

CFE/Democracy Panel/Day 1: EU Chair Slovenia Minister to Press(+EF): For a Pluralist Debate
*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- KickStarting "the Most Popular" Citizens' Panel in the Coference on Europe's Future (CFE), as EU Parliament's Coordinator, Guy Verhofstadt, had called it (See: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/eppressheadtoefoncitizenspanels.html + Statement to "Eurofora" at: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/cfeverhofstadtoefcitizensmaychange.html, etc), i.e. that on Democracy, the Young EU-President-in-office, Slovenian Minister on EU Affairs, Gasper Dovzan, in a Message for the Press, including "Eurofora", called, Today in Strasboug, for "a Substantial Debate", where "All Views" should "be Included", in order to "Establish Dialogue".
- He was, in fact, Referring to what the Experienced, Twice EU Council's President (2008 + 2022), Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa, had Stressed, in his Press Conference at EU Parliament in Strasbourg, last July, together with the latter's Head, Italian MEP David Sassoli, i.e. that "We (EU) want All Voices to be Heard in the Debate on the Future of Europe", Because "only on this Basis will we be Able to Find Common Ground Ahead", (See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/euheadjansafordialogue.html).
- "All Political Views, are Legitimate and Equal", Because "they are Part of a Democratic Process", "Part of a Debate that is Necessary for me, Even if we doN't Agree" on some points, Jansa had stressed from the outset in the Plenary, to the MEPs. -*
- And Now, with the Conference on the Future of Europe", "We (EU) have to Open Spaces for Different Opinions, and, at the End, Find Common Grounds". Because, "If we Exclude, from the Beginning, it will Not lead to Positive Results". So, since "September, at least one Panel will have Discussions on Different Ideas. This will be the Beginning of a very Frank Dialogue between Various Political Forces", Jansa had announced. And "this Will Continue in the Future", because "Progress canNot be stoped !", he had Vowed.
+ In fact, Now "We Want that the whole Debate Moves really at the Substance", Added Today the Key EU Minister, Gasper Dovzan. - "Over the Summer, the Organisation (of the Conference) has been Ameliorated, and Now we are really Seing the Substantial Debate, with the Citizens at its Center".
- "I Hope we'l Continue at this pace, and, at the End, we shall see the EU Institutions take these Proposals, Coming from the Citizens, and Seriously consider how to Improve European Policies, to the Benefit of Its Citizens and of course its Businesses". Because "I Hope we ll Close the Gap between European Citizens and EU Institutions, and Bring European Citizens Closer to EU Institutions, and, at the same time, the EU Institutions Closer to European Citizens", Dovzan wished. Since "Our Future is a European Future, and there is No Other Future for European Citizens than inside the EU", he stressed.
=> That's why, "We (the Slovenian EU Presidency 2021) have put the Conference on the Future of Europe, at the Center of our Priorities".
+ And "the Conference on Europe's Future is an Important Process", that "we Want to be as Open as possible, and... All Views to be Included. That is why we are Working also towards Establishing Dialogue, withIn the Conference", but "Also Between the Conference and ...some Other Stakeholders, who might not be Officialy Included", "such as the Partners from Western Balkans, and some Other Interest Groups. (Because) "it's really very Important that All Views are Included", the Co-Chair of the CFE Added, at this September's End.
+ "At the same Time, we (the Slovenian EU 2021 Presidency) are Preparing a couple of Events, in our Home Country, like the Bled Strategic Forum, (etc), where we offered a Platform for Both European Leaders, but Also Civil Society, and Business Representatives", he Announced, for an EU Process due to Develop Further until the End of this Year, and the Beginning of the Next (2022), when France takes over the Rotating EU Presidency, coinciding with the Time Scheduled for Conclusions.
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>>> Nowadays, European People "Need to Fight for the EU" to be "Peaceful and Connected", "Strong Outside, and more Inclusive + Flexible Inside", the Slovenian EU Presidency's Minister stressed in the CFE's Plenary, providing a Wider Overall Picture.
