Irrelevant EU
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Irrelevant EU
Tue, 09/12/2008 - 13:06
Until people can see how the EU affects their lives in a real way, there will always be suspicion and apathy. How embarrassing will the next European elections be? What will the turnout be?
Why is 'Democracy' not on the list of contribution subjects?
Or 'Communication'??
The issues in the Irish Lisbon Treaty referendum were all about having a say (or not), feeling part of the political system of governance (or not) understanding what the *** was going on (or not) and are common all around the EU.
Most people don't get the point that it is better to be the guy with the racket than one of the 27 tennis balls. And that is a failure of national communication. If national governments want to get the EU message across and bring people with them, they will have to make that a key political aim right down at grass roots level.
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I think you are right about people not appreciating EU unless they see some real effects in their own lifes.
I also believe that EU is not doing the best job in promoting it self. It should be shouting out any time it approves a good law or regulation which improves lives of all of us and show very concrete examples of how it effect ordinary people.
Or should it be national Goverments who should be playing this role?
that is why we need to promote EU and explain EU, what it does, how it affects us to all citizents, not only when there is a referendum or a treaty to be passed, but reguraly...a common european tv channel, or other media, for news from europe and other regions of the world, analysis, euro-parliament broadcasts, what new laws are voted for and how they are going to affect us,who works in EU,who are our MEPs,etc....
i know that there is euronews, but only 7 million people watch it....7 million out of 500....don't you think is a bit low...?? and it is a satelite channel...i do not get it...i need to upgrade my tv deal to get it reguraly....and it is not only me,but millions others....then there is EUTVX.EU, or so...but as we know, people on the internet like mostly to download movies,songs,watch or post videos on youtube,socialise in bebo or myspace,watch porn,send e-mails....the majority of the people that is....why not a more direct media, that is there in every european household,with all the information and the updates,so people will not feel that EU is something far away in Brussels,a club of unelected elitists,that does not care about the people, but something that they should participate and be proud of....??
I know that efforts are being made in order to better promote the EU, and it is true that the only way for citizens to get a better understanding of the EU is to clearly show the effects it has on their day to day life.
initiatives such as http://www.whathaseuropedone.eu/ can be a good way to achieve that effect. The goal is to get citizens involved so that the EU does not remain a foreign and abstract entity.
National governments have to set up a better communication plan in order to better inform people of what is going, what is at stake and step up when things are said that aren't true i.e when the question of neutrality was brought by the NO campaign before the vote on the Lisbon Treaty.
The European Commission and NGOs cannot do all the work of national governments!
I agree with Nicolas. The way the national Media work is that if the politicians are talking about an issue, journalists will report it. But if the politicians are not prepared to make a big noise about the decisions they've made with their European partners on our behalf...then the story won't be run back home. That reinforces the idea of Europe being 'over there' and serves to feed the notion that 'eurocrats' and 'elites' are running the show and putting one over on us.
In reality, there are people in Green Jerseys everywhere in Brussels. There are our ministers at council meetings, our MEPs (of many parties and none) and some fairly top of the range Irish civil servants in the Permanent Representation in Brussels. Not to mention Dublin woman, Catherine Day. She's secretary general of the European Commission and took over the top job from who-was-it? Oh yes...that would be Kildare-man David O'Sullivan.