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NGOs and churches react to votes against EU treaty

-03/06/05

Following the French ënoní and the Dutch ëneeí to the EUís constitutional treaty, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Europe are calling for a new approach to engage citizens in dialogue with the European Union.

ìThe votes demonstrate that there is a huge loss of faith from citizens in political leadersí ability to build a European Union for all,î declared Social Platform president Anne-Sophie Parent yesterday.

She continued: ìWe are paying the price for decades of democratic deficit. There is a need for a fresh approach to the way the business of politics is carried out. Politicians cannot just carry on taking decisions without engaging in meaningful consultation with citizens.î

The Social Platform, an alliance of representative European networks of non-governmental organisations active in the social sector, says that EU leaders must seek to build true participatory democracy from the local to the European levels.

Meanwhile, Jean-Arnold de Clermont, speaking on behalf of the French Protestant Federation, has said that the aspiration for social justice which lies behind his countryís vote should not be confused with the nationalism and xenophobia of the far right.

The French Protestants declared their disappointment at the result if it means back-tracking on the search for justice and stability in Europe. They had joined Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches to sign a petition backing the European constitution before the country’s referendum on Sunday.

In Britain Christian Democrat politician Ram Gidoomal told the Church of England Newspaper yesterday that ìacross the EU, politicians have simply failed to take the public with them.î

He went on: ìIn my own travels across Europe, words like ëover-bureaucratisedí, ëremoteí, ëunaccountableí, ëautocraticí, ëheavy-handedí, ëtop-downí and ënon-transparentí abound when talking about the EU.î

Gidoomal said that the central thrust of the EU constitution is towards more creeping centralisation and that this is one of the significant factors provoking the current backlash among ordinary citizens.

According to the Social Platform, the ‘no’ vote is a rejection of the economically focussed direction of European construction, to the existing Treaties (which are echoed in the new text) and to the current means of EU decision-making.

The NGO alliance says that the EU must react to the latest votes not by minimising their impact, but by acknowledging the failures of the political process and by reforming it from the grass-roots upwards.

“Democracy must mean more than asking citizens to rubber-stamp decisions, but encouraging them to take active responsibility for shaping the direction of the EU,” stressed Anne-Sophie Parent.

The Social Platform will be calling upon the EU’s council of ministers, meeting together on 16-17 June, to send a clear signal that they recognise that what citizens want is a European Union for all, not just a single market.

Many European churches (including Roman Catholics, Orthodox and some mainline Protestants) have complained over the past two years that the EU constitution contains no clear reference to God or to the ìChristian heritageî of Europe.

But the radical Christian think-tank Ekklesia suggested in response that the treaty should not be used by churches to claim a special status, arguing that the Gospel ìis about invitation into a new community of shalom, not a means to impose Christian labels on a great number of people who have not owned them.î

In addition to its political response to the likely derailment of the EU treaty ratification process, Europe commentators are saying that there will need to be more fundamental discussions within the European Union about its long-term structure and goals.

The tension between establishing social and environmental goals and facing the demands of a global market system will also continue to fuel debate.

Ekklesia associate Simon Barrow has suggested that the existing EU integrationist model might be developed towards a socially-based commonwealth approach, with elected politicians working in both national parliaments and a European assembly, alongside citizensí forums, a council of ministers and an elected secretariat.


Find books now:

NGOs and churches react to votes against EU treaty

-03/06/05

Following the French ënon’ and the Dutch ënee’ to the EU’s constitutional treaty, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Europe are calling for a new approach to engage citizens in dialogue with the European Union.

‘The votes demonstrate that there is a huge loss of faith from citizens in political leaders’ ability to build a European Union for all,’ declared Social Platform president Anne-Sophie Parent yesterday.

She continued: ‘We are paying the price for decades of democratic deficit. There is a need for a fresh approach to the way the business of politics is carried out. Politicians cannot just carry on taking decisions without engaging in meaningful consultation with citizens.’

The Social Platform, an alliance of representative European networks of non-governmental organisations active in the social sector, says that EU leaders must seek to build true participatory democracy from the local to the European levels.

Meanwhile, Jean-Arnold de Clermont, speaking on behalf of the French Protestant Federation, has said that the aspiration for social justice which lies behind his country’s vote should not be confused with the nationalism and xenophobia of the far right.

The French Protestants declared their disappointment at the result if it means back-tracking on the search for justice and stability in Europe. They had joined Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches to sign a petition backing the European constitution before the country’s referendum on Sunday.

In Britain Christian Democrat politician Ram Gidoomal told the Church of England Newspaper yesterday that ‘across the EU, politicians have simply failed to take the public with them.’

He went on: ‘In my own travels across Europe, words like ëover-bureaucratised’, ëremote’, ëunaccountable’, ëautocratic’, ëheavy-handed’, ëtop-down’ and ënon-transparent’ abound when talking about the EU.’

Gidoomal said that the central thrust of the EU constitution is towards more creeping centralisation and that this is one of the significant factors provoking the current backlash among ordinary citizens.

According to the Social Platform, the ‘no’ vote is a rejection of the economically focussed direction of European construction, to the existing Treaties (which are echoed in the new text) and to the current means of EU decision-making.

The NGO alliance says that the EU must react to the latest votes not by minimising their impact, but by acknowledging the failures of the political process and by reforming it from the grass-roots upwards.

“Democracy must mean more than asking citizens to rubber-stamp decisions, but encouraging them to take active responsibility for shaping the direction of the EU,” stressed Anne-Sophie Parent.

The Social Platform will be calling upon the EU’s council of ministers, meeting together on 16-17 June, to send a clear signal that they recognise that what citizens want is a European Union for all, not just a single market.

Many European churches (including Roman Catholics, Orthodox and some mainline Protestants) have complained over the past two years that the EU constitution contains no clear reference to God or to the ‘Christian heritage’ of Europe.

But the radical Christian think-tank Ekklesia suggested in response that the treaty should not be used by churches to claim a special status, arguing that the Gospel ‘is about invitation into a new community of shalom, not a means to impose Christian labels on a great number of people who have not owned them.’

In addition to its political response to the likely derailment of the EU treaty ratification process, Europe commentators are saying that there will need to be more fundamental discussions within the European Union about its long-term structure and goals.

The tension between establishing social and environmental goals and facing the demands of a global market system will also continue to fuel debate.

Ekklesia associate Simon Barrow has suggested that the existing EU integrationist model might be developed towards a socially-based commonwealth approach, with elected politicians working in both national parliaments and a European assembly, alongside citizens’ forums, a council of ministers and an elected secretariat.