Macron in Democracy's Historic Birthplace, Acropolis' Pnyx: a Stronger Europe via Citizens' Debates+

*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- It's at the Historic BirthPlace of direct Democracy, at Pnyx Rock, Facing Acropole accross the Hights of Athens' Hills, that New French President Emanuel Macron felt a Strong Desire to Speak to "EU Citizens" as being: - "We, the Europeans", with "Our (common) European Identity", who "Share a History and a Destiny", seeking "the Sacred Force" of "a Miracle" to Revive in Nowadays Europe's foreseable Future to Build.

Among various and many Interesting Points, Macron's Amazing Plea, Focused also, at its Core, on Democratic Citizens' Debates Before Final Decisions, Adding Nowadays' Internet's Great Digital Communications' Potential : i.e. pointing astonishingly towards "EuroFora"s original 1997 (and mainly 2007) - 2017 Project, with a Surprizing Energy ! (See Infra).

 -----------

- His Host, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, Introduced, Earlier, at that landmark Historic Scenery chosen by Macron, by reminding mainly that "Here was Born, for the 1st time, what we call "Public Area", for Discussion and Democratic Decision-making".

    He could have spoken, alike, about what World-Famous German Philosopher/Publicist Jurge Habermas, from the Nearby "Frankfurt School", notoriously calls : "Öffentichkeit", i.e. "Public Space", (and describes in his "StrukturWändel der Offentlichkeits" Book), already before his also Famous Critical and Dialectic "Dialogues" with former Cardinal and Theologian Joseph Ratzinger, who became Later on the (now Emeritus) Pope Benedict, at the Heart of Europe, in Baden-Wurttemberg, near Strasbourg

------------------------------------

 - "This area obliges us - because it's here that emerged at first a Modern form of State, .. built by the Sovereignity of the People", Macron observed from he outset,

just before "Daring to Ask :  - What have We (Contemporary People) done of that (Ancient Greek)Democracy ?"

 - Indeed, Here, "... at Pnyx dominated the Desire of Free Speech, of Debate, even of Controversy", he Reminded.

But on the Contrary, - "In Europe, Today, Democracy, Sovereignity, and Trust, are in Danger !" Because "We were Not at the Height of the European Idea"...
 
 - "Europe was always build by Winning against Wars and Catastrophs", he reminded. "And Europe does not exist without that Never-Ending Voluntarism", Macron stressed.

 + And, in Fact, "Europe itself was a Metamorphose, a Perpetual Metamorphosis". : Indeed, "We shouldn't repeat the same, particularly when we did an error...+ "When Europe Stops, it Negates itself, it Risks to be bellied".

 - "F.ex. Modern Greece found the EU by turning the page of a (Military) Dictature", back on 1974, (as also Spain, Portugal, etc), the French President reminded.
 
 - But, Nowadays, "we see History Accelerating, to Dislocate more and more an Order established more than 30 Years ago, withOut anyone able to say what order will Emerge from the on-going Mutations", while also "New Risks appear", he Warned.

 - Nevertheless, For the Time being, "Europe is one of the last Havens, where we persist to develop an idea of Humanity, of Law, Liberty, Justice"...

 
 => So that, Today, "More than ever, we Need Europe, the World Needs Europe". And "it would be a kind of collective Suicide, if we Let it Dislocate".

>>> "That's why we should Find the Initial Energy, the Force for a New Foundation of our Europe !", Macron urged.

 - "Not" just "to Repair what does not work, or attempt to repair it". "But to Start from the Critical Examination, without concessions, of what does Not work, during these Last Years", because, "Persist with what doesn't work, pretend to Ignore what is happening" right "in front of us".

 - Since, "Otherwise, some will take the Responsibility to let this Europe Die, by Big Crisis, or by slow Decay"...

    => "Instead of that, a Different Choice, that I Propose you Today, is to ReFound Europe !", he pointed out with Ambitious Voluntarism.

    - This should be done "through a Radical Criticism, because it's an Error to Abandon Criticism".

 
 - And, in fact, "those who Love Europe must be able to Criticise it, in order to Warn, Rectify, to Ameliorate it", Macron rightfully observed.

 >>> "But Not with Technocracy and Bureaucracy, No !.. ", he Warned.
 
 - In substance, Today, "there are 3 Great Hopes : of Sovereignity, Democracy and Trust", he resumed.