=> Threfore, "Our Priorities are the Conference on Europe's Future, EU Resilience, Green and Digital Transfomation, Security in EU Neighbourhood, and Enlargement (at the Western Balkans)", he described.
- On the "Conference for Europe's Future", we (EU) Need some Light for Next Year (2022), and "this Panel", concerning "the Foundations of the EU", relates also to "Citizens' Confidence on Institutions", through "Rule of Law, with Respct, Objectivity, and Participation", etc. So, "we (EU Council) shall Listen to Your Recommendations", he Promised.
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+ Meanwhile, in a "Press Briefing" where "Eurofora" was Invited, Earlier Today, Organizers stressed that such EU Citizens' Panels were "UnPrecedented" events, because 3 EU Institutions Work Together in them (EU Parliament, Commission, and Council), added to EU "Citizens' Involvement", as well as to their Aim to "Produce Concrete Results, in Panels' Recommendations for the Plenary which will make Proposals" for EU Reform.
This 2nd Citizens' Panel includes Democracy, Rule of Law, Values, and Internal Security, on which Participants would present their "Vision and Dreams", take into account also Other People's relevant Publications at the Conference's Web "Platform", as well as "Top Experts' Input", pursuing by Discussions between them, Before chosing Final "Topics and Streams", (in Addition to Electing 20 "Ambassadors" for the Plenary of the CFE). Most of that done in "MultiLinguism", allowing People to Speak in their Mother Tongue.
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>>> However, it was a Surprise to attest that, for the 1st (and may be Unique) Time, Despite the Notorious Big Popularity of those Issues (Comp. Supra), and their objective Importance for Nowadays' Europe, (since, inter alia, in fact, Any eventual Progress in EU Integration, should be accompagnied Also by More Democracy for EU Citizens, in order to Work well, (as Many Top EU Politicians had Already Aknowledged, since a Long Time Ago : F.ex., inter alia, Also the Franco-German couple Wolfgang Schäuble, currently Buntestag's President, and Joseph Daul, then President of the Biggest European Party : that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP, at a landmark Event hosted by the CoE in Strasbourg : See ..., etc),
Nevertheless, Exceptionaly, there was ...Not Any Question at all Raised by at least 1 Journalist, at the End of this Briefing, (Even if it was Transmitted Also by Video-Conference via "Webex" Invitations to the Press) !...
=> It's true that "Eurofora" (who Followed most of it) had an Exceptional Health Problem, and was Surprized by a Last-Minute announced Change of the Usual Timing, from Late Evening to Early Noon. But What happened to All Other Collegues ?
Was that Event a "Victim of its Success" ? I.e., perhaps some Organizers thought that a so Popular Issue as EU Democracy (Comp. Supra), did Not Need to be Boosted vis a vis Journalists, so that it was Left to be the Only one among 4 Panels, withOut Any Link to EU Parliament's Plenary week, Neither to anOther adjacent Big EU Event, (as f.ex. the forthcoming "EYE" Mega-Gathering for Young People here, Scheduled Near the 3rd Panel on Natural Environment and Climate ?
Or was it Something Else ?
(../..)
("Draft-News")
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Facing a 70% Abstention threat in 2009 Election, EU endorses EuroFora's idea for Citizens' debates on crucial EU decisions !
- Different views on "Europe's Future", should be debated among Citizens at June 2009 EU Elections, thanks to political Parties' "Manifestos", says EU Parliament's Report
A main idea, initiated and promoted by EuroFora's founders since 1997: the vital need to develop European Citizens' democratic right to actively participate in multilingual debates on EU decisions, is formally endorsed by the EU from 2009 !
The move is a key attempt to overcome "catastrophic" Polls which warn that only ...30% of Citizens are ready to vote in the forthcoming June 2009 EU Election ! This was revealed by EU Commission's vice-president, in charge of Communication policy, Margot Wallstrom, during a "hot" meeting of EU Parliament's Committee on Culture and Education, during the December 2008 Strasbourg session.
