Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-03-22-Speech-3-234"
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"en.20060322.17.3-234"2
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"Mr President, Madam Vice-President, ladies and gentlemen, while none of us has ever claimed to have all the answers, it is indeed depressing to see how the opponents of the EU who have seats in the European Parliament try to crush every measure with which we seek to advance the development of the European Union, with which we try to give our citizens a stake in this project, how they trample underfoot every little seedling we plant instead of nurturing it.
Nobody here believes that political parties are an end in themselves. Every one of us believes that they are a potential means – a necessary means in a parliamentary democracy – of involving our citizens in the legislative process and adequately representing their views. None of us has said here that a party statute alone would make political parties adopt the right course of action.
He who pays the piper calls the tune or, as we say in my part of the world, ‘No money, no music’. Music, however, is not the product of money but results from the work of an orchestra of critical, trained and qualified musicians. They need instruments, they need scores, they need people who choose their repertoire, and they need a conductor. I therefore appeal to all political parties to use this money and this party statute to create something worthwhile, to become involved and help ensure that the integration of national parties into European structures actually takes place. There is too little progress for my liking in the development of a European dimension to the political debate, even among the European parties. These are not mere adjuncts but parties with an internal as well as an external impact.
One thing is certainly clear in our view, namely that the EU must become more political, more democratic, more transparent and closer to the people. Most of us contribute constructively on an everyday basis to the attainment of that goal. We welcome the Commission’s initiative to support information and communication throughout Europe by means of Plan D. We lament the fact that the European debate is not being stimulated and that, sad to say, particularism, populism, nationalism and self-seeking are being practised shamelessly – I need only say ‘energy policy’, ‘Financial Perspective’ and ‘European foreign policy’. We want to strengthen the European Parliament, to support the independence of its Members and to loosen the bonds committing them to the pursuit of purely national interests. We lament the lack of a European public opinion. Many of us advocate Europe-wide referenda and a mechanism whereby public petitions can secure a European referendum.
We therefore see a party statute as the means whereby political parties can help to change the unhealthy situation I have described and to ensure that the opportunities created by such a change are grasped. A European party statute will help to make the political debate transparent, independent and European in its perspective. It will reinforce our efforts to give domestic policies a European dimension instead of renationalising European policies.
Let me say in conclusion that I am fully in favour of European electoral lists to supplement national lists, because a European list will serve to encourage European parties to campaign under a high-profile European leader. Yes, I favour the candidature of European parties rather than national parties as the basis for the allocation of top-up seats. Yes, we want European political parties to step up their training activities, to promote their own political foundations and to engage in youth work. It is for these reasons that we are backing the report."@en1
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