EU Parliament's Top Press Officers in Upbeat mood ahead of crucial 2019 European Elections...

*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- A Fast-Track look at the Annual Reception of accredited Journalists for the Crucial New Year of 2019 European Elections, by EU Parliament's Top Press Officers, as well as by its President, Antonio Tajani, yesterday (Tuesday) evening, on the sidelines of this January Plenary Session, clearly surprized by a quite UpBeat Mood witnessed by "Eurofora" at several Key persons, in various but converging ways, despite the awesome Challenge that notoriously represent for EU's present and foreseable Future the main conditions, turnout and results of this exceptionally important, forthcoming Vote of May 23-26 :

- Starting by the experienced new Director General of EU Parliament's Communications, and long-time Spokesman, Jaume Duch-Guillot, who, while Greeting "Eurofora", confirmed the well-known moto : "An Image worths 1.000 Words", by spectacularly resuming his mood with an expressive "Thumbs-Up" Bright Smile, in a superb Winston Churchil style, (See relevant Photo)...

- Among Jaume's probable motivations certainly is also the Fact that he had just succeeded to bring, together with him, EU Parliament's President, Antonio Tajani, (a very experienced, former Twice EU Commissioner, Top MEP, Foreign Minister, High-Tech Engineer, etc., who has even touched upon Journalism personaly the Past), despite an exceptional overload by many other meetings held in parallel that same day, to greet Journalists, in front of "Eurofora", with a Toast firmly dedicated to the "Freedom of Press" :

 - Simply Because an efficient and Democratic Society needs Pluralist and Free Information by Medias regularly covering European Issues, sometimes even at the Risk of their own Lives, as it was shown in the Recent Tragic Examples of the Brutal Killings, in 2017-2018, of an experienced Maltese Journalist, who had dared dangerously expose herself in public by adding an Independent and Critical Web-News Site with Original NewsReports to her routine articles for a traditional weekly, followed even by that of a young Slovak Web-Journalist reportedly investigating some corruption affairs for Big Medias, (etc), evoked President Tajani, vowing to Resolutely Continue to Defend Press Freedom also after the May 2019 EU Elections.

+ Naturally, Jaume Duch, who is of Spanish origin, had also the rare pleasure, these days, to Welcome in EU Parliament both the Speaker of Spain's National Parliament, and the Prime Minister of the Country, respectively at an Exhibition opened on Tuesday Evening (together, inter alia, with the former EU Parliament's President Gil Robles), and on Wednesday, at a Plenary Debate with MEPs. Moreover, earlier ceremonies to celebrate the Anniversary of "20 Years" since the adoption of €uro Currency, were added on Tuesday.

But it's even his Spokesman Office's Head, and Deputy EU Parliament's Spokesperson, Marjory Van Den Broeke, who gave one of her rare Smiles, while Wishing a Happy New Year to "Eurofora", just after listening to our description of the beautiful spectacle of Huge Trees and/or even Gardens often preserved inside the Center of Buildings' Blocksa at several Hotels in Brussels, sometimes giving a Superb View of SunRise, at Early Morning's time, (f.ex. when returning from a Long EU Heads of State/Governments Summit's Night), as we highlighted, (See, f.ex., relevant Photo, taken from the latest, December 2018 EU Brussels' Summit nights, etc).

Brussels' interior Garden Sunrise, during the latest EU Summit (Eurofora)

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>>> Much more Important, however, for the overall Mood of EU Parliament's Senior Press Officers Nowadays, obviously was the Exceptional Fact that, by a Timely Coincidence, the above mentioned Annual Reception for Journalists took place in Strasbourg almost ...at the Same Time that, at London's Westminster, Brittish MPs were engaged in a Decisive Vote on the latest UK - EU draft Deal on "BREXIT" !

- A Big and Topical Issue, scheduled to be Debated by MEPs' the Next Morning (Wednesday), which inevitably Dominated also various Discussions among Journalists and EU Parliament's Press Officers, etc., during that Annual Reception of Tuesday Evening :  - Despite a spontaneous ... "What a Mess !", reaction by another Press Staff Member, speaking to "Eurofora", when it became clear that a Big Majority with a Difference of more than 200 Brittish MPs were, indeed, Opposed to that Draft Deal, as it stood, on the contrary, Most Interlocutors looked rather ...Happy about it, apparently Hoping that the UK may finally Stay inside the EU...

Some, inside EU Parliament, might, perhaps, have been Glad for the prospect of certain Other EU Member States to Gain More MEPs than before in the May 2019 Elections, due to a probable "BREXIT", meanwhile, on March, (as, f.ex., +5 for France and Spain, +3 for Italy and the Netherlands, +2 for Ireland, +1 for Poland, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Austria, Croatia, Romania, etc, but +O for Other Countries, so that the Total Number of MEPs would go from 751 down to 705, after the Departure of the UK, while 46 Seats would be Reserved for eventual "TransNational" Lists in the Future, and/or for Enlargement). Nevertheless, Others notoriously prefered for the UK to Remain inside the EU.

- The Best Example was that of EU Parliament's new Press Director, Neil Corlett, a serious and experienced former Long-Time Head of Medias/Communication for the Liberal Group of MEPs, and Brittish himself, who Laughed wholeheartedly, together with some Friends, when he heard "Eurofora" suggest that a Key reason for an eventual "NO" to "BREXIT" could be People like Corlett himself !