------------------------------------------------

   - First of all, Indeed, "a primordial Necessity is to find anew our Sovereignity : i.e. Think by ourselves, Decide ourselves, Determine our Future".

 - "But, by overcoming Nationalisms, the Real Sovereignity, Nowadays, must be re-build through Europe":

   - " i.e. Unite our Forces in order to Build a European Power, in order to decide, without yielding to what some SuperPowers might do Better than us.

 - "Because Challenges are No more at the level of one Nation. F.ex., Climate crisis, provoked Inondations, Mass Migration, Terrorism, emerging Nuclear Powers", (etc)...
 
 - "Who Protects you ?  Nations alone ?", he Wondered.  

 - "It's true, that "Nations have a power, (and) they decide Democratically".

 - "But, what will allow us to have Digital Champions, to build a Strong Economy (etc) ? The Right Level is that of our European Sovereignity, able to Face those Big Powers, as USA, China, etc", he observed.  

  - "F.ex., in order to Develop Africa and the Middle East, so that Mass Migration is Prevented, in order to Fight Terrorism, Protect our Digital Data, in front of Climate Change, Defend us vis a vis some Authoritarian Powers which sometimes hold us Hostages", (as, f.ex., Turkey ?), etc., "a European Sovereignity will allow us to be Protected, and Exist", Macron affirmed.
 
 - Meanwhile, several "Political Leaders have Lied to the People", Macron Denounced. - "But who Paid for that ? Not those Political Leaders, only the People themselves"...

+ And, thus, "We Lost that taste of Social Cohesion, which supported us, we Lost that..., in a kind of Civil War inside Europe, between Powers which did Not Trust Eachother, no more", he Criticized.

 - "That's the History of the last 10 Years : a kind of Civil War, Focusing on our Differences, our Petty Betrayals", and "Forgetting that we had, in front of us, some Radically Different Powers"...

   + "While", in fact, "the Only Question raised, was how to make €uroZone an Economic Power able to Stand up in front of China, of USA... How to make Europe a Diplomatic and Military Power able to Defend our Values and Interests, in front of those emerging Authoritarian Powers : These are our main Challenges", the French President pointed out.

 => "This will pass through indispensable Institutional Reforms", he Announced, Promising that "I'll return back to that in a Few Weeks, with Detailed Proposals, a Road-Map" :

>>> F.ex., a "Strong Governance in €uroZone, with a Budget, (...) a Real CEO, and a Parliament, in front of which he must be Accountable", he Highlighted.

 - In order to "Build in 10 Years its (Europe's) Sovereignity", particularly "for our Young People" ! ...
 
------------------------------

- "But, in 10, 15, 20 Years : What kind of Europe do we want ?", Macron Wondered, at this juncture.

 - In fact, "I want for You (EU Citizens) to have the Possibility to Choose your Future". Even if it's "to make, sometimes Difficult, Choices : That's European Sovereignity".

 - "Because what we have lived through, during those last 10 Years, was Not at all, at the Hight of our History !", he Criticized.

>>> Indeed, "Sovereignity is for the People to Decide the Direction towards which we'll advance".

  - And, "by its Enlargement, Diversity, etc, Europe faced suddenly a Popular "No !": (i.e. Against Turkey's notoriously Controversial and UnPopular EU bid, since the 1999 Sudden, Abrupt, Record-High, UnPrecedented Abstention of EU Voters from EU Parliament's Elections). And it was "the People who had Founded Europe, as in France, the Netherlands, etc., who said "No" on 2005, he reminded, (as far as those 2 unprecedented "No" to Euro-Referenda were concerned).  

=> - "Did we hear their complaints ? No !" In fact, "those who Directed Europe pretended that Nothing had happened, behaved as if there was nothing important going on, etc"..., Macron Denounced.

... the seeked some Deals, Behind the Back of the People, in order to Continue an Old Methods, which had Worked for Centuries : Make Europe on the Sidelines, (slightly Hidden), and Explain Afterwards ! (cf. AGG)

>>> "But, in Fact, what Happened on 2005 is that a Page was Turned, and we did not see that immediately : Europe can No more Advance far Away from the People !", he stressed.

  - "It canNot Continue on its Destiny, unless it's Chosen, Desired (Accepted - Wished), and, therefore, Explained, Supported by the Entire European Population", he Warned.

