(23 October, 2023 – EPC, European Policy Centre)
Speakers:
- Alin Mituta, Member of the European Parliament, Renew Europe Group
- Corina Stratulat, Senior Policy Analyst & Head of the European Politics and Institutions Programme, European Policy Centre
- Dominik Hierlemann, Senior Advisor, Bertelsmann Stiftung
- Jessika Roswall, Swedish Minister for EU Affairs
Moderator:
- Jacki Davis, Senior Adviser, European Policy Centre
Jessika Roswall began by underlining that as a Swede, her opinion is that “democracy in Europe is working” and that “they have a great democracy fully functioning in Sweden”. However, she added that it is impossible to ignore that there has been a decline in democracy in other places, the rise of the authoritarian leadership in some parts of the world is a fact. She sees the next European Parliamentary elections as an important opportunity to discuss European policy questions.
Concerning the European Union, Alin Mituta stressed that “it’s a sui generis model as we like to say, to cover a little bit our flaws”. Later, he added that: “We must fix these flaws in order to have a real democratic system”. His statements highlighted the distinctive nature of the European Union’s governance model compared to national systems. “Fixing the flaws” means the need for a more transparent, responsive, and participatory system that garners trust and confidence from its citizens.
He underlined a critical issue, stating that the European elections tend to pivot more around national concerns than of European natured ones. According to him, this constitutes a significant problem.
Mr. Mituta further contended that despite the existence of European citizenship, a considerable number of citizens feel a huge disconnection from the European institutions. He identified these gaps as vulnerabilities exploited by populist and extremist movements, leveraging them as ammunition against the European project. As he explicitly mentioned in a recently published report co-authored with Niklas Nienass, entitled “Parliamentarism, European citizenship, and democracy” these deficiencies within the system pose significant challenges that need to be addressed.
Dominik Hierlemann eloquently highlighted the fundamental essence of democracy: “Democracy means that everyone has the same right to participate”. However, he astutely addressed the EU’s historical challenge of being somewhat disconnected from its citizens. To delve deeper, he accentuated three pivotal aspects to consider about citizen participation within the European Union.
Initially, the rhetoric surrounding efforts to bring the EU closer to its citizens has been longstanding but often lacked substantial implementation. Secondly, Mr. Hierlemann emphasized the shifting paradigms in citizen participation. Currently, people aspire to engage in ways that differ from traditional methods employed in the past. Additionally, he articulated the pressing need for innovative formats that foster collective engagement. While acknowledging the concerning threat posed by external entities seeking to disrupt democratic dialogues, Mr. Hierlemann underlined the necessity of crafting mechanisms that unite individuals.
Corina Stratulat noted that citizen participation arises as a response to the escalating demand for more effective methods to ensure that the opinions and preferences of European citizens are acknowledged in decision-making processes.
Ms. Stratulat noted as well that despite the emphasis on the Conference on the Future of Europe, this approach isn’t entirely novel. It followed a series of prior initiatives, such as the European Citizens’ Consultations and European Citizens’ Dialogues, among others. Their iterations signify a continuation or rebranding of previously attempted strategies.
Mrs. Roswall underscored her belief that citizens currently feel a disconnection from the discussion taking place in Brussels. Her hope is that in the upcoming elections, a new perspective would emerge, particularly due to the elections and taking into account the ramifications of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. She perceives that the security issue arising from this event could potentially foster a sense of connection among people.
Mrs. Roswall further highlighted her belief that issues such as climate, security, and migration are challenges that individual countries can’t address internally, thereby potentially uniting Europe. However, as she pointed out, despite Sweden’s three-decade tenure in the European Union, the persisting sentiment among citizens is detachment, often referring saying “we in Sweden, and they in Brussels”. This separation in perception remains a notable concern even after such a long time within the EU.
Mr. Mituta emphasized a concerning reality: a minuscule fraction, perhaps less than 1% of the European public, is familiar with the Conference on the Future of Europe. He stressed the urgency to address this issue, advocating for increased visibility, enhanced efficiency in utilizing such instruments, and most crucially, a stronger display of political leadership. Mr. Mituta suggested a shift towards reduced institutional bickering between the Parliament, Council, and Commission in order to effectively address this challenge.
Ms. Stratulat stressed that the “volatility and uncertainty and insecurity that people are experiencing constantly” have an influence on the voters. These conditions stemmed from the global impact of the COVID pandemic, the widely acknowledged invasion of Russia into Ukraine, and the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. She pointed out that higher turnout was desired, but who appears to vote is important as well, and if they are more radicalized, more extreme, that would have an impact on the composition of the governments and the parliaments.
Mrs. Roswall emphasized that the “high turnout is essential in every election, but we have seen lower turnout in European Parliament elections.” She stressed that in Sweden the percentage of voters was 87%, and when it came to the European Parliament, it was 55%, which is growing, but still too slowly.
Mr. Mituta passionately advocated for the establishment of a yearly European Agora, emphasizing the need for the EU to actively engage and consult its citizens regarding the priorities for the upcoming years. His proposal included the creation of a centralized platform, a one-stop-shop website, to streamline access to the plethora of participatory instruments available at the European level. This initiative aimed to empower citizens by providing them with comprehensive information and easy access to mechanisms that allow them to influence policymaking effectively.
Mr.Hierlemann observed a significant shift in the attitude of institutions and politicians toward citizen participation. Previously, there had been resistance due to the fear of losing power among representatives. However, a cultural transformation has taken place, acknowledging the necessity of involving citizens. Nevertheless, there’s a need for formal institutionalization of these engagement formats. This institutionalization would entail an agreement between the three institutions, establishing a regular schedule for these participatory processes, for example once each year. Enhancing visibility and formality is crucial to make these processes more effective.
Ms. Stratulat emphasized the importance of framing citizen participation within a broader vision for the EU. It is crucial to define the roles and purposes of these instruments within the European context and to consider how they could enhance the quality of democracy. However, Ms. Stratulat affirmed all of this, but in a way of complementing representative democracy with these participatory mechanisms, never with the intention of substitution.
Video recording of the conference:
https://epc.eu/en/past-events/Beyond-the-elections-Whats-next~547edc