Strengthening European democracy through the engagement of Local and Regional elected representatives and the role of LRAs in bringing Europe close to citizens through local dialogues were the key remarks made by EPP-CoR members during a debate on the Conference on the Future of Europe.
Herman Van Rompuy, Chair of the CoR high Level Group on European Democracy said that the Conference on the Future of Europe is an exercise of democracy and that the main theme is European democracy. He said that democracy is under pressure. "Today there is a big mistrust in the EU. Citizens are facing many threats like unemployment, climate change and the pandemic. Dialogue is the only solution and local and regional elected representatives are the ones that can engage citizens in political decisions." He called for a reflection on how to protect and empower people, how to make the EU less dependent and more autonomous, and how to get democracy to deliver through better involvement. "Involvement and results go hand in hand and thus Europe needs more direct and frequent interaction" he said.
Mark Speich, Secretary of State for Federal, European and International Affairs for the Land of North Rhine-Westphalia said "We will use this opportunity of the Conference on the Future of Europe to strengthen the regions and the CoR in the institutional structure of the EU. We need to explore our possibilities and constraints. We must also stimulate an internal discussion about the future of our institution. I am very glad that Herman van Rompuy is supporting us in this mission. Considering his political weight and great experience, we could not have a better partner on our side."
Martin Eichtinger, Member of the State Government of Lower Austria said "We all have our own ideas on the future of Europe. I think of a Europe that leads the world in the green and digital transformation." Eichtinger said that the aim of the Conference on the Future of Europe is to involve Europe's citizens more actively and to promote the various initiatives at local, national and European level. He recalled that Lower Austria, already launched a citizen participation model "Salons Europa-Forum Wachau" at the end of 2018 and was able to involve more than 4,000 interested parties in the European dialogue. "Lower Austria intends to continue along this path. As envisaged in the Joint Declaration on the Future of Europe, we will take the opportunity to hold regional citizens' forums" he concluded.
Emil Boc, Mayor of Cluj-Napoca said that more emphasizes need to be made on culture and education to fulfill the European way of life. "Education and culture are the key to address ignorance, intolerance, populism and to protect our fundamental values." In his concluding remarks Boc, a former Prime Minister spoke on the need of working together at all levels "Let’s work together in an 'eco' not an 'ego' approach. If we are going to do so, we will leave the best legacy for the next generations of the European Union!"
Piero Mauro Zanin, President of the Regional Council of Friuli Venezia Giulia said that the democratically elected LRAs do not enjoy as much consideration in the EU and are relegated to the role of simple stakeholders in most consultations. "LRAs are those implementing European policies in the territories of the Union and without their involvement the objectives of European recovery are doomed to fail. The Conference on the Future of Europe must be an opportunity to rethink European democracy more in line with the needs of Europeans and must promote a dialogue involving LRAs, in the name of the principle of subsidiarity strongly reaffirmed in the treaties."
Franz Schausberger, Representative of Salzburg Province said "We have to go to regions and cities and hold discussions with young people. I am very happy that the representative of the European Commission in Austria is visiting all regions and holding public discussions with young people. We hope that results will also find a concrete response at European level, so that we do not disappoint young people. Schausberger also spoke on the involvement of enlargement countries in the process "I call for the enlargement countries of the Western Balkans to be included in the discussion in a suitable manner and that they too engage the regional and local level. It is important for us to hear what the future member states think about Europe."
Alexandra Dulkiewicz, Mayor of Gdańsk said “The Conference on the Future of Europe is a unique opportunity to reinforce civic participation. Thanks to this innovative and pan-European experience of participation, it will be possible to make joint decisions about the future, the shape and priorities of a democratic Europe. We are at a critical moment deciding about the future and building a vision of the EU. Citizens want to have a say on the EU they will live in. The Conference is an opportunity to think about ways to improve and strengthen European democracy through multi-level governance and the application of the active subsidiarity principle.”
Thomas Schmidt, Minister for Regional Development, Free State of Saxony said “For me, the regions and their representatives are very important partners and actors in solving problems. Therefore, I would like the CoR to play an important role and say in the conference. I am convinced that Europe's greatest opportunities lie in joint action!" Sharing his experience with local dialogues Schmidt said "We have had good experiences with citizens' dialogues in Saxony. Elected representatives at all levels must be aware of concerns because they are responsible to take decisions. That is why I am promoting the digital citizens' platform: Anyone can participate and submit suggestions. The future of the EU is in our hands!"
Agnès Rampal, Vice President of the Métropole Nice-Côte d’Azur and member of Region Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Regional Council said "We are putting a lot of hope in the conference on the Future of Europe. This is a wonderful opportunity to put citizens at the heart of the debates. We need to ensure that matters are discussed at the local and regional level. In this regard, the local dialogue being organized by the CoR in Marseille will be an important opportunity."
Bert Häggblom, Member of the Parliament of Åland said that the islands have a self-governing structure but need to have proper subsidiarity. "We need to ensure that LRAs are better represented in Europe and that not only the national views are expressed."