   - F.ex., "as we also saw Recently on BREXIT, Suddenly the British People Woke up Against Choices often made by their Governments, and said : - "THIS Europe, is Not made for me. I Don't Find myself inside it. I do Not Understand it. Its Rules became Absurd. Look at THIS Europe, where I Lose my own Rights, ..." That's what was said by the British People Last Year" (2016), Macron critically observed, adopting a Similar stance to "Eurofora"s Analysis, Published then, (See : ....).  

=> "These Votes Marked the End of an adventure which pushed Europe to always go on as if things were to be Hidden from the Will of Our People"...

 - So that, "When I Fight Against Going Astray, sometimes because of Bureaucracy, which makes Europe go on through Rules that our Citizens do Not Understand, no more, ... Because she (Europe) Lost her Great Ideas, it's in order to Find aNew the Taste of the Salt of that European Democracy !" Macron pointed out, (citting "f.ex. on Posted Workers", etc)

=> "It's US, Who Believe in Europe, who allowed its Democracy to be Breached, go Far Away from the People, and make them even Hostiles..

>>> and its also Up To Us, to have the Guts (Courage) to Find aNew the Way towards Sovereignity, and we Must also have the Guts to ReDiscover the Way of Democracy !", he urged in parallel.

=> Because "this will go Through anOther Method to Re-Found Europe", Macron announced.

    + and That's Why I Wish that this Road-Map ...to propose in order to Build our Europe's Future during the Next 10 Years, should Not be a Treaty Negotiated in Secret, a Text Discussed  Behind Closed Doors, in some Dark Rooms, in Paris, Brussels or Berlin", Macron warned.
 
>>>  "But (on the Contrary), I propose to Test a New Method, so that ... (towards the End of 2017...), we can Build the Great Principles of this Process, Where we want to Bring our Europe, to Fix our Aims in a Crystal-Clear manner, so that we could, (from 2018) Present them to the European People".

=> "Everywhere (National) Leaders will Chose to Follow this Path, I wish hat in Each Member State, we can Organize, during 6 Months, (Popular) Consultations, the "Democratic Conventions", which will exist durin the Time where, throughout all our Countries, our People will Discuss about What Europe they want", Macron concretely proposed.

-------------------

+ In this regard, he also Urged to "Get Out of that Childish Dillema, where Europe has been stuck nowadays, with One Side willing to Seek the People in order to Say a "Yes" or a "No", that they are going to Manipulate for Months, so that the Referendum becomes an Arm of Populists alone, of Ani-Europeans,

while, on the Other Side, those who Believe in Europe practically End up by becoming Afraid of their Peoples, Hidding Behind their own Doubts, and say :  - "Let's advance, But withOut ever Changing the Treaties, Afraid to have anew a Referendum. Let's advance, But let's do it by Small Steps, Among us, (because) the People will Not Understand that", he Criticized...

=> On the Contrary, "Let's chose a 3rd Way, that which was (Historically) INVENTED HERE, at this very place where we are now, and which was Not that of Demagogues", But "that of (Real) Democracy :

=> That "of Controversy, of Constructive Debate, through a Critical Spirit and Dialogue", i.e. "that which consists into entering Deep Inside Each-one of the Issues, with their Complexity, in order to Find out what we Want for our Common City !"

>>> Macron proposed that, in particular, "for the 1st Semester of 2018, throughout All the Countries of Our Europe",

=> in order to "Find anew the (Taste of the) Salt of what was Invented in this place, (Ancient Pnyx, Facing Acropole), where we are Today", and "which Made our Democracies", he Urged.

-> Thus, in Practice, the French President proposed :

-  for "those Democratic Conventions to Discuss, during 6 Months,

- Debating on a Road-Map's Principles that the (EU) Heads of State/Government would have Highlighted,

- so that we (EU) can Meet Again, 6 Months Later, in order to Make a Synthesis,

- and, on this Basis, Debated and Shared on the spot, through Digital Debates Everywhere in Europe, (i.e. almost as "Eurofora"s +2007-2017 Project),

=>  Let's Build what will be the Foundation for Re-Inventing our Europe for the Next 10 or 15 Years, let's Build the conditions of What We Really Want Together !", as he described.

- "That's the Ambition, concerning Methods, that I want for the  Forthcoming Months !", Macron clearly stressed.

-------------

>>> In Fact, "Get Back to the (Ancient) Greek History, it's Meet the Force of that Democracy (of Ancient Athens, in its "Classic" Era), the Energy of that Debate, (typical also of Philosopher Platon's "Socratic Dialogues", where this is used also as a Scientific Method to Find the Truth !), and that's what I want that We could Find Together for Our Europe", he explained in substance.

