

CFE/EcoSoc+Digit.Panel/Day-3: Citizens tell EF they can Debate+Change Agenda. Moves Start
*Strasbourg/EUParliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- The 3rd and Concluding Day, of the 1st CoFoE Panel of Citizens, on Eco-Social and Digital Issues, this Sunday, left an UnExpected Feeling of...Resurrection !
Indeed, after some "Introductions" by "Moderators", the Participating Citizens had a "Discussion" Behind Closed Doors, among themselves, (only with "Facilitators"), about Whether they "Agreed", or had any "FeedBack", perhaps Wished "Changes", etc., Followed by a 30 Minutes Long "Break", where they were practicaly Free to have various Topical Dialogues with "Eurofora" and Other Independent Actors (f.ex. See Infra), Before Returning to the Arena (i.e. the "Plenary"), for a Final Stage, ...Marked by a Surprizing ...Revolt-like Spirit !
During that Special "Break", "Eurofora" had a First Real Chance to Freely Speak with several Participating Citizens or Independent Experts, from Various Key Countries, of Both Sexes, Different Ages, etc, contacted at Random. Those Dialogues were Brief, but more Substantial than expected.
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- A First Surprizing input was from a Young Lady, who Insisted that, at last, Now, Participating Citizens had quite "Enough" Time to Really Speak, Think and Debate between them, on almost All "Hot" Issues they Liked... This Last-Minute Optimism was apparently Supported also by anOther Young Girl and a Young Boy, who were previously Discussing with her...
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- A Youngster from Italy, appeared much More Serious and profound than expected at First Sight : Paolo Mauro, (No Relation to a former Long-Time Top ChristianDemocrat MEP from Italy), told "Eurofora" that, Instead of a Notoriously Bigger Number of Youngsters Under 24 y.o., (since those aged between 17-24 represented Even Small Kids or Babies (sic !), with the Result to Number almost 1/3 of the Total, (as Verhofstad had already Observed in his Press Briefing, Earlier on Wednesday in Strasbourg), he'd rather Prefer to have "Either a clear Event for Youngsters Only, (f.ex. as "EYE", etc), or Events Organized with All the People", represented Equally ! (By the way, Paolo said that he Dreamed to Study the Natural Science of Physics, but in a way Associated with Philosophy : almost Like the Ancient Greek "Atomic" Philosophers, from Ionia).
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- A serious-looking, well-dressed, Middle-Age Man from Finland, (sitting Alone, as Most Middle-Aged People at this Event, since they are a Minority : See Above), told "Eurofora" that the Main thing for him was to Boost EU's role in Modern "Digital" Technologies, and particularly SmartPhones, Instead of letting various Other Countries in the World (as USA, China, Corea, Japan, Taiwan, sometimes the UK, etc) Dominate that Key Sector of Global Economy and Social Networks, even more... He appeared Glad to be reminded of the Fact that "Nokia", (when it was an Independent Finnish Company, and Not Yet a Secondary Branch of USA's "Microsoft"), had Created the 1st SmartPhones in the World, including even a Unique, Landmark Version of a ...HIgh-Tech "Spacecraft"-looking Device, that my Wife had bought me as a precious Gift, a (Too) Long Time ago...
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- Last, but not least at all, Belgian-Italian University Professor Louis Godart, an Aged but Sportif Man, who had Spoken Yesterday (on Saturday) as an Expert, but was Today (Sunday) Discussing with several Citizens-Participants to the CoFoE with sincere Passion, Agreed with "Eurofora" that a Real, Fully-fledged Education and Culture on properly "European History", Values and Ideas was certainly Needed Nowadays, and Stressed that, in his View, the European Civilisation had Started with the Political Reforms of "Klisthenis", as Early as, Already "Since the 5th Century BC"...
The very Name of Klisthenis, (who is personaly related also with the Famous Pericles, by Family and Political Ideas), Triggers a Series of Links with Democracy, particularly Direct Democracy, as well as Freedom of Speech, Social Reforms and large ConFederation plans, etc., which would certainly be Interesting Also for the Next, 2nd Citizens' Panel, focused on European Democracy, considered to be the Most Popular of all, and due to Start Next Week in Strasbourg (21-23/9/2021).
But, Professor Godart's immediate Aim, Nowadays, was rather to Focus on the Cultural/Education aspect, included in the Present, 1st Citizens' Panel. Indeed, this results clearly from his main Intervention to the Plenary as an Expert, Yesterday (Saturday, 18/9/2021), where he Stressed from the outset that the "1st Founding Cultural Value of EU is Democracy, Born at the 5th Century BC in Ancient Greece".
+ Adding also "Christianity and Humanism", he Urged to "Look Back to Athens and Rome, among our (European) Founding Values", because "I firmly Believe that the EU Must absolutely encourage and contribute that we are feeling to be the Children of a Shared Same History !" "F.ex., inter alia, via promoting Major Exhibitions, including on Paintings, (f.ex. to teach that even Leonardo Da Vinci and/or Dante were European Citizens)". Indeed, "We are the Offspring of a Culture which has taken form over course of Millenia, and the main Leading Figures of this Culture, the Books they've written, the Artworks of this Culture, can make us Feel as Children of one and Same Culture. Here, the EU has an Enormous Role to play. Including by placing European Culture in our Education Systems, to show f.ex. that we are the Children of a Culture which Emerged before 3 Millenaries, mainly at the Aegean (Sea) area", Godart Concluded, (by a Symbolic Coincidence speaking the very "Day of the European Cultural Heritage", which Attracted a lot of People also to Visit with their Families the EU Parliament's Tower-Building here : Comp. Supra).
