EUParliament President Schulz to EF: OK to Citizens say before Decision, No National Referenda But..
*Bratislava EU27 Summit/Angelo Marcopolo/- EU Parliament President, Martin Schulz, (an Experienced German Socialist MEP), Replying to an "Eurofora" Question, during his Press Conference at the First in History, Post-BREXIT Summit of 27 EU Heads of State/Government at Bratislave, (Slovakia, the current EU Council Chair for the Pseriod of July - December 2016), accepted EU Citizens' closer involvement in EU Decision-Making process, but Rejected isolated National Referenda which "might Block" EU moves, as he said, after Meeting with the Prime Minister of Hungary, Victor Orban, as well as EU Council's President, Donald Tusk, when he reacted to rumours about a so-called "Cultural Counter-Revolutio" inside the EU, leaving, nevertheless, Room for eventual Compromise Solutions by Various Views.
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- "Eurofora" raised "an Old Question, but in New Circumstances", speaking to Martin Schulz, who has "one of the Longest Experiences of EU Parliament", as we noted :
- Indeed, it's "a Simple Question, that you know very well, but with a New Meaning Now, at this Special Historic Moment" of Bratiskava EU Summit, "as you said". After which, "Whatever happens, whether there might be an Agreement, or not, at any case, the EU Parliament, which speaks on behalf of EU Citizens, will have an Important role to Play, in the foreseable Future".
>>> In this perspective, - "Do you think that, New, or even Old, but Efficient ways at any case, in order to Associate, in one way or another, with all Imaginative Possibilities, the EU Citizens Before the Decisions will be taken, and/or During the Debates, would be something Good and Fruitful, in order to really come Closer to the Citizens ?", we asked. - It's "Not just" about "that Slogan, that we've All being saying", also in the Past, "But in order to Really Try to Do it Now", "Eurofora stressed.
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Martin Schulz, replying, at first, from the pure point of view of General Principles, Agreed that, - "As much as possible (EU) Citizens can influence directly Political Decision-Making, as (Better) it is" already now, he Started.
- Indeed, f.ex., "My Experience, (also) as former Mayor of a Small German City, is that as Nearer the Decision Makinng (process) is to the (EU) Citizens, as High is the Acceptance". On the Contrary, - "As Farer it is, as Lower the Understading, the Support", he regretted.
=> "Therefore, to integrate as much as possible (EU) Citizens in the Process of (EU) Decision Making, as (the) Better it is", EU Parliament's President supported "Eurofora"s main point.
- "But EU is Not a Federal State, in which a Binding Referendum could Lead to a Kind of Common Decision", he also observed.
- On the Contrary, "We are a Union of Sovereign States, and If a Referendum in 1 State Blocks Everything in all the Other (EU) Countries, this is, for sure, No Meaningful", Schulz Criticized.
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=> - "Therefore, I'm of the Opinion that we (EU) have to Include, as much as possible (EU) Citizens" to the EU Decision Making process, EU Parliament's President replied Positively, in principle, to "Eurofora"s main Question, (Comp. Supra)
- "But if your Question goes in that Direction, (i.e.) for more (National, Isolated) Referendums, (then) I'm very Reluctant", he clarified, as far as his particular remark, made previously, was concerned.
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That wasn't, certainly, Not at All "Eurofora"s initial Intention, (which, given our General Principles, was naturaly Focused mainly on EU Citizens' consultation during EU Decision Making, as a whole).
But, after all, then : - "Why not Popular Referendum(s) Europe-wide ?", (given what Schulz had just said against only "1 Country Blocking All Others", as, f.ex., France and Netherlands did back on 2005 ), we Wondered.
And, in fact, didn't Schulz acknowledge, at the Beginning of his Press Conference, that, at any case, "I felt that, even with Victor Orban, the Will to Comme to Conclusions is there", as he had characteristicaly said ?
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=> Thus, later-on, the Press Spokesman of the Prime Minister Beata Szydło of Poland, Biggest member of the"Visegrad" Group of EU MemberCountries, speaking also to "Eurofora" after that, did not exclude EU-wide Referendum(s) on the currently most "Hot" Issues.
President Schulz (and the Polish Government Spokesman) gave those Replies to the above mentioned "Eurofora" Questions at the Aftermath of the International Day for Democracy, (Yesterday, Thursday, September 15).
The EU Parliament's Chief was accompagnied at the crucial Bratislava 1st EU-27 Summit, by his New Press Spokesman, Goacomo Fascino, a Young Italian, for the 1st Time.
(../..)
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("DraftNews", as already send to "Eurofora" Subscribers/Donors, earlier. A more accurate, full Final Verion, might be published asap).
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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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