EPP Congress : EU Elections' Winners called to involve Citizens in debates on Europe's Future

  *Bonn/Angelo Marcopolo/- Strong calls to win back EU Citizens' trust in Europe were heard during an exceptionally important 2009 Statutory Congress of the bigger European Party, the ChristianDemocrats of the European People's Party (EPP), in Bonn, with the participation of many Heads of State and Government, Top EU Officials, etc, after it won a landmark victory in June 2009 EU Elections, including a MEPs' call for EU Council President, Herman Van Rompuy, to come to Strasbourg next week to "present his vision of Europe to EU Citizens'" via EU Parliament's session.    

The moves came shortly after Van Rompuy, speaking earlier, on the day of Lisbon Treaty's entry intoi force, stressed that EU needs "all the times" the "support and backing of (EU Member States and of EU Citizens".

    - "EU leaders must not give the impression that they are interested to Citizens only before Elections, but not after them", warned French MEP Jean-Pierre Audy, speaking to "EuroFora" in Bonn, where he expressed his "disapointment" on that point.

     - This is a '"Crucial moment', after 3 "No'" to Referenda in France, the Netherlands and Ireland, Majority Abstentions to EU Electiopns, and according to Polls, EU must do something in order to win again Citizens' trust : They do no more understand our policies. When implementing EU Lisbon Treaty, we must use all possibilities to make the Treaty more Transparent and comprehensible to EU Citizens,  stressed from the outset of EPP's Congress, EU Parliament's President,  Polish MEP Jerzy s Pa, after kindly saluting "EuroFora", just a few Hours earlier in Bonn.

    - "'The 1st Political Force in Europe, particularly after the June 2009 EU Elections, has heavy Responsibilities vis a vis EU Citizens, stressed also EU Parliament's EPP leader Josrph Daul, French MEP from Strasbourg, "After becoming the undisputable Winner of 2009 EU Elections, it's from us that Citizens expect to find Solutions.

    - "Of course, this is natural", reacted the experienced former EU Parliament's President, Hans Gert- POETTERING, who led German ChristianDemocrat MEPs to a brillant Electoral win in 2009 EU Elections, by making it cear that it refuses Turkey's con'troversial EU bid, replied to "EuroFora's observation that EU President Van Rompuy stressed the need, after EU Lisbon Treaty entered into fore,
    
    - And "Everybody, all the Institutions have to do their duty now, to make the EU stronger, and the 1st place is now to get a result on the Climat in Copenhague, where we (EU) took the lead there, and this shows that in the fight against Climat Change, and this is one of our Priorities. Now, a second Priority is to come back to solid Financial criteria of the EU, to return back to the Maastricht Criteria", .

    Recently elected Leader of ChristianDemocrats in Slovakia, experienced former EU Commissioner on Education and Culture, Jan Figel, and new candidfate to EPP Party's vice-Presidency, speaking to "EuroFora", stressed that "after many years spend on Institutional matters, now EU must show to EU Citizens that it's able and willing to deliver on matters which count for their everyday lives, that it protects and cares for responsible EU Citizens".

     In particular, "invest more in Education is both an issue of Development and Competititivity as well as of Cohesion and Social importance, observed Figel, who warmly welcomed German Chancellor Merkel's new Government's program focusing on a boost to quality Education, and French President Sarkozy's recent statements in Strasbourg on "massively investing to University" Education and research., (See relevant "EuroFora" publication).

    - "Middle Classes must not be squeezed out", stressed new Greek EPP leader Antonis Samaras, defending a "Social Market Ecoinomy", where "Prosperity" is "guaranteed by Freedom, Justice and Democracy", "with a Non-Bureaucratic State, and a Non-Bureacratic Europe". "We must use the next period in order to come closer to Citizens and take their pulse", Samaras added later at another Bonn meeting with EPP militants.

    Experienced Spanish MEP Jose Salafranca, EPP co-Spokesman on Foreign Affairs, (who told "EuroFora" that he "remembered when we were sitting, side by side with President Sarkozy, when he was MEP at EU Parliament', many years ago), strongly supported fex. the concrete idea to build a European High-Speed Train main Axis, between Mardrid, Paris and Berlin, linked to many othet EU Capitals, (as Wien, Warsaw, etc, and able to extend also Eastwards towards Russia, and other Countries, as a way to prove that "Europe is not only about infrastructures far away from Citizens' everyday life, but can also help EU Citizens move faster, longer and multiply useful and interesting contacts and new discoveries, thanks to modern transport links.

    The EPP Congress' debates and meetings culminate tomorrow, on Thursday, with the venue also of German Chancellor Angie Merkel, that all congratulated for her recent National Election win, at the eve of an important EU Summit in Brussels at the end of this week, which is due to decide both on Economic and EU - Turkey issues, which were at the Top of 2009 EU Elections' campain's political stakes;
    
    Shortly before an EU Group of Wisemen publishes a Report on Europe's Future on June 2010, suggested by French President Sarkozy as part of the conditions in order to accept that Turkey's controversial EU Negotiations continue, despite his opposal to its controversial EU entry bid, notoriously rejected by a Majority of EU Citizens, EPP's Bonn Congress is a chance to politicaly agree at least on the maiin chareacteristics of what kind of Europe the winners of 2009 EU Elections want.