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 Join the SPINELLI GROUP
Give Europe a new dynamic drive forward
A new European and multi-party initiative has been taken. It is called the SPINELLI GROUP. Its Manifesto says:
More than ever, the challenges we face today are worldwide: climate change, resource exhaustion and environmental destruction, economic and financial regulation, nuclear threat and collective security, fairer trade, peace-building…
In this new world, every European country is a small country. But we have one advantage: we have built together a European Union. It is a remarkable construction in which European nation-states, some even long divided by protracted conflicts, decided to be “united in diversity” and form a Commonwealth, a Community in the true sense of the word.
And it continues:
Unfortunately, whereas the formidable challenges of a manifold crisis demand common responses, drawn at least at European level, too many politicians fall tempted to believing in national salvation only. In a time of interdependence and a globalised world, clinging to national sovereignties and intergovernmentalism is
not only warfare against the European spirit; it is but an addiction to political impotence.
And at the end it says:
We oppose this backward and reactionary direction. Europe has been yet again abducted – by a coalition of national politicians. It is time to bring her back. We believe that this is not the moment for Europe to slow down further integration, but on the contrary to accelerate it. The history of the European Union has proven that more Europe, not less, is the answer to the problems we face. Only with European solutions and a renewed European spirit will we be able to tackle the worldwide challenges.
Nationalism is an ideology of the past. Our goal is a federal and post-national Europe, a Europe of the citizens. This was the dream the founding fathers worked so hard to achieve. This was the project of Altiero Spinelli. This is the Europe we will go for. Because this is the Europe of the future.
This Manifesto is supported by a lot of European politicians from many different countries and from many different political parties. Among them are
Guy Verhofstadt
( liberal ),
Daniel
Cohn-Bendit
( green ),
Jo Leinen
( socialist ),
Jean-Luc Dehaene
and
Elmar Brok
( EPP ),
Jacques Delors
( socialist ),
Joschka Fischer
( green ),
Andrew Duff
( liberal ) – and many others.
Europe is in crisis. And history shows us that it is especially in situations of crisis that Europe takes its important steps forward. As Winston Churchill once said:
Politicians have to see the gallows, before they get their act together and take the necessary decisions!
I think that the SPINELLI GROUP is
exactly the initiative
Europe needs at
exactly this
moment
.
We need new dynamics, new ideas, new visions and new concrete initiatives to move on.
We have to mobilise citizens all over Europe, politicians at all levels ( local, national and European ), civil society, everybody. We have to make the media actively interested in what happens also on the other side on the borders. And we don’t have to be afraid of opening Pandora’s Box with a very lively and noisy debate – if possible across borders – about what Europe should be and do in the future.
All this must be seen in the light of the colossal global challenges and of a world, in which Europe becomes a smaller and smaller part.
We have many different attitudes and points of view. This is good and stimulating.
Many initiatives have now to be taken – such as:
We should not only have attitudes and ideas.
How do we contribute with
concrete and convincing proposals and initiatives
, which the leaders of Europe can
use
in practice ? How do we keep them on their toes ?
How do we best empower their closest advisers to give the necessary and forward-looking suggestions ?
How do we
mobilise citizens
all over our continent to become active with ideas, activities, criticism and new creative initiatives ?
How do we
make it easier for the media
to cover, analyse and explain what is happening – also in other countries than their own ?
In other words:
How do we push the re-set button to mobilise for a Europe, which produces the necessary results ?
I suggest that the SPINELLI GROUP takes up these challenges. Step by step. And with force and determination.
Let us all support the SPINELLI GROUP in this work. Also by convincing friends and contacts in all our networks to join in too.
Be active!
Be creative ! Make a difference!
JOIN here:
www.spinelligroup.eu
Niels Jørgen Thøgersen
e-mail:
kimbrer@gmail.com
October 28, 2010
Join operation MOBILISE FOR EUROPE
EUROPE IN CRISIS
Why and how do we move on
New opinion polls have just told us that only 42 % of the Europeans support and believe in Europe as they see it today. This is a drop of 6 % in only half a year. Very worrying.
But is it surprising? Not really.
We have no real political leaders in Europe today. Nobody sees it as a top priority to explain, promote and not least use Europe to solve our challenges and problems. You often get the impression that our leaders are jumping from stone to stone while constantly looking at what their home media and opinion polls are saying.