--------------------------------

 + "But, well Beyond that, I want for the EveryDay operations of the Future Europe, to become More Democratic anew, so that we get out of those rules Made by a Few for the Greated Number (of People), in order to Re-Discover More Democracy in our EveryDay Working methods", the new French President interestingly advocated in General,

 (i.e. speaking for a New Period, Open to the Future, After the above-mentioned 6 Months of Founding "Democratic Conventions" for EU Citizens).

=> - "That's why" Macron wanted, "for the Next EU Elections" (May 2019), f.ex. "Trans-National Lists" of Candidate MEPs, taken from those Leaving Brittish Former-MEPs, After the "BREXIT".

+ => And, anyway, "We Can Have a European Debate", with "European Lists" (of part of MEPs), "a Real European Democracy, able to thrive accross the Countries,

++ and, Tomorrow, If we want a More Integrated "Euro-Zone", a "Heart of Europe with a Vanguard", "let's Strengthen Democracy, let's set up a Parliament of €uro-Zone, which will allow to Build the Rules of a Democratic Responsibility of those who will Take Decisions - something which does Not Yet exist" until now, he Further Highlighted.

>>> "Because the Real Energy for Europe, is Not a Fascination for Rules, But a Democratic Vitality !", Emmanuel Macron rightfully stressed.

- In fact, "it's Possible to revitalise the Initial Promise of Europe, ... if we assume our Desire for Sovereignity and our Need for Democracy", he combined.

-----------------------

 - "As (the World-Famous Ancient Greek Political Leader) Pericles said, We (EU) can do Nothing amidst DisTrust and Treason" : Because, "Since Many Years" (Comp. Supra), "such a MisTrust has Undermined the Necessary Adhesion to the European Project, erroded the Trust that it Needs in order to ReStore itself, and That's Why it's Indispensable to Return Back to the actual Meaning of the European Adventure, to that Deep Conviction which supports it".   

>>> "We, Europeans, We Share a History and a Destiny", he stressed. And "it's by Re-Discovering the Direction of this Way, that we will become Able to Build Trust anew".

- Finding "a Mirror facing Our European Identity" in "Athens' Acropole" Historic Monuments, Macron pointed at that "Sacred Feeling", "that Force" of Energy, which, (as "Malraux"s "Secret Greece", lying at the Heart of all Western men), allows us to "Recognize a European, an Image which ReMinds us of Europe, with "a Feeling of Unity", "a Color, a Reading, which makes that We Feel anew Europeans".

- It's, Symbolically, amidst the Lights of "that Night which arrives at Acropole's Hill", at "these Columns of Parthenon, that Design of Erechtheion and its Caryatides", but also "in this Europe of Litterature, of Cafés with Public Discussions, Friendly and Civilized as Nowhere Else, that lies Our Deep Concrete, which is Culture, OUR Culture !", the Young French European Political Leader revendicated.

- "We'll never Fight enough for the Europeans to revive their Conscience .. of that Common Base which Finds its way to Express itself through Many Centuries, in Manifold ways :" that "Europe of Reviews, of Travellers, of Libraries, of Ideas, .. of Capitals' Lights" (etc), "which Exists in so Many Ways .. withOut having to Wait for our Institutions, Treaties, ... Controversies". That "Europe of Mme de Stael, and of Benjamin Constant, spoke almost all Languages, was there Since Many Centuries, and Unites us, is that of Culture" : "And, in order to Revive that Spirit of Mutual Recognition and Knowledge, in order to, at last, Build anew the European Trust, it's from Culture that we must Start !", he urged.

=> This made President Macron to concretely point towards More "Students' Exchanges", "Academic Exchanges", "Language Learning", but also "'Common "Heritage": "Everyhing which embodies our Common History (Greek Art, Roman Art, Medieval Art, from Baroque to Classic), All those Monuments, those ArtWorks, which are the Substance of our Memory and Our Being", must be "Protected and ReVived" : Because, "When Civilisation is Under Attack, it's Attackes (also) in its Culture, in Its Heritage : Look at the Middle East or in Africa !", President Macron observed.