- Indeed, obviously he was, personally, Against "BREXIT", and had been, surprisingly, Selected by EU Parliament in order to become its Press Director Recently, when "Hot" EU - UK Negotiations had been engaged, Despite the Fact that he was Brittish, without clearly knowing what might happen to him (and other UK Citizens employed by the EU) if and when the UK might Leave the EU, (as he had already told "Eurofora" since then). By a strange Coincidence, Neil Corlett had assumed the role of EU Parliament's new Press Director during that Same Plenary Session of Autumn 2017 in Strasbourg in which EU Council's President, Donald Tusk, a former Prime Minister of Poland, had Surprized Observers during a key MEPs' Debate, by Evoking a Possibility for the UK to Finally Stay inside the EU, if it wished so...

>>> However, the most Interesting was what the experienced Corlett had to say nowadays on the Crucial Issue of the estimated overall "Turnout" in the forthcoming 2019 EU Elections, (which had Previously been Discussed several times in the Past, mainly between "Eurofora" and Jaume Duch : See Infra) :

- I think that there is, now, a real chance for EU Citizens' Turnout in the 2019 European Elections to be Higher than the Last Times. Not just Because of our (EU Parliament's Press Service) more or less "ProActive" Strategy, but, much More due to "the Political Context" of nowadays, Neil Corlett told us.

=> Indeed, from the one side, so-called "Populists, and/or various "EuroSceptics", Far Leftists or Rightists, may feel Recently that they could have a Chance to get a Bigger Say inside EU Parliament, than they ever had in the Past. But, at the Same Time, alleged "Pro-Europeans", and/or several Traditional, mainstream Political Parties' fans, may Feel that their Ideas about Europe would Risk to be seriously Heart and Damaged or Replaced by some reportedly "Anti-European" Views. So that Both Sides of this Political Spectrum would be Incited to Participate in the May 2019 Votes, More than in the Past, increasing the Turnout, EU Parliament's new Press Director, agreed with "Eurofora", in substance.

+ Turnout's Numbers in EU Elections has become a very "Hot" Issue of Crucial Importance, particularly since the 1979 - 1994 Majority of Registered EU Citizens, suddenly Ceased to appear, after a Sharp Fall of Participation from 62 - 57% down to Only a Minority of 49 or 45%  of Voters between 1999 - 2004, before a Stabilisation around 43% twice, on 2009-2014.

The Fact that a Long Trend to always Fall towards a Lower Turnout, already since 1979-1994, suddenly Agravated on 1999-2004, was apparently Diminished, before being Stopped (if not reversed) on 2009-2014, (Comp. Supra), has been often Discussed, earlier, by "Eurofora" with EU Parliament's Spokesman and former Long-Time Press Director, Jaume Duch, currently Director-General of Communications, as, f.ex., inter alia, also back on July 2014, (See: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/whatstopedabstentiontrendandstartedparticipationgrowthineuelections.html , etc). According to that latest discussion in public, (during the regular Press Briefing of Monday Afternoon, at the Beginning of a Plenary Session), Duch had already announced that EU Parliament was, normaly, expected to Examine the way in which it had Succeeded to achieve that Stabilisation, of a previously Falling Turnout, (as mentioned above), in order to reach Practical Conclusions for the Next EU Elections of 2019, (Comp. Supra). Something which, precisely, remains to be seen Nowadays, (Hoping, also, for an eventual Reversal of that previous Trend, now, towards a Stronger Electoral Participation by EU Citizens, much needed for Europe's present and Future)...

At any case, an Unforgettable Fact, in this regard, naturally is what had told "Eurofora" the Famous 1st President of EU Parliament in History, former Minister and afterwards Academician, Simone Veil, back during a Conference in Paris' prestigious University of Sorbonne, already as early as since 2010, (precisely when Polls had shown that she was, then, the Most Popular Figure in France) :

- When "Eurofora" had asked Veil to explain the "Paradox", for EU Citizens to have been regularly Voting, with Big Majorities, at EU Parliaments' Elections back on 1979-1994, when MEPs had Only a Few Competences, while, on the Contrary, they suddenly Started to Abstain in Majority, more Recently (since 1999-2004), Despite the Fact that MEPs have got, meanwhile, much More and Important Competences than in the Past, that Historic and Popular European Personality had not hesitated to Reply, realistically but Optimistically, (with a Bitter Smile, after a Thoughtfull moment), that, in her view, "Europe is still in a Transitional" Stage, between a Past and a Future Level of Development, (See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/simoneveileuropeintransition.html).

=> Shall we Start to see, at least Now, in the forthcoming, crucial May 2019 EU Elections, something like a Prelude or Beginning of such a New Stage for Europe, or shall we have to Wait, even Longer, perhaps until the Next, 2024 EU Elections, if not even Further Away in the Future ?

+ It's also a Fact that even the Experienced, current EU Commission's President, former Long-Time Prime Minister of Luxembourg and €uroGroup's Head, Jean-Claude Juncker, has concluded a landmark Conference, in Strasbourg University's Political Science Institute, more recently on Autumn 2017, (See: ...), by the Surprizing Observation that, Contrary to what Most People Think, the European Construction is Not "Too Old", but, rather, "it's Just Beginning !"...

Juncker has certainly said that in order to Encourage, but Not to Delay.
But, has Nowadays Europe, and its People, the "luxe" to Wait even much Longer, or No more ?...

Aren't Real Europeans obliged to, at least, help Start Something New, in the few Time still available, around these crucial May 2019 EU Elections ?

(../..)

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