At the same time our media are generally not covering Europe and its activities. And when they do it they give the impression of being uninformed and concentrate on minor or irrelevant events and people.
The result is obvious: People don’t see the relevance or importance of Europe. They are easy to mis-inform. Europe is often linked to small and unimportant matters, which still manage to excite people in a negative way.
Therefore, people are not interested in Europe. Cannot see why they should be interested or even active. Europe is to them something remote, very difficult to understand and often irritating and interfering.
Of course, there are exeptions. There are now and then political leaders with political courage and a view beyond the next elections. There are media with solid coverage of what happens in Europe. And there are people with not only an understanding of what Europe is and how it can help solving our problems. But also people who are active in promoting Europe.
But they are all very few and often not very influential
L
Some people might say that it all happens because Europe is more and more irrelevant. They could not be more wrong. First of all, Europe is producing lots of concrete results every single day. Results which make life for all of us better and easier. It is just not well known. But furthermore – and even more important – today we more than ever need to work closely together in a very committing way in all the areas, where each country has no chance of solving its problems alone. Climate, energy, environment, consumer protection, security, international trade, monetary affairs, etc., etc. The EU might not be the best instrument. But it’s the only one we have. So the answer is not yes or no to the EU. It is YES to a dynamic and much improved European cooperation. How do we best get there ?
There are STRONG reasons to change our passive and non-committal attitude to Europe. Here are a few of them:
-
All our societies in Europe are built on the same values: Democracies, protection of minorities, solidarity with citizens who need it, a well functioning legal system, protection of human rights, free and independent media, no death penalty, etc. etc. If you look around the world very few countries are based on the same values. They are to a large extent European
-
We are all very dependent of each other – economically, politically, socially, culturally. We are all in the same boat. There is no way of escaping that
-
Our societies and welfare depends more and more on education, research, creativity, innovation, services and new ways of doing things. The old economies with agriculture, industry and traditional services have gone and moved to the new economies, not least in Asia. This is a fact which is a common challenge to all our societies in Europe. And this trend will go faster in the years to come
-
In today’s globalised world we all become more and more dependent of each other. Europe risks becoming irrelevant. Others will decide for us – China, India, Brazil, Russia, the US. UNLESS we get our act together, pool our political and economic resources and work closely together. Defending European interests. Promoting European values. We have NO choice. By trying to going it alone any of our countries in Europe – big or small - will loose out. And do it in a big way. The European model of our societies will disappear. We will no longer be masters in our own home. Is that acceptable ?
-
At the same time the world needs our help and assistance. Economically, politically, in security matters, etc. Our help based on our European values – with full respect for local priorities, of course. And this is only possible and certainly only efficient, if we work closely together in Europe. And not try to compete between us to be the best and the bravest.
In other words: We have to get our act together. We have to MOBILISE FOR EUROPE.
Europe
has always been best at developing new ways of working together, when it was hit by a serious crisis. A crisis has always been the midwife for the positive development of Europe. In the 1950ies with the start of the EU. In the late 60ies with better institutions and with enlargement. In the 1980ies with the single market. In the 90ies with enlargement and the Euro. In the last ten years with the inclusion of the countries in Eastern Europe.
Now is the time to make a decisive and qualitative leap forward again. With new visions, new people, new dynamics.
Let us create a Europe-wide body called MOBILISE FOR EUROPE with new, dynamic people with new operational visions on how to:
a)
engage citizens
actively in the development of Europe ( with their many different political views on what Europe should be and what it should deal with )
b)
actively promote peoples’
knowledge of how citizens in neighbouring countries discuss and solve their problems – for mutual inspiration
c)
in particular develop and promote new operational visions on how Europe should develop. Visions, which our political decision-makers will not only understand, but accept by making them their own and implement them. In the same way as Jean Monnet’s famous Action Committee for Europe many years ago had a tremendous de facto influence on what the politicians decided
d)
and last, but not least present convincing new ways of communicating Europe by involving citizens for real and not only by well-intentioned lip-service.
