Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-03-22-Speech-3-237"
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"en.20060322.17.3-237"2
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"When Parliament gave the go-ahead, in the January resolution on the period of reflection, for a second debate on the European Constitution, it became clear that Europe was in need of political parties. The challenge is clear for all to see. Europe needs to be increasingly political and should not shy away from having a strong, proactive and responsible party structure.
The parties have a central role to play in achieving European ambitions and in improving the quality of European democracy. They act as a bridge between the citizens and the authorities, as a catalyst for European public opinion and as support for civil society to take action and for broader participation.
The function of political parties is – and should be – a long way from being merely parliamentary and representative. The European political parties have, inexplicably, failed to become stronger in proportion to, and at the same pace as, the European Parliament. This is due either to sheer ignorance of the system or to a lack of self-awareness on the part of European parties. Yet Europe has never, throughout the course of its development, asked the parties to be dynamic. The parties have been accused of glaring absence from the debate on the European Constitution, for example, a debate that has hitherto been strictly institutional. Because Europe is waiting for its political parties to fulfil their role, a single European statute for Europe's political parties must be created to strengthen party structures, as a matter of urgency. A statute of this nature would strengthen democratic control, foster political competition within Parliament, and free European parties from strictly parliamentary duties, in order to bring them up to speed with the various dynamics of the European public arena. Furthermore, it is clear that, if the parties are to be strengthened, then what is required is a single statute, a legal personality based on European law, capacity for independent responsibility, stronger party reflection structures and adequate financing for real power to define political priorities.
The Leinen report therefore suggests much more than an accounting reform of the life of Europe's political parties. It points the way forward for strategic understanding between parties, alongside recognition of their significance for structural solutions to persistent European democratic deficit.
In order to achieve structural solutions, the political market must be speeded up, there must be stronger links between Europe’s political parties and the national parties, and European politics – and the European electoral system – must be made more attractive. The report also contributes towards a certain European-level party awareness, whereby we – who become organised in an attempt to take responsibility for the world – can understand that these organisations have also acquired a new scale. This responsibility is growing, as Europe undergoes further landmark changes, for example the Constitution and the enlargement. As such, what is needed is new political practice and a fresh look at the roles of the institutions, the citizens and the parties."@en1
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