What's the meaning of voting on June the 7th?
Over the last weeks, the eu-elections are one of the top news in every european country no matter how the people really care. Here in Greece, the political parties announced their candidates almost two weeks after PM Karamanlis announced that the Parliament will end its sessions because of the european elections- a move which provoked a lot of discussion because of the corruption scandals which dominate the political life of the country. It is sad that in Greece, the european election race will be held based on the national agenda - nothing about Europe was said from the parties until now..Very few debates were organised up to now, so that nobody knows what each party represents about Europe. Within the Greek political system exist a consensus over Greece's position within the EU. Except of the Communist Party, no other party has ever questioned that it is for good that Greece participates to the Union, no matter the different visions over the european project that each party has. This phenomenon is not only apparent in Greece. A greater political consensus has been created in the european level as well. The two big political parties of the Union, the European Popular Party and the European Socialist Party are agreeing even to that point so they both want Jose Manuel Baroso to continue being the President of the European Commission. It is true that those big political coalitions do not seem to be that much different at all. After all, since the Reagan-Thatcher era, almost all the socialist parties which came to power, implemented liberal policies. ''So, what is the point of all this procedure ? '' I am afraid, that all these years, in order to boost up the unification process we' ve lost something much more important : to politicize the procedure. Despite the fact that the European Parliament was given a lot of powers over the last years- powers that will be much more important if the Lisbon Treaty is about to be implemented- the percentage of people who vote in the elections is diminishing. To conclude, is this 60% of Europeans who believe that their vote will result to nothing on June the 7th, a message to Brussels that something doesn't goes well ? I think that we are in a desperate need of MEP's that are able to understand so..
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Comments
I truly agree with what our friend George stated! Tonight all the Greek TV- channels are going to host a debate for the EU-Parliament Elections...but instead of the candidate MEPs the leaders of our national parties are going to "discuss" what else...than the "national agenda"? Everything is interpreted in the narrow context of the "upcoming" national elections and we Greeks lose once more the chance to open a true European dialogue. One of my best friends (a really Europe-orientated Constitutional Law professor who has 'fought' for the European Demos experiences this phenomenon first-hand) and all our friends keep wondering: What about Europe? What about the Pan-European citizenship?
What about the establishment of the European Polity?
Nevertheless, we should be optimistic George...there are people like us in Greece, who really support the European perspective in a wider context which surely transcends the "micro-political" boundaries!
HANG ON and LET'S "EUROPE" people! It begins with our European Vote!
Anna from Thessaloniki
thank you for your interest Anna! Unfortunately, Greece even though 30 years of participation in the Union, hasn't lost its provincialism, which is according to me the main problem of the country. let us hope that the political parties will be more serious, and hopefully...more european - oriented! We should be in touch in case you are interested to set up a local team in Thessaloniki!
Dear George...
Thanks for your immediate response.
I am more than willing to help! I've been actively engaged in politics myself (even as a candidate) and now I'm supporting my friend Lina Papadopoulou who's- as I said- really European in her perspective. In any case I have been experiencing this phenomenon first-hand! Provinces should be a keyword in devolution and the establishment of the Pan-European regionalism...Regretfully I know what you mean under "provincialism"...and it has a political dimension. National parties should gain through our effort a truly European dimension, fact that means that they are ready to surrender their clientele mentality and their short-sighted perspective.
We are here to make it happen...and you know that some people wage a real war against the chance for reformation.
Best wishes and ...off we vote!
Anna.