Dutch MEP Sophie in ‘t Veld has told the Guardian newspaper in a hard-hitting interview that the European Council – the body of EU leaders – is ‘from a democratic point of view, a monster’and ‘totally dysfunctional’.

In ‘t Veld, an MEP for the Liberal democratic party D66, also said the European Commission is ‘shamelessly protecting’ autocratic governments, rather than enforcing the rule of law.

In particular, the war in Ukraine has exposed the dysfunctional role of EU institutions, in which national governments are still in charge, she said.

‘I very much welcome the fact that the European Union is now taking steps [to support Ukraine], that there is more integration; I think that is long overdue, but that also increases the need for a more democratic union,’ she told the Guardian.

The European Union is moving at breakneck speed. Democracy at the European level however, is not keeping up. This is dangerous. I discussed the problem and suggest that the Parliament needs to be spiced up🌶 @JenniferMerode | The Guardian https://t.co/MJpTsuDtE2

— Sophie in ‘t Veld (@SophieintVeld) April 27, 2022

In ‘t Veld, who has been an MEP since 2004, recently published a book in which she called for a radical overhaul of how the EU works.

Read the interview