Wallstrom faced criticism, but also suggestions from various MEPs, naturally worried by Abstention threats which herself found even "worse" than in 1999 or 2004...
A Report on "Active Dialogue with Citizens",examined at the same time, presented some useful practical tips, on "facilitating Interviews"; etc., but also a potentialy important call to "incorporate the conclusions of ...debates...into (EU) policies, and take into consideration the expectations that Citizens have of the EU when deciding". An amendment even implies that Citizens' participation in debates on EU decisions is a democratic "Right".
More importantly, it finds that a Debate "on the Future of Europe", (as French President Nicolas Sarkozy has asked since 2007), would be a good idea " for the 2009 European parliamentary Elections", because "clarifying the political differences between the EU political parties would help citizens to identify themselves with, and choose between various concepts", for which "all parties (should) present their Manifesto".
A "Joint political declaration on Communicating Europe in Partnership", co-signed by "the European Parliament, Council and ... Commission", confirms that they "attach the utmost importance to improving communication on EU issues", by "enabling European citizens to exercise their right to participate in the democratic life of the Union, in which decisions are taken as openly as possible and as closely as possible to the citizens, observing the principles of pluralism, participation, openness and transparency".
This should "enable Citizens to exercise their right to express their views and to participate actively in the public Debate on European Union issues", while also "promoting the respect of multilingualism". In this regard, EU confirms its "wish to develop synergies with national, regional and local authorities as well as with representatives of Civil Society".
It's since 1997 that a group of EuroFora's founders have officially presented a pioneer Project (then called "EIW", for "Europe in the World"), which aimed to develop Strasbourg's "Polyphonic music", by providing "Interactive information", on "main issues ... during the Decision-making process of European Organizations which engage in Transparent and Public Democratic Debates"
This should be done, inter alia, by "exploring the potential of New Communication Tools (mainly Internet)", as well as classic-form debates, the 1997 EIW pioneer project's anounced in its "Synopsis". It was formally "accepted for evaluation" by EU Commission in Brussels in order to be examined for a grant in the framework of the "Research/Technology/Development (RTD) Programme in the field of Information Technologies", then called "ESPRIT", as a "Best Practice Pilot Project".

But the vital, urgent Political need for EU to search new, efficient ways to reach the People and interact with European Citizens, was really felt in Brussels and elsewhere only after the unprecedented in History 1999 and 2004 Majority Abstention in EU Elections, followed by 3 "NO" in Referenda in France, the Netherlands and Ireland, on 2005 and 2008...
In this New Political Landscape, we prepared a new, actualised and more developed version of our initial idea, in a simplified and more efficient form, thanks also to a large Experience accumulated during many years of EU/CoE/UNO Press work and Multi-lingual debates, with the New project "EuroFora" :
On 2006 we presented in Public its main lines during Questions/Replies that we raised at two Press Conferences by EU Commission President, Jose Baroso, and mainly EU Commission's vice-President, in charge of Communication policy, Margot Wallstrom, together with EU Parliament's vice-president, Alejo Vidal-Quadras, in Strasbourg, (Videos available), and we reminded it at various brief contacts with Commissioner Wallstrom in 2007 and 2008.
Meanwhile, a new Text was also presented for "EuroFora" Project mainly to certain Political and other personalities, at European, National or Regional/Local level, mainly in 2007, but also in 2008..
Now, after the unexpected 2008 Irish "NO", and before the 2009 EU Elections, which are due to be of exceptionally crucial importance for Europe's Future, the moment has obviously come to launch that project, progressively, but in real practice.
Whoever really cares for Europe and its Citizens is welcome to join, in one way or another. Only anti-European, anti-democratic, obscure or ignorant groups might oppose or attempt to "steal" and deviate the main idea.
But European Citizens, incited by enlightened political leaders, are those who will finally write the real History.
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