Following the Greek crisis, the EU countries have agreed to control national budget deficits more closely. Some think this undermines the power of national parliaments.

Reporter: European Semester

Due to the Greek crisis,  the EU countries have agreed

to control budget deficits more closely,  especially within the Eurozone,

at the risk of challenging the sovereignty  of national parliaments on budgets.

EuroparlTV went to find out the opinions  of French and German MPs.

We're in Domont,  a few kilometres from Paris.

Jérôme Chartier has been mayor of this  commune of 15,000 people for 15 years.

The mayor is also an MP.  Between two council meetings,

Mr Chartier keeps a close eye on the  budget debate at the National Assembly.

The budget debate this year  is particularly difficult

because we're forced to make choices,  to reduce the State's spending.

But the French budgetary calendar  could soon change.

Next spring, it'll be the Finance Ministers  who will start proceedings.

They'll come to Brussels  to present their annual draft budget,

before opening the debate  in their own parliament.

A real revolution, after the Greek crisis.

The idea is to foresee budget overruns  and correct the course before it's too late.

This new way of working has been named  the European Semester.

At the National Assembly in Paris,  we meet up with Jérôme Chartier.

Will the European Semester threaten  national parliaments' sovereignty?

To prevent a recurrence  of what happened in Greece,

so that there is some kind of convergence  in the main budget lines

But it is fact that the budgetary debate,  between a minister and his parliament,

will occur only after the approval  of European partners has been gained.

Germany will have its say  on France and vice versa.

But not everyone approves of  this transfer of power to Brussels.

French Henri Emmanuelli has been  a socialist MP for 30 years.

I don't want to criticise Germany  but the process is undemocratic.

Parliaments are voted in on the basis  of taxes, in all countries and democracies.

To announce there'll now  be an initial phase,

after which the Parliament  will give their opinion,

demonstrates complete ignorance  of the democratic model.

MPs in the Bundestag in Berlin  do not share the opinion.

but it did decide to help Greece along with  the Eurozone - to save the Euro.

In return for this, Berlin demanded  more budgetary restraint and controls.

Christian Democrat MP Michael Fuchs  comes from the German business world.

We still have to demand strict  budgetary discipline from all countries.

Germany is on the right path. This year  we're going to have a deficit of 4%,

but it's still above the Maastricht criteria,

so we have to do our homework.  But so do the other countries.

At worst, new sanctions could be applied  in case the deficits persist.

The public still needs convincing,  as in the recent months

they've been inclined to criticise the  austerity measures enforced in Europe.