Giscard : EU Debates to revitalize Citizens' European Dream with EU People's Congres before 2015 ?

A currently existential EU problem is that Citizens don't yet look at EU Debates as such, but only through difforming mirrors of National debates, hindering to feel a "European Dream", while a new, decisive leap ahead, able to satisfy the need for more Democratic Legitimity and Mediatic Visibility of EU's Political leaders, could and should be organized, based on EU Parliament and links with National Parliaments, if they gathered together in Strasbourg to form a Congres of European People for the election of EU President from 2015, said Academician Valery Giscard d'Estaing, experienced former President of EU Convention and France, pointing at a key part of "EuroFora" project, which is to prepare EU debates on main European decisions affecting People's lives.

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There is an obvious need for an intense effort of thinking, because, currently, the spirit of the public and most politicians is not in shape, and references to big EU Achievements disappeared from Political Parties' platforms. When, elsewhere, emerging powers thrive, it's unacceptable to see EU's current torpor, VGE denounced.
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Even if Europe had lost since long its 18th Century Dominant position in the World, nevertheless, it kept its Identity, thanks to a strong Millenary Culture, and succeeded, during the last 60 Years, to transform some among the most War-monger Nations into Members of a Peaceful Union, which reached the level of a Common Currency : the Euro, Faster than USA did in its History, VGE reminded.

But, EU wasted too much Time concerning the Political Unity of its Institutions, he noted, particularly after the  3 "No" to the French, Dutch and Irish EuroReferenda on a Draft EU Consitution (2005-2007), notoriously provoked mainly by Turkey's impopular EU bid, which alienated many EU Citizens afraid that some would let import inside Europe the serious violations of Human Rights, the undemocratic oppression, and its retrograde, underdeveloped Economy and Education, (where several Hundreds of Thousands of Children are totally excluded from School), while Political Parties are outlawed, elected representatives jailed, critical journalists harassed, persecuted or even murdered, with their killers escaping from just punishment, even Children's Torturers remaining totally unpunished...

Thus, after the Convention (for EU's Constitution, rejected in the 2005 EuroReferenda because of Turkey's controversial EU bid), follows a period of troubles, during which some re-Nationalize, while nobody speaks abut Europe's Future, and there isn't any Big Project  : To put it in a nutshell  : Nobody "Dreams" no more for Europe !", VGE denounced.
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Even when, after EU Treaty's entry into force, we had to elect an EU President, and an EU Foreign Minister, etc., for the 1st time in History, instead of using that opportunity and present f.ex. 3 Candidates, with differend Programs, so that EU Citizens and Media People can hold Debates, etc., on the contrary, everything was "decided behind Closed Doors"...
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All this is in Antithesis of the Founding Spirit of the EU Convention, which leaned towards Federalism, while EU, on the contrary, remains largely Inter-Governemental, VGE observed.

Since Maastricht (1993) EU comes closer to a kind of ConFederation. Insufficiently prepared to the Enlargments, (pushed by "an Enlargement Commissioner who wasn't good"), while UK Government stubornly refuses all serious augmentations of EU's powers, it slips towards a Community of Nations.

=> The greatest Danger, if this continues, is for the EU to be perceived from outside, as a Large Market, with a Weak Political Will, condemned to bargaining between Member States, where only the Biggest Countries are able to give some orientations, VGE warned.
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    After the draft EU Constitution was rejected by 2005's EuroReferenda, Lisbon EU Treaty was made by Jurists, and not by Elected Politicians taking into consideration Citizens' demands, contrary f.ex. to USA's Philadelphia congres, said VGE. The Language used is "not simplified", but on the contrary, difficult to understand by the People, for whom the Text becomes unreadable also by a series of references to previous EU texts, etc. Even the Symbols (Flag, Ode to Joy, etc) were sacrificed, he reminded.

    However, the only "consolation" is that most of the substantial "Content" of the draft EU Constitution was saved : "If we open the Box, we see that the (institutional) Tools are inside", since what was Essential in the draft EU Constitution has been largely preserved.

    These Tools are just starting to be used, prudently : F. ex. EU's External Action Service, facilitating the development of a strong Common Foreign and Security Policy, has been recently created ; EU's President van Rompuy and EU's Foreign Minister, Baroness Ashton, were apointed ; the Charter of Fundamental Rights was published ; etc.

    In the foreseable Future, since it seems currently unthinkable to open any big new Reform process, EU has to advance by adequately using all the Tools preserved inside the Lisbon Treaty, VGE advised.