Niels Jørgen Thøgersen
e-mail:
kimbrer@gmail.com
August 30, 2010 ( draft )
2nd edition
All news from Europe - and you translate them
N E W S
Follow the news from 28 European countries on
L I V I N G E U R O P E
And translate them yourself with a click to one of 20 languages
www.livingeurope.eu
Updates every 10 minutes
Has more than 4.000 on-line sources
FREE – and very simple to use
Tell everybody about it
European elections 2009: Turnout
EUROPEAN ELECTIONS 2009
Turnout per member state
1. AUSTRIA: 42 %
2. BELGIUM: 90 % ( compulsory voting )
3. BULGARIA: 37 %
4.
CZECH REPUBLIC: 28 %
5. CYPRUS: 59 %
6. DENMARK: 60 %
7. ESTONIA: 44 %
8. FINLAND: 40 %
9. FRANCE: 40 %
10. GERMANY: 43 %
11.
GREECE: 53 % ( compulsory voting ! )
12. HUNGARY: 36 %
13.
IRELAND: 58 %
14. ITALY: 66 %
15. LATVIA: 53 %
16. LITHUANIA: 21 %
17. LUXEMBOURG: 91 % ( compulsory voting )
18.
MALTA: 79 %
19. NETHERLANDS: 37 %
20. POLAND: 25 %
21. PORTUGAL: 37 %
22. ROMANIA: 27 %
23. SLOVAKIA: 20 %
24. SLOVENIA: 28 %
25. SPAIN: 46 %
26. SWEDEN: 44 %
27.
UNITED KINGDOM: 34 %
EU average turnout: 43,1 % ( 2004: 45,47 % )
Niels Jørgen Thøgersen
June 10, 2009
e-mail:
kimbrer@gmail.com
Important EU websites, also for the elctions
MOVING EUROPE AHEAD: WITH COMM 2.0
Europe is facing NEW CHALLENGES. People feel disconnected to it - though Europe has never meant more to them in their daily lives. How do we try to solve that problem? One NEW way ahead is to use the COMMUNICATIONS 2.0 approach and tools. À la Obama. Not least for the coming European elections.
Operation G O T O V O T E for …… A dynamic motivating and communicating programme 1. Point of departure: a one-page what-how note ( giving the key facts in a very stimulating way - including brand and slogan ) 2. Mobilise your activists ( see MyBo check list ) 3. Promise: Be the first to know 4. Collect e-mail addresses and mobile phone numbers 5. Buy in information on main target groups if funds are available 6. Dispatch key information of your campaign ( via your dynamic home page, many social networks, YouTube, Flickr, etc. ). Including testimonials 7. Alert on beforehand via e-mails and text messages ( sms ) 8. Get permanent Feed-back from your activists ( via Google Docs and text messages directly to your computer ) 9. React immediately to questions and criticism ( Rapid Reply Service ) 10. Timing: Prepare from 5-6 months before the event. Start real activities six weeks before and concentrate the main effort on the last two weeks. NJT – February 2009 e-mail: kimbrer@gmail.com SKYPE: kimbrer
CLIMATE CHANGE and EUROPE
C L I M A T E C HA N G E
Get your facts right – and make them well known
Niels Jørgen Thøgersen
In less than ten months all countries of the world will meet in Copenhagen to discuss and hopefully decide on the next steps in fighting climate change. Many problems have do be addressed and solved before that. The Danish presidency for COP15 is very busy on that. So are the EU and many other players. Time is short. The roadmap to Copenhagen is developing by the day.
In the midst of all the discussions and negotiations several positive initiatives are presented. A very recent and very important one was the
Covenant of Mayors
- signed in Brussels on February 10. By now 372 cities all over Europe have signed the Covenant and thereby committed them to reach the 20-20-20 climate goal by 2020. This is very important. And many more big cities will join the Covenant in the months to come. It is concrete action on the ground that counts. Not just political intentions and goodwill.
The debate and negotiations in the months to come have, of course, to be based on as many
solid facts and options
as possible. Not on loose feelings and beliefs. We are looking for very important solutions, which have to last for many years from 2012 and onwards. Solutions that will have the intended effects on our climate in the future.
These facts and options are available. The
European Climate Foundation
is one of the important sources of these facts. It has been created with the clear purpose of providing them – making them available.
You can see more on their website:
http://www.europeanclimate.org/
At the same time we know that people in Europe are very interested in these issues. And not only interested: They are worried. They see often the dramatic consequences of the warmer climate. The latest case is the dramatic and deadly fires in Australia.
