The past years Europe was faced with some of the most critical decisions in its common rather brief common history. The enlargement, the Convention, and the European Constitution, wars in Serbia, Iraq and Afghanistan tried unity and raised significant dilemmas to the peoples of Europe. Historically, the dilemmas encountered in two ways: either with new progressive and innovative solutions, either by divisions.
In the case of Europe unfortunately none of the two happen. (Which of course hides an innovation, in a sense.) Particularly on the issue of institutional development of the Union no action was taken. Following the rejection of the Constitution in France and the Netherlands and the rejection of the Treaty of Lisbon by the people of Ireland impasse is more obvious than ever. For the first time the European Union, as expressed at the institutional level by the European Council, the Parliament and the Commission appears to be alienated from its citizens. The Eurobarometer reports confirm what we all suspect: The Union has lost contact and mutual trust with its citizens. The problem is twofold reading: Not only the citizens questioning the choices of the Union, it’s also the institutions now appearing not trusting the judge of the citizens, seek ways to avoid them.
The relation between EU and its citizens encumbered even further by the increasingly labyrinthine functioning of the EU bureaucracy and the gap it creates between the citizens and the Union. The emotional bond linking them from the creation of the Union, if not broken, has suffered considerable damage. In this unfavorable atmosphere, two actors are able to contribute in reversing the situation and the restoring the ties. Firstly are the Local and Regional Authorities. If Europe has lost its luster sliding away from its Citizens, the closest to them level of governing can restore their interest and also facilitate the transfer in an appropriate way of their messages to the European institutions, acting as an active mediator in restoring two-way routes now seems to not work.
European policies permeate at all levels of governing, it is therefore more convenient to distinguish and familiarize with them at the closest to the citizens level. To achieve this goal, discussions for Europe should be put on Local and Regional Councils, the local media, etc. At the same time, using European networks such as CPMR, AEBR etc, but also the institutional representation in the Committee of Regions, Local Governments can play an active role in shaping policies, but also in improving the quality of information for the citizens, especially those not living in large urban centers, emphasing on young people and vulnerable social groups.
The other actor is the Civil society, especially the European organizations having a significant network in most member states being able to work away from inertia, with more flexibility, having at the same time the good testimony of the citizens, but mostly direct access to large social groups. These organizations, such as the International European Movement, UEF, JEF, AEGEEE, etc, use their networks to offer citizens an opportunity to realise problems and solutions are of European nature, spreading the message that they are not alone and weak against a faceless Europe, but they are co-shaping everyday life and policies of the EU as members of a whole, whose strength and weakness is based on the degree of active participation. In any case, restoring the relationship between Europe and its citizens, should be the main priority of the coming period, namely until the European elections, but mainly in the next term of the institutions.
We cannot afford anti-Europeans to use referenda (the ultimate express of the citizens) as a threat; they should be the ultimate weapon of those who believe in a united, democratic Europe of the Regions and Citizens when dialogue and consensus is not coming to a result.