PACE biggest Group EPP Chair Volonté to EuroFora:Youth's Desire to Change the Future=Asset v.Crisis

*Strasbourg/Council of Europe/Angelo Marcopolo/- The President of CoE's PanEuropean Parliamentary Assembly's biggest Political Group, that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP, Italian MEP Luca Volonté, replying to "EuroFora"s Questions, launched a vibrant and timely call, at the eve of the forthcoming EU Heads of State/Government Summit, later this week in Brussels (due to be followed by another crucial Summit on October), to seriously take into account and consider less as a problem but more as an asset, Young People's current  Aspiration to Change the Future", including by ReNovating the way Democracy works, in order to Fight against the Global Crisis, as various  Popular Movements, both inside the EU and in Neighbouring Mediterranean a.o. Countries, etc., have recently revealed :

- Reminding the Article published by "EuroFora" last week, where Young People's movements were linked on both Crisis of Economy and Democracy, in view of the forthcoming EU Brussels' Summits, we observed that, recently, Young People, both inside and outside of the EU, f.ex. in Neighbouring  South Mediterranean Countries and elsewhere, have stimulated many Movements, in various directions, often related also to New Forms of Democracy, (See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/coeyouthanddemocracy.html )

 - They are trying to find New Ways to Participate in Democratic Institutional Decision-Making today, and to interact, using also New (Internet) and Social Media and otherwise. And this becomes particularly important " now, that EU needs New, "Young" Ideas, particularly if it advances in Economic Integration , and also in further Political Union, according to the current debates at EU Council, between Heads of State/Government, "EuroFora" pointed out.

=> Do you think that  "CoE could help develop such Young Ideas, as it also did in the Past", we reminded, (recalling various cases in which CE had pioneered several Ideas in Key areas, which were afterwards taken over and invested, mutatis-mutandis, by the EU), so that the Debates that you (CoE Assembly) organized this week in this Direction, (i.e. on Young People and the Crisis of Economy and Democracy), might and/or should contribute to take into account, and promote moves inspired by such Ideas in the Future ?", "EuroFora" asked in conclusion, in view, also, of the forthcoming 1st World Forum on Democracy (October 2012, in Strasbourg).

- Given also that, "sometimes, it's through Better Democratic Institutions that can be found also better Economic Solutions", "EuroFora" added, (comp.  relevant, earlier NewsReport : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/worldforumfordemocracy.html )  
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The President of CoE's PanEuropean Parliamentary Assembly's biggest Political Group, that of ChristianDemocrats/European People's Party, Italian MEP Luca Volonté, replied spontaneously to "EuroFora"s question by pointing, successively, at "2 Things" :

 - "First, CoE's Parliamentary Assembly is also involved in a Tunisian encounter, this August (2012), which will bring together also Young People from the so-called Arab Spring, and, it will give an oppportunity" to examine such issues. MEPs will be going to pursue these encounters with Young People who participated in the Arab Spring. Therefore, not only there is a continuing Attention going on, but it's also a Reciprocal Interest : Not only in the side of its inventors, but also on the side of CoE"s (Parliamentary) Assembly", he observed.

+ "The Second thing I wanted to say about this theme, is the following : We (EuroPoliticians) all recall, how Enthousiastic we were, about being able to Participate, 30 or 40 years ago, for the 1st time, being able to Vote, or being able to be a Candidate, many years ago, in some Parliamentary organs,  that we have in our Parliament. We should recall these Moments of Emotion, of a Genuine Desire to Change the Future, for our Countries !", as he stressed.

+ "And we (CoE/EU) should Realise that the same Desire hails now from many Young People, who have, may be, a further Difficulty, because there are many Millions of Young People, today, who have the same Aspirations, but don't have the Possibility to Express their Expectations for their Life, their Future, Jobs, Professional Life, etc., and Wish, through Public involvement, and Political Involvement, they Wish to contribute to Change the Destiny of their Countries", he pointed out.

=> Therefore, "we (CoE/EU) should be Aware of that, we should notice the Worsening of the Situation, which is Not just Economic, but far Broader, (i.e. also Moral, Social, Political, etc), and we should move from considering Young People as being a Problem, to consider them as being the greatest Resource that we have i n Europe, (in order) to ReNew ourseleves and Look at the Future Positively", the EPP Group President in CoE's Assembly concluded in his reply to "EuroFora".

+ Volonté, whose Report on European Youth and the Crisis was debated and adopted today by CoE's PanEuropean Assembly in Strasbourg, also stressed earlier that  EU has to find efficient solutiions to tackle EU's Economy in a way which does Not make "a Lost Generation" of what, paradoxically, seems to be "the Most Educated Young Generation in Europe".

+ Replying also to another Question by an Italian Collegue of the traditional, printed Media, based mainly on "EuroFora"s Publication of last week, (See : : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/coeyouthanddemocracy.html ) Volonté added tha there is currently "a Dramatic Situation", mainly in Mass - "Unemployment" of Young People, and, theferore, these issues should not simply be taken ino account, but even be "at the Center" of the (forthcoming) EU Brussel Summit's work.

At any case, Volonté's Report, as amended by CoE's PanEuropean Assembly during its adoption today in Strasbourg, is due to play an important role also in view of concrete Decisions on the specifc domain of Young People, by a forthcoming CoE's Ministerial Summit on Youth policies scheduled for September 2012 at Saint Petersburg (Russia).            
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+ Meanwhile, the exprerienced CoE's Director for Youth policies, Ulrich Bunjes, also replied to "EuroFora"s Question (Comp. Supra), by adding some interesting concrete observation and data, which underline the importance of the main problem, but also the direction in which Solutions could be found :

 - In fact, "we (EU/CoE) are facing a very Serious Situation, because the Participation of Young People in (classical) Elections is going Down, practically everywhere in Europe. That is a Major  Problem, and we are very much Aware of this, and, so are our Partners in the Youth Ministries (accross more than 48 Countries), and in  Youth Organizations", he warned.

- "There is No Panacea for this Problem, that's quite clear. But there are certain Avenues which we (COE) are Exploring, on how to address this situation. And, certainly, there are 2 Basic Options :", Bunjes pointed out :

- 1) "One is to Change the way Democracy works, to Open it up to New Forms of Democractic Participation of Young People"

- "and, 2) to Inform Young People better, and provide Possibilities for them to Educate themselves on Policy issues"'.

=> Currently, at the PanEuropean CoE, "we are Exploring both Options, with New, innovative Projects. F.ex. we've run a Project on New Forms of Participation, and we'll also look upon these New Forms of Participation in the context of the Youth Assembly, together with the Parliamentary Assembly, later this year", anounced CoE's Director on Young People's policies, apparently pointing at CoE's PanEuroepan Youth Assembly, which convenes in Strasbourg from 5 to 7 October,  at the eve of the 1st "World Forum for Democracy", scheduled for October 7 to 11, (i.e. just before the next EU Summit of October 18-19 in Brussels)...

 - "These are very Important, Crucial Issues, and we (CoE) are Conscious of the fact that More Needs to be made in these Areas, than it has ever been done before", he concluded in reply to "EuroFora"s question.

+ But, "Young People should be consulted by (EU/CoE+National) Decision-Makers whenever they consider Measures which affect their lives and future, timely added to "EuroFora", the recentlly elected (March 2012) new Chairwoman of CoE's Advisory Council on Youth, Maria Paschou from Greece, who participated to CoE's Press Conference together with CoE Parliamentary Assembly's President, Jean-Claude Mignon, etc.