++ As for "Eurofora"s Input here, that we Discussed with Professor Godart, it was more Related Also to the 4th Panel, about European Defense : It consisted into Linking "European Education", particularly in "History", with the Most Important, Collective "Victories" of Multi-National European Armies, Bringing Together various Countries and Ethnicities of the European Continent, where simple People risked and even Sacrificed their Lives in order to Liberate and/or Saveguard our common Land from Foreign Military Invasions and Occupations accross the Centuries, while usual History Books either Omit, or Downgrade the Immense Importance of such pro-European events : F.ex. the Lepante Naval battle of 1571 after a Massacre of Venitians in Cyprus by the Turks, Decicive for the Mediterranean Sea; the "Holly League" of 1594-1606, Uniting the Vatican, Italians, Spain, Germans, Venice, Serbs, Polish, Russians, etc. in order to Help Liberate Europe from the Turkish-Ottoman Empire ; the Croatian Fortress Sisak, saved by Austrians, the Defense of Wien on 1683, the Liberation of all Budapest on 1696, the Serbian Revolution of 1804-1835, the Greek Revolution of 1921-1921, (including the landmark Naval Victory of the French, English and Russians against the Turks at Navarino on 1827, who seeked to Replace the Population of Moreas Peninsula by massively Imported Africans, while the Greek People were thrown to Slavery and Transfered to Africa, as mainly Bavarian Germans had Denounced); and many others, in various contexts through the Centuries.
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=> After all that, the overall Spirit of Citizens-Participants in the Concluding Sessions of this Sunday, 19/9/2021, "Plenary" Debates and Votes, concerning the "Discussion" and "Approval" of "Streams", appeared to have Radicaly Changed :
- Indeed, with a Series of Energetic, Vibrant, and quasi-Unanimous moves, a large Majority of Participating Citizens took the Initiative to Advance well Beyond what had been Already cited by the "Moderators", previously, and Spearheaded the Adoption also of several Added, New or More Developed Topics, such as, f.ex., on "Ethical, Inclusive and Democratic Digitalisation Technologies", "Scientific Research", "European Culture and Identity" (eventualy Boosted also by the Creation of EU Medias due to Promote those aspects), TransNational "European Education", "Agriculture" and "Food Safety", etc....
Sometimes, Citizens had to Repeat, Insist, Argue, and Trigger an EnLarging Popular Support for their Proposals, in order to Convince certain recalcitrant "Moderators", (f.ex. also for "European Education and Research", for "Agricultural Development and Food Safety", etc), But they Succeeded, Most of the times, particularly when Solidarity among them was clearly Expressed in Public.
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However, these and Other "Topics" selected by the Citizens-Participants practicaly Depend on what will happen, Later at CoFoE's Plenary, concerning, in particular, those 20 "Ambassadors", that Each Panel of Citizens is due to Choose Randomly among its 200 Members, (i.e. a Total of 80), in order to Represent them during the most Crucial Part of the Conference, when Final Decisions will be taken.
Curiously, this 1st Panel of Citizens has Just Chosen, Already Today, its 20 "Ambassadors", withOut Waiting... And here, this has Nothing to do with Any Kind of so-called "Direct Democracy" tool, of the king used f.ex. in Klisthenis' Historic era (Comp. Supra). Indeed, then, it was All the Free People (Voting in the "Ecclesia" of their "Demos") who Chose f.ex. an MP for the Parliament ("Bouli"), with a Mandate Duration of Only about 1 Month ! And the Final Legislative Decisions were Not Taken by such "MPs" ("Bouleutes"), competent Only in order to "Prepare" them, But Only by All the Free PeopleVoting All Together, in the "Ecclesia" of their "Demos"... As for the "Executive, Public Officials" (as Ministers, etc), they were roportedly Elected in the Same Manner, But Only for ... One (1) Day ! Last, but not least, the Bulk of Administrative Bureucrats, Secretariat, Staff, Policemen, etc., they were reportedly Selected among ..."Slaves" ! Thus, Risks of Abuse of Power, and/or of Arbitrary Usurpation of Privileges, were Minimized.
But, on the Contrary, those CeFoE's "Ambassadors", are Not Elected by All the European People, (Only Chosen "Randomly" inside a Grouplet of Just 200 Participating-Citizens : Comp. Supra), Neither Limited in the Duration of their Mandate, (since they are reportedly due to Stay inside CoFoE's Plenary as long as the Conference will go on)...
=> Therefore, in real Practice, it seems that it will all Depend from the Authority that will be Recognized in Fact, to the "Resolutions" or "Recommendations" due to be made by the Panels of Citizens by Writting, (as long as they are still there).
(../..)
