With the European Council,
which represents the E.U. states, having passed the Mercosur free-trade treaty
by qualified-majority voting, the legislation went on to the European Parliament,
which represents E.U. citizens, to vote on final passage before being sent to E.U.
President Von der Leyen for her signature. From the standpoint of this standard
legislative procedure, it is significant that immediately following the vote in
the Council, which is roughly equivalent to the U.S. Senate, efforts were being
made to essentially side-step the Parliament, which is equivalent to the U.S.
House of Representatives. Von der Leyen’s plan to sign the treaty once it passed
in the Council reflects both the disproportionate power of the state
governments at the federal level in the E.U. and the fact that the U.S. House
is excluded from voting on treaties, whereas the U.S. Senate votes to give its
consent to them before the U.S. president ratifies them (or not).
The full essay is at "On the Role of the European Parliament."
