9 May 2007: Another Europe is possible! Let's build it from below.
By Europe on Wednesday, May 9 2007, 23:07 - Voice of Europe - Permalink
50 years have been passed since the Rome Treaties signatures in 1957.
Now after half century we can say that functionalistic method is not more able to give sufficient fuel to finish the constituent process started with the European Convention. Angela Merkel is trying to give an impulse to the European Constitution but the road towards a political integration is opposed by newcomers (Poland and Czech Republic) and oldcomers (UK). The way out is not the suggested Mini-Treaty without common European flag and hymn, without the Fundamental rights' charter and without calling for a European citizens' intervention.
What is needed is the real participation of so called European demos. It's not more possible for European élite to build or to modify institutions and to make European policies without the consensus of the European citizens. Otherwise the response will be negative as already happened in France and in Netherland.
As Jürgen Habermas underlined the only way out is a Europe-wide referendum. The governments – which control the process after all – have to recognize their own powerlessness and, this one time, "dare to use democracy." They have to rise above themselves and face the political parties of which they themselves are composed with the necessity of engaging in an open, Europe-wide campaign, a struggle for each and every vote in favour of, or in opposition to, an expansion and deepening of the European Union.
It's time to give the voice to the existing European people.
A different and democratic Europe is possible: let's build it from below!
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