("Draft-News")
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Ten Years of ECHR : 1998 - 2008 show need of Revival in 2009-2010 coinciding with 2009 EU Election
A threefold, coordinated move by new Top French Political actors in the 2009 EU Parliament Elections, expressed in Strasbourg a will to boost Europe's Political dimension close to Citizens' concerns, going from protection of Economy to defence of Human Rights.
The move met an exceptional ECHR's call for a "revival" of Human Rights' protection mechanism', in a Mega-Conference, early 2010.
Obviously focusing on June 2009 Elections to EU Parliament, it involved from the outset the recently nominated "dual" Head of French Governing Party (UMP) Michel BARNIER and Rachida DATI :

- "As President Sarkozy has clearly said, we (France) are in favor of a Strong, Sovereign and Independent, Political Europe, which protects its Citizens, and not for a large Super-Market, nor for a Europe under influence",
"This goes for everything, including Energy", added to "EuroFora" the experienced former EU Commissioner, Minister of Foreign affairs, currently of Agriculture and Sarkozy's new pick as Leader of the Governing party UMP to EU 2009 Election, Michel BARNIER .
- Human Rights are important because they are at the Heart of the Political Europe that we aspire for : I.e. a Europe able to act and protect its Citizens, stressed also the New French Minister for European affairs, Bruno LE MAIRE, while meeting Strasbourg's Journalists at his first visit to the CoE.
This is one of the main interests for CoE, which is also a natural place for cooperation between EU countries and Russia or Turkey, which was recently helpful at the Middle East crisis, he added.
The move gained momentum with French Minister of Justice, Rachida Dati's main observations at ECHR's 5Oth Anniversary :
- "While we are seeking Europe's Borders and Identity, you (ECHR) remind us also of its Values", Human Rights, Dati noted.
Citizens seek more and more often ECHR's help, and the tempo accelerates, Europa awaits a symbol, while national legal orders are not freezed
And she expressed "support" to ECHR President Jean-Paul Costa's call to satisfy the vital need to revigorate the PanEuropean Court by deciding big changes at a High-Level Conference open to a large audience, a kind of "Etats Generaux" of Human Rights, at the beginning of 2010.
It's not so much the recently growing number of applications for Russia or Ukraine etc, which seems to be Costa's main concern : In fact, the cases declared "admissible" are much fewer...
But rather the persistent violations of Human Rights, sometimes very grave (ie. murders, torture, abritrary deprivation of liberty, oppression of freedom of speech, destructions of homes/properties, etc), despite numerous, repeated condemnations by ECHR. So that CoE's Ministers, due to "supervise execution" of ECHR's judgements, are overloaded.
F.ex. most Media noted that Turkey still remains, even in 2008, the 1st among 47 CoE member States in the number of condemnations by ECHR : 257, compared to 233 for Russia, with a population more than the double..
The problem is that it's not the 1st time at all : During all the last Decade 1998-2008, Turkey was condemned by ECHR much more than any other State, and for particularly grave violations :
- 1.652 condemnations, compared to 605 for Russia, 548 for Poland, 494 for France, 476 for Ukraine, etc.
Italy's second place with 1.394 condemnations is a misleading false appearance : In fact, most of them (999) concern mere "procedural delays" in national courts. Same for France.
On the contrary, Turkey was condemned 180 times for Killings, 192 times for Torture or Inhuman/Degrading treatments, 340 times for arbitrary deprivation of Liberty, 528 times for "Unfair trial", and 169 times for oppression of Freedom of speech, (etc). And the latest, 2008 numbers, indicate no change in this trend, (See supra).
The current Spanish CoE Presidency (November 2008 - May 2009) has made of the implementation of ECHR's judgements its 1st Priority.
ECHR's President, Jean-Paul Costa, stressed in its 2009 Annual Press Conference, CoE Member States' obligation to implement the judgements, according to Article 46 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Moreover, if CoE's Committee of Ministers delays to ensure implementation, then, the repetition of violations in similar cases provokes a multiplication of complaints tabled to the Court, which overload the mecanism for the protection of Human Rights, denounced Costa.
A series of Debates on "the situation of Human Rights in Europe", focusing on the "need to fight against Impunity" of perpetrators of grave crimes, is currently prepared by CoE's Parliamentary Assembly for the session of June 2009.
The final Timing comes shortly AFTER the EU Elections, but the main Reports should have been adopted before.
Meanwhile, French President Sarkozy and German Chancelor Merkel's recent call "for a Political Europe" in 2009 EU Elections (See earlier "correspondence from Paris, Elysee Palace), seems more and more endorsed also by other EU Countries' Top MEPs :
Thus, f.ex., EU Parliament's 1st vice-President, Greek MEP Mrs Rodi KRATSA, speaking to "EuroFora", agreed that 2009 EU Election would be a "naturally good" opportunity to debate what really interests EU Citizens : "The Future of a Political Europe, able to face the Economic Crisis, with a Culture and identity which attracts the People"

(Photo taken earlier during Sarkozy's 1st visit at EU Parliament, in 2007 : Sarkozy and Merkel's Ideas for a Political Europe inspire also other EU politicians accross the continent)...