We know from several opinion polls that people have views on and attitudes to these problems. A new Eurobarometer will be published in April. And later a couple of huge deliberative polls will be available too.
But interest and worries are not enough. You have to make people act. Put demands to their politicians and other leaders. One of the first obvious possibilities will be to involve the candidates in the coming European elections in June. There will be up to 25.000 of them. How many of these candidates will make Climate Change a real issue? And make it an issue based on real facts and real options? We – the voters – have to force them to do it.
Not long ago I met the leaders of a major American Think Tank dealing with these issues ( and many others ). They made it absolutely clear that producing the real facts and options is crucial. And equally important is it to communicate these facts and options energetically to the public at large, using all available communication tools at disposal. They made it even more concrete:
Use 50 % of your budget to produce the facts. And the other 50 % to communicate them !
Let’s all go and do it – also in Europe!
Niels Jørgen Thøgersen
February 2009.
e-mail: kimbrer@gmail.com
EU GOVERNMENTS' WEBSITES ON EUROPE
The IRISH NO and the automatic NO Sayers
IRELAND
’ NO TO BE RESPECTED
Yes, of course. And it is a waste of readers' time and serious violation of the serious debate to claim that it will not be the case. In a democracy democratic decisions must, of course, be respected.
But what does it mean that the Irish No on June 12 must be respected? It is clear that the people who have spent their whole lifetime to fight the EU and everything it stands for, choose to understand the No in such a way that the Lisbon Treaty and all that is involved must be declared dead, finished, gone . These people's automatic No reactions can and should not be taken as a serious contribution to the current debate.
The only sensible meaning is that the Irish government - which called for the referendum – now should be allowed to be in the process of finding out what it actually was that a majority of those who voted said NO to. And it is exactly what the new Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen has said that he has started doing. It obviously will take some time. Things must be done carefully and properly. That’s how it is. And Mr. Cowen and his government have no need for undue interference from either Hansen, Pedersen or Bonde. And when the Irish later draw their conclusions from their analysis, all EU countries jointly will have to find out what we can do about it.
At the same time, we must not forget that a total of 19 out of the 27 EU countries have already ratified the Lisbon Treaty. Including Denmark. In addition, five more countries in reality have done it too. They represent a combined total of over 97% of the EU population. They are, of course, also entitled to our full respect. They did not say YES for fun. Each of them have through their own democratic decisions said YES, because they all hold the view that this treaty serves the EU cooperation well. Making it more efficient, so that we together can really start preparing and presenting Europe's positions much stronger in vital areas such as climate change, energy, globalization, peace building, and much more.
This is what the case is really about. It is not about the automatic wishful thinking, that the Irish "NO" should mean that the whole of Europe should fall powerless on its back and say: I surrender and give in to all the common challenges and problems. And this is certainly not what the Irish want either.
Back to the front page: www.simplesite.com/kimbrer
DENMARK AND THE EU
Draft translation from Danish
FULL PARTICIPATION – NOT JUST PARTLY INVOLVED
Danish Exemptions Out – Common Sense In.
Before long the Danes must again vote in a referendum. This time on the exemptions from full EU membership, which Denmark decided to introduce 15 years ago. Half a generation ago. A lot of water has run under the bridge since then. The world, Europe and Denmark all look very different today than at that time.
Therefore, we should of course in the run-up to the vote (or votes) have a debate that takes into account that the situation today is quite different than it was then. Let us for once try to form our views and opinions on how the situation is NOW. And not how it was many years ago. It has never been a good idea to steer into the future walking like a crab or by taking one’s landmarks only by looking in rear-view mirror!
Let me say at once that my fundamental point of view is that when you are involved in something - you should be so fully and completely - not just half and shared. This is true about friendships. This applies to marriage. This is true when involvement in affairs about society is concerned. And it also applies to participation in international and European cooperation.
And when it comes to the current case - Denmark's participation in European cooperation in the EU - I think there are at least six very, very important reasons why we should be fully involved:
1. All the countries in the EU cooperation of nearly 500 million people have a society that is based on the same fundamental values. Values, which unfortunately are not a given thing in the wider world, not even in the whole of Europe. We all have a democracy that is built on a parliamentary system with protection of minorities, with the fundamental freedoms, a free and independent press, and much more. We are against the death penalty. And we defend all those values at home or abroad when they are under pressure.
