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Home arrow EU endorses EuroFora's idea

70% Abstention risk in 2009 Election makes EU endorse EuroFora's main idea

Автор ACM
Monday, 19 January 2009

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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".

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        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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     The High-Tech, brand new Crisis' management Center (CMC) inaugurated Wednesday by French Minister Bernard Kouchner, fits well EU's Humanitarian and Security-Defence aims, revealed a gathering of the largest Group of MEPs (EPP) organised in Paris these days, to prepare the debate on French EU Presidency's priorities (July - December 2008), that President Nicolas Sarkozy will present next week in EU Parliament in Strasbourg.

        Due to face a large spectrum of Crises : from Humanitarian (f.ex. Natural Catastrophes, evacuation of Civilians or rapatriation of expats, populations exposed to Hunger and/or risky Sanitary conditions, etc), to various consequencies of Terrorist threats, Armed conflicts, or of Peace-keeping operations, etc, and joining Geopolitics with Diplomacy, CMC is able to deal with urgencies in real time anywhere in the world, by concentrating qualified Experts and impressive High-Tech equipment (i.e. Giant Computer Screens working in parallel, Visio-conferences, Satellite connections, etc).

 

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        Kouchner stressed that "Humanitarian and Political considerations can co-exist in real practice, if each one respects its independence", and, speaking to EuroFora, underlined his intention to have special representatives in "Strategic" locations, creating a "Network", open particularly to European cooperation.

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        - "We must fill the gap in Europe's Civilian and Military capacities", declared earlier at Matignon, French Prime Minister Francois Fillon, while EU Commissioners met with their counterparts among French Ministers.

        This point was at the focus of European People Party's "'Study Days" in Paris, from 2 to 4 July 2008, entitled  : "For a Safer Europe", with a central Debate on EU's Security and Defence policies, where EU Parliament's President, German MEP Hans Gert Poettering, French Minister of Defence Herve Morin, and the Chairman of EU's Defence Committee, MEP Karl von Vogaw, spoke before meeting with Sarkozy, Wednesday afternoon.

    - "We need specifically European systems, including, f.ex. Satellite networks, etc", stressed the experienced Chairman Karl von Vogaw, speaking after the meeting with President Sarkozy to European Journalists from EuroNews, EuroPolitique and EuroFora.
    - And there where "European forces are already gathered, (f.ex. in Cyprus, Balkans, Lebanon, etc), if new operations started, I'd prefer to see them under European command in Future", he added, in reply to questions on how to overcome problems raised by a 3rd Countries as Turkey.

    Vogaw presented earlier, at EPP's plenary, a comprehensive Report on EU's Security and Defence policy, with a strong High-Tech component (including Satellites, UAV, protected Telecoms, Strategic Air and Sea Transports, Space assets, etc), sharp references to Political will and Historic necessities, while also stressing that EU must overcome the divide between Civilian and Military research and activities, making "a close cooperation between Civilian and Military means" a "specific" mark of Europe.

    The experienced Top MEP, after helping to build the "EuroZone", as a long-time Chairman of EU Parliament's Economic Committee, has recently started to chair a brand new "Security and Defence Committee", aiming to build European Defence, as the 2nd task of his life, as he told earlier to EuroFora.

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     The Committee, chaired by Vogaw, will hear, next week in Strasbourg an Experts' view about on the French EU Chairmanship's priorities in ESDP on Wednesday, before President Sarkozy's plenary debate, exceptionally on Thursday.

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2009 EU Elections were won by Parties against Technocracy and Turkey's controversial EU bid, while the 1999-2004 Majority Abstention trend decelerated. What should be done in 2009-2014 ?

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