Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-07-07-Speech-4-059-000"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2011-07-07"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Modification of the Act concerning the election of the Members of the European Parliament (debate)2
dcterms:Language	"de"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20110707.4.4-059-000"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2011-07-07-Speech-4-060-0002
lpv:speaker	lp:Gerald Häfner2
lpv:spokenAs	substitute; PETI (2009-07-16--2012-01-18)3 member; AFCO (2009-07-16--2012-01-18)3 substitute; Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly (2009-09-16--2014-06-30)3 unknown; Bündnis 90/Die Grünen (2009-07-14--2014-06-30)3 member; G/EFA (2009-07-14--2014-06-30)3 member; JURI (2009-07-16--2012-01-18)3 substitute; Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) (2009-09-16--2014-06-30)3 vice-chair; Delegation for relations with the Korean Peninsula (2009-09-17--2014-06-30)3 substitute; Delegation to the EU-Armenia, EU-Azerbaijan and EU-Georgia Parliamentary Cooperation Committees (2009-09-16--2014-06-30)3
lpv:translated text	"Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Europe needs innovative ideas in order to move forward, as well as ideas for how we can gradually achieve a European democracy and a democratic Europe, because citizens’ influence on European politics is still too small. We need real European debates on European issues. Citizens must have the option of having the last word. The citizen is king. We therefore need a European right of initiative and, in my opinion, we also need European referendums. We need a reform of the electoral system. European elections are still purely national affairs – they are run by national parties, with national candidates and fought mostly on the basis of purely national issues. Incidentally, I regard this to be largely a misuse of European elections. We must ensure that the elections and also the issues are European in nature. Mr Duff’s proposal is one such innovative idea, as it will have a direct and an indirect effect. One indirect effect is that it will force the parties to take a European stand, to debate European issues and programmes and to nominate European candidates. Another effect is that, in addition to the national candidates, citizens will also find European candidates on their voting slips. This proposal relates to the key concern of the European Union and our work here. For that reason, I am also grateful for this fierce debate, because who are we representing here? Are we just a Union of Member States and do we just represent the interests of the citizens of our own countries? Or do we also represent a common European interest? Are we representatives of the citizens of the European Union? The truth is we are both of these things. We must not lose sight of either one of them. That means – and that applies just as much to our citizens – that there are national aspects to an election, but there are also European aspects. I look forward to the day when, in addition to their voting card containing the national candidates, citizens will also have a second voting card containing European candidates. Incidentally, we Greens have set the benchmark in this regard. The Greens are so far the only party to have gone into an election campaign with a European lead candidate and a European programme. I believe that we owe that not only to the idea of Europe, but also to the reality of Europe. Thus, if, one day, voters from the United Kingdom vote for French candidates and vice versa because they think they are good candidates, then Europe will have taken a step forward."@en1
lpv:videoURI	<go to Events_and_structure europarl>2

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