These values are directly mentioned in the charter for the new Lisbon Treaty, and will thus have an even stronger legal importance in the future.
Denmark, of course, shares these values and attitudes a 100%.. Without exception. Therefore, we should of course be 100% involved, when they must be maintained and defended.
2. Denmark's fundamental political and economic interests lie in the EU... They are all our immediate neighbours. This is where the vast majority of our foreign trade is located. For a country like Denmark, which is SO dependent on its exports and imports, it is of enormous value that we have a large, domestic market of 500 million consumers with money to pay lying at our doorstep. A cooperation, which has common rules applicable to all. And where there are common institutions and binding rules that can help us if problems arise... For the same reason, it is invaluable for the Danish economy and the prosperity that our currency is so closely linked to the EURO. It offers peace and safety in our trade. And it prevents that anybody could dream of trying to speculate against the Danish krone. We are totally protected by our narrow Euro-link...
Politically, it is particularly in the EU that Europe's future is shaped. And it is from here that we are TOGETHER have a chance to influence the world around us according to what we stand for...
Therefore, we must be fully and properly involved.
3. Globalization is often blamed for a lot of things. Loss of jobs, people leaving the countryside, hazardous and toxic products from abroad, the immigration of people from other parts of the world. It is, of course, true that the world has become much more open. We often talk about “the global village” to illustrate our mutual interdependence. Lots of new international rules and agreements have opened up what was previously closed. And it is obvious that this is basically in the clear interest of a small and highly export-oriented country like Denmark. The more access we have around the world, the more we have the opportunity to make money. It is the first simple truth.
The second simple truth is that the EU is not a part of the problem. The EU is part of the solution. Not by fighting or stopping globalization. But by managing it - making rules for it. And by addressing the issues when it creates significant problems. Both economic and political problems.
The concrete examples are numerous: It is only the EU in common action, which can defend our interests against Russia. For example. in the field of energy. One needs only to mention Gazprom, to put a name on it. It is also only the EU that can cope with the U.S., China and Japan, when we must ensure that our views have weight. In the climate negotiations on CO2, etc. we must stand entirely together. The environment can be ensured only through a common effort. The same applies to the fight against international crime such as drug dealing and human trafficking.
The EU is the essential instrument in these efforts. That is why Denmark has to be there – fully and without exemptions.
4. And I hope, that nobody is in doubt that Denmark has more influence to be in than to stand outside? Not outside the EU as such, but outside the areas of cooperation in the European Union, which are developing most rapidly these years. Security and defence. Legal matters. And the economic and monetary cooperation. We HAVE good ideas and suggestions, haven’t we? And we can also argue strongly andconvincingly for them, or? Many years of personal experience in the daily European cooperation have always shown me that we as a country always are "a little aheadin points." We are perceived as a small, nice and friendly country. We (usually) hold no extreme views. And we are known to be reasonably well prepared. Why not profit from this benefit fully? Namely, by sitting at ALL the tables, where Europe is shaped and defended. I do not think there should any doubt.
There are, of course - in Denmark as well as in the European Union – things that can and should be much better. But it seems obvious that only by being in there where decisions are taken you can help improving things. Not by staying out.
5. Hopefully we can also agree that Denmark can not just be involved, when we ourselves directly can profit from it. We must also take our share of responsibility for Europe, that it works and makes a contribution to a peaceful and humane world. It may be actions against conflicts and wars. It may be clearing of bombs like in ex-Yugoslavia. It might be helping a new country like Kosovo on their feet. It may be peacekeeping in Darfur, Congo or the Middle East. It may be common emergency and disaster assistance when necessary. Of course, we can and must also make our contribution to this on our own. But much of the effect is much greater, if we act together and in close coordination. Denmark has so much to contribute - both with knowledge and experience and in concrete actions. We simply cannot in decency stay out of this solidarity work. We have to be there - fully and completely.
