Is the European Parliament fighting back? The role of the Parliament in the adoption of ‘Next Generation EU’

The EU reaction to the pandemic, in particular to the economic emergency it has triggered, has been constantly the object of discussion since the inception of COVID-19 outbreak. The role of the ECB and the Commission, on the one hand, and of that of the intergovernmental institutions, on the other, have come under the radar of extensive public and media coverage. The position and the activity of European Parliament have been much less considered. After a brief overview of the Parliament’s procedural reaction from an institutional perspective – including remote working and online deliberation and voting – the paper will focus on the European Parliament’s activity or absence thereof. Special attention will be devoted to “Next Generation EU” and, in this framework to the revised version of the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021- 2027, to setting up of the Recovery Instrument, and to the new Decision of own resources. The role played by the European Parliament in the adoption of these longer-term solutions will be contrasted, where appropriate, with its role in the design of the immediate response at the EU level (SURE, ESM Pandemic Crisis Support). Finally, the paper concludes with some reflections on the European Parliament’s position in relation to the adoption of soft law measures and on the “soft powers” of the Parliament.