth for the greater good! We can evolve as human beings only by doing good things and sharing without acting in interest. It's time to be responsible of everything we think and act in order to create a world in which we can live healthy. Protect the nature and love people regardless their gender, colour and religion. We should do everything with passion and thinking also on the impact of our action! By changing inwardly, the exterior will change. Be the change you want to see in the world

14 July, 2016 - 18:29

I would remove France,Italy and Germany from the EU as we know it.The EU would then would include only those countries who are interested in trading as a bloc. The currency would remain in this new EU. The EU would develop a conscience,big business bound by it's rules.The president of the commission elected by the population of every country.

14 July, 2016 - 18:25

A massive moon-shot level scientific project to get the whole of Europe's energy production carbon-free by a given timeframe (say 30 years?) This includes science, new electrical storage and transmission infrastructure, waste reduction, etc.As a bonus, infrastructure investment promotes growth and local employment

14 July, 2016 - 13:46

I would ensure peace and equality, promote love and healthy relationships and cooperation between people and cultures. Fight poverty in every way. Educate people about nature and how it could be "used" to provide food, shelter and energy for people in need, respect for our EARTH and whatever comes from there since is the only one we have and it is getting more and more destructed as people grow more respect for technology, false media and fake machines.. than the REAL world we live in..