6. And last, but not least, it might even be that we in this close and binding EU cooperation could learn something from "the others".Denmark is a beautiful and dynamic country. But it does not mean that we cannot learn from our 26 European partners in a lot of important areas. One should never be too proud to learn. On the contrary. Students can get an even better education by taking part of their education in another country. And by studying in their own country, together with students from outside. The same applies to researchers in virtually all fields. Our health care is often under fierce criticism. Why not learn from others who obviously can run it more efficiently - and for the same money? France and Belgium are very good examples. Schools are important to all. Here, for example. Finland some exciting experience we could learn a lot from. Collective traffic is a third area. Integration of immigrants a fourth case. Our societies have by and large the same challenges nowadays Why not do much more to learn from each other? It is win-win for all. Of course, we can also learn from each other across borders WITHOUT a strong and dynamic EU cooperation. But it is more effective when we learn from friends and colleague we already cooperate with in a lot of areas.. It is something easier and more natural to "open up your eyes and fold out your ears " with people you already work with than if you must first find some stranger to learn from.
This article is, of course, based on my personal views and experiences. But it is more than my firm conviction that these six themes are very central in the debate that we must start. Denmark's fundamental interest is that we with all our strength and all our weight are participating in all areas and policies. Fully and completely.
Niels Jorgen Thogersen
May 2008
e-mail: kimbrer@gmail.com
The LISBON TREATY The heads of state and government of the 27 member states in the EU signed the new Lisbon Treaty - also called the Reform Treaty - in December 2007. Its main purpose is to modernise the way the EU works and make it easier to take decisions. It will be very important for the European Union's possibility for leading the way in the climate negotiations, in the energy field, in questions related to security and foreign policy and in international relations. It brings at the same time more openness into the work. And the distance between the 500 million citizens of the EU and the daily work will also become shorter. The ratification process in now ongoing in alle member states. Altogether 13 have ratified by now ( May 8, 2008 ): Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. In Ireland a referendum about the Treaty will be held on Thursday, June 12. If you want to know more about the situation in Ireland you can see it on these two official Irish websites: www.reformtreaty.iewww.lisbontreaty2008.ie The plan is that the Treaty will take effect of January 1, 2009.
What has the EU done for ME ?? You often meet the question: EU - Has it done anything for ME at all ?
Either people don't know - or they are confused because of all the false information which is circulating. The other day I saw for the first time a very interesting and stimulating smallvideo addressing exactly that question. Have a look: http://www.whathaseuropedone.org.uk/What do you think? 
I suggest that you spread it to as many people in your networks as possible. PS: And as you will see at the top of the site this video exists in all 23languages of the EU. Use it. Well done
My reply to NEWSWEEK article on the EU The serious American weekly NEWSWEEK carried on November 5 an article called " Inside Europe's Sausage Factory". Not only was it full of mistakes and distortions. But more important: it managed to miss all the key points in what it tried to explain.  I have, therefore, sent the magazine the enclosed reply and asked them to publish it as soon as possible: EUROPE: Try to Get it Right I was very happy when I saw that your magazine published an article about the EU on November 5 ("Inside Europe's Sausage Factory"). But I was much less happy when I read it. Your journalist managed to forget the four most important points related to what he tries to describe: All key decisions in the EU are taken by MINISTERS from each member state - not by the "bureaucrats", as he says. These ministers all come from democratically elected governments For more than 50 years the EU cooperation has produced a lot of very important results - important for the daily lives of the 487 million citizens of the EU. The single market, the fight against monopolies and unfair competition, the common currency the EURO, free movement of all citizens, equal treatment of all EU citizens everywhere in the EU, protection of the environment, the fight against climate change, a joint trade policy towards the outside world - and much, much more. Not just nitty-gritty stuff as the article indicates. The author also forgets to mention that almost all countries in Europe, who are not members of the EU, want to become a member. From 1952 until today the number has increased from 6 to 27. If the EU were such a strange place as the article tries to say I wonder why almost everybody want to be there. And finally the new Lisbon Treaty, which is on its way: Its MAIN purpose is to make an EU of 27 countries better in taking decisions. To make it function better. The purpose is not to fight the bureaucrats in Brussels. Of course, many things in the EU could function much better. Like in
any other place. And many of us try to make it better. But to describe it in the way your journalist does is far, far away from realities. And furthermore, it forgets the most important points. Niels Thogersen Rixensart, Belgium
Pro Europe? Then on your Marks !
EU SUPPORTERS: COME ON!