 (Obviously referring, inter alia, also to Deadly Islamist Terrorists of ISIL's Coward Killers Targetting defenseless Civilian People, but also, f.ex. the UNESCO Historic Artworks of "Palmyra", in Syria, as Al-Queda had done against Afghanistan's "Giant Budhas", Turkey is routinely Accused to do Against over-Millenary Armenian and/or Kurdish Historic Monuments, Occupied Cyprus' Christian Buildings, etc).

=> -"Protect that and make it thrive, must be a Mission for all Europeans" : "We Must Defend that Heritage, Support it, Re-Invent it, re-Appropriate it, Because it's Our Identity and Our Future !". And "it's through Culture and Heritage that we'll ReVive that Energy of Exchanges and (Historic) Sites, which make us always, (Beyond Our Divisions, at any Important Moment of Our Europe), decide to Advance Together, in order to Build something Stronger", as he said.

- Therefore, Macron pointed, f.ex., to a European-Level Cultural Heritage Forum, (speaking almost at the Eve of 2018 as EU's Year for Cultural Heritage), but also to the "Conditions for the Circulation of Intellectual ArtWorks throughout Europe", such as "Litterature, Philosophy, Poetry, History, Geography, Cinema, Live Spectacles, Sciences", (etc), "which are Our Common Ground".

 - "We Need, there, to create European Programs for Prority ArtWorks, coming from Cultural Heritage or Contemporary Creation", because, until now, "each Editor, Writer, Creator, has to Find himself ways to be Known and Translated, But te Result is InSufficient : We Need to Organise that Essential Domain" of Europe's Culture, of Translators, of Supporters of that Common Cultural Ambition", since "It's .. Inventions, and our Joint Imaginary which Forged Europe beyond its differences : We are Europeans, Inhabitants of that rare Babel whose Diversity of Languages and Traditions enriches and Stimulates".

---------------------------------

=> - "Therefore, we have anew that ... Ambition, through which Trust will be Re-Built : Sovereignity, Democracy, Culture are 3 Hopes to offer to Europe's Young People, in order to Take Hold of, and Appropriate them", because "it's Our Responsibility .. to make Young People Find anew the Feeling of a Strong and Legitimate Europe", Macron concluded.

 - "Some, may look at such an Endeavour, as being Doomed to Fail. .. Some may speak about "Technical" matters, "Details", "Texts", whether we "Want to Change the (EU) Treaties, or Not ?", "Which Articles to Modify ?" (etc).

 - "We'll come back to that". "But", meanwhile, "we've Lost the main Direction, the Deep Will, and the Ambition ! Should we also Fear such an Extreme Ambition ?", he wondered.

 - But, "When the Founding Fathers of Europe gave their Hands to their Former Ennemies, in a Continent still Full of their Victims, (f.ex.. as Early as, already since the Beginning of the 1960ies), can anyone Imagine their Secret Anxiety ?" And "didn't some describe as a "Crazy Ambition" that of those who were claiming that we were going to have a Common Currency ? It was just 30 Years ago !"... "Don't we have, no more, the Right to have an Ambition ?", he wondered.

=> - "I Believe the Contrary", Macron firmly declared. That's why "France would present in the Debate : - "Are you Afraid of the European Ambition which will Make us ReDiscover the Meaning of Sovereignity, Democracy, and Culture ?"..., he Announced.

 - German Philosopher "Hegel said for that Moment that we share, that it's when (Ancient Goddess) "Minerva's Owl Flies away"... "Minerva"s Owl is Wise, and feels Confortable, Because it Always Looks Behind her, at a Determined Area of what we Already Know"...

>>> - "Do Not Stop at Minerva's Owl !" On the Contrary, "Seize that Crazy Ambition, to Wish anew a Stronger Europe, More Democratic, and Founded anew on its Culture and what Unites us !", Macron Urged.

- In Fact, "Our Hopes are in our Hands : Let's Desire that, all Together, Both for Ourselves and for our Children ! Then, I Promise you, We shall Succeed !", the New French President, stressed avec Voluntarism.

>>> "For that purpose, Let's Follow the Words of (Greek, NOBEL Prize Winner) Poet (and Diplomat) Seferis :"

- "When you Search a Miracle, you Must Sow Your Blood Everywhere. Because the Miracle is Nowhere Else, than in the Veins of Humans !"

=> "Let's Give a Chance to that Miracle, all Together, for Our Europe !", Macron called in Conclusion, (apparently placing Humanism at the Heart of Europe's Future).


 

(../..)

-------------------------------