Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-03-22-Speech-3-226"
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"en.20060322.17.3-226"2
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"Mr President, this resolution speaks of the gulf between the public and the European institutions. Those who think that more Europe with Europe-wide political parties is the answer are, I believe, missing the point. It is the institutions, not the people, which are at fault. Their expressions of disdain are clear enough: witness the lamentable turnout in European elections. Indeed, most MEPs in this House come to this House with an embarrassingly low mandate. I do not see the citizens of Europe out on the streets demanding the right to vote for European political parties, but I do find them demonstrably rejecting an ever-increasingly centralised Europe such as in France and Holland last year.
European political parties, that it is hoped might eclipse national parties, may fit the template of European integration, but the rock upon which they will perish is that of democratic rejection when they have to face the harsh reality of seeking a popular mandate from real people on real issues. It is one thing to play at superstatehood in this rarefied House; it is quite another to face the real issues of our electorate.
The narrow political vision of this venture is evident from recitals A and B. It is seen as the next step towards European integration and as building a European political area. Clearly these parties are seen as part of the machinery of a federal Europe. Federalist parties for federalist politicians might make some intellectual sense, but I would welcome a fight with them any day in my constituency.
I should also say that it is not right to try and buy success by throwing endless supplies of taxpayers’ money at European parties. Do not kid yourselves! Our electorate does not think that much of us that it wants the privilege of paying to have us as European political parties. I thought that maybe Mr Corbett, drawing on the experience of his own party back in the United Kingdom, was going to suggest that we could fund this endeavour by creating an upper House and then selling the membership to the highest bidder, it would not be totally out of place with some of the things that go on in this place."@en1
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