The supporters of the EU and of the European Constitution must now get really active in the debate. And it has to happen NOW. The result of the referenda in France and the Netherlands shows this need very clearly. The pro-EU forces became active far too late – and far too vague. And most of the time they were clearly in the defensive. The results were accordingly.
Everybody who supports Europe has to get on the barricades of the debate. NOW. Yes, the draft Treaty could have been better. But this is what 27 democratic countries could agree upon. And it gives clear advantages in the way the EU will function in the future. It will be easierand faster to take decisions. The work also becomes much easier to understand (only 6 different ways to take decisions instead of 33 ways as is the case today). And we have lots of important decisions ahead of us, if we in Europe want to promote our European values and other interests, not least in our more and more globalised world.
We – the positive Europeans – should, of course, not make propaganda, but give real and solid information. And clear and easy-to-understand arguments. They have to be presented pro-actively all the time – and in as many media as possible. Don’t let the No people decide the themes to be discussed. But, of course, we also have to “kill” false information and irrelevant arguments, whenever they appear. And do it immediately - and with force.
The European cause is far too important to leave it to the mercy of unserious and often irrelevant arguments.
And let us see many more pro-Europe citizens in the debate. Not only the national politicians. But also all the rest of you, who have a positive attitude to Europe. Let’s see young people, journalists, business people, trade unionists, environmentalists, those who fight for equality, researchers, people in the educational sector, local politicians, citizens with international experience and background. And many more. We know that you are there. We know that you believe in a close European cooperation and see it as natural and necessary. Then SAY it! Give YOUR reasons to be positive.
And let us not be afraid to repeat our information and arguments. Not because they become more true. But because they might well strengthen the understanding among those people who need that.
Let us get a really good and sober debate – with the emphasis on what it is all about: if you want a European Union, which functions better. Or you want the opposite.
Niels Jørgen Thøgersen
niels@skynet.be
First pan-European deliberative poll The European Think Tank NOTRE EUROPE is preparing the first ever EU-wide deliberative poll on the future of Europe. It is planned to take place in October and can become very interesting in the likely run-up to the new European constitution / treaty. See much more on the new website: www.tomorrowseurope.eu NJT
The Danish organisation NEW EUROPE A Danish Centre-Left organisation called NYT EUROPA / NEW EUROPE is fighting very actively to bring Europe forward. It works on all the most important aspects of European politics. You can read about some of its activities on their English website: http://www.neweurope.org/NJT
Elections in EU countries in 2012
ELECTIONS IN 2012 in EU COUNTRIES
1. AUSTRIA: Local elections in Burgenland in October 2012
2. BELGIUM: Local elections October
2012
3. BULGARIA: No elections in 2012
4.
CZECH REPUBLIC: No elections foreseen in 2012
5. CYPRUS:
No elections
in 2012
6. DENMARK: No elections in 2012
7.
ESTONIA: Local
elections in the autumn 2012
8. FINLAND: Presidential elections in spring 2012
9. FRANCE: Presidential elections
22.4. and 6.5. 2012
Parliamentary elections 10.6 and 17.6.2012
10. GERMANY: No elections in 2012
11.
GREECE: No elections foreseen for 2012
12. HUNGARY: No elections foreseen in
2012
13.
IRELAND:
No elections foreseen in 2012
14. ITALY: Parliamentary elections
possible autumn 2012
Local elections in some cities and regions late spring
2012 ( May )
15. LATVIA: No elections in 2012
16. LITHUANIA: Parliamentary elections: 14.10.2012
17. LUXEMBOURG: No elections in 2012
18.
MALTA: Local elections in March 2012
19.
NETHERLANDS: No elections
foreseen for 2012
20. POLAND: No elections in 2012
21. PORTUGAL: No elections in 2012
22. ROMANIA: Local elections in June and
national elections in
November
23.
SLOVAKIA: No elections in 2012
24.
SLOVENIA: National
elections either in January or Sept.-Oct. 2012
25. SPAIN: Parliamentary elections
mid March 2012
26. SWEDEN: No elections in 2012
27.
UNITED KINGDOM: Local elections in London and some other
Municipalities in England on May
3
Niels Jørgen Thøgersen
e-mail:
kimbrer@gmail.com
July
24, 2011
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