    If the Financial Perspectives for the Post-2013 period might be fixed until the 2nd semester of 2012, (as VGE curiously believes), on the contrary, concerning the EU Council, its current (1st) President is the LAST to speak, after the Heads of State/Government, and this fact shows the need to take over EU's external Communication, according to Giscard.
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    - But, what is most Important is to "awake the European Conscience of our People", pointed out Valery Giscard d'Estaing.

    - In this regard, the problem is that, until now, "we didn't have yet any European Political Space, but only National areas".

 - That's why, EU is seen by Citizens, until now, through a difforming angle of National points of view, he denounced, speaking also for the Media.     => Therefore, as solution could be to renew the project to "bring together the Peoples of Europe", VGE proposed.

    Something that every other big region in the World already has (f.ex. USA, China, etc), he compared.

    - "This (EU) Congress would become, progressively, a college for the future Election of EU's Leaders", and could "give Birth to a European Civil Society, because, as long as there isn't yet an EU Civil Society, EU cannot advance, Giscard stressed.

    - "I believe that the Strong Voice of Europe's People can and must be heard" in this way, the former EU Convention's Chairman said firmly.

    The new EU bod could be composed by some 900 MEPs from EU Parliament, as well as some MPs from the National Parliaments of EU Member States, totalling around 3.000 Persons.

    This "Congress" of Europe's People could be organized in Strasbourg, (there where Napoleon had been elected on 1815 "Chancellor of Europe", as VGE's New Historic Book reminds).

    No Legal Reforms were needed just in order to meet and speak, since no formal decision was scheduled, and even if all EU Member States didn't  take part, it would be enough to advance with those Countries which are ready and willing to do so.   

    It could all start with the preparation of the Hearings, in view of Votes before final Decisions, of all Candidates' political programs for the Top Jobs of EU President (and EU Foreign Minister) created by Lisbon Treaty, which would stop being "invisible" to the Media, but, on the contrary, would acquire a much larger importance in the Future.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
    VGE's idea surprises by its simplicity, but also its far-reaching consequences.

    It's not so far away from a differend hypothesis, that "EuroFora"s co-founder has been questioning since more than a Decade, as probably many other People dealing with EU/CoE issues, that in Strasbourg is concentrated almost everything that a European Government might need in the Future : A Parliament (EU's and CoE's Assemblies) ; a Court (CEDH) ; a Council of Ministers (f.ex. CoE's Committee of Ministers, EU Council's Offices inside EU Parliament's building, etc) ; a Media (ARTE Radio-TV, long before "EuroFora") ; an Army (EuroCorps) ; a Police/Security service (Shengen system) ; an Historic Symbol (Strasbourg's role in Franco-German Reconciliation, Human Rights' and Parliamentary Democracy's EU + CoE Capital, etc) ; enough Open space and green areas ready to welcome a brand New City which would rapidly emerge if it became a real EU "Capital", (etc).

   But at least one important Factor seems yet lacking in this otherwise brillant VGE equation :

- Simply, the People, EU Citizens themselves, on the name of whom all this construction is build : As long as neither EU Parliament, nor various National Assemblies' Majorities, still wouldn't be elected by Voters on the basis of their preference for this or that Candidate for EU President's post, then, nobody could seriously pretend that their representatives (elected on the basis on pluralism and musiq's rentuin

    Hastily Questioned by "EuroFora" in the few time available, except from a smile, VGE didn't seem to have a  ready answer on that specific point... Not yet.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
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VGE's speech was organized by Strasbourg University's PEAP, for "European pole on Public Administration", which, according to its Chairman Weber, is currently part and parcel of the projects presented in Paris by Strasbourg University's President Alain Beretz in order to be selected and supported by the French Government as a "pole of Excellence".

Obviously, Strasbourg, both Geopolitically, and by the personal Experiences accumulated since decades, has an important potential to emerge as a pole of excellence on Public Administration issues, from the Legal, Political Science, Historic/Sociological, Mediatic, a.o.  points of view.

But, in order to become really effective, it all depends on whether the people who shall have any responsibility in this direction are conscious enough of the vital need to overcome some short-sighted former provincial and/or Bureaucratic counter-productive obstacles, which might undermine an otherwise unique, historic oppotunity for France and EU's Franco-German core, as well as all Europe, including, in particular, many hundreds of millions of EU Citizens and far beyond.