Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-10-23-Speech-2-408-000"
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"en.20121023.45.2-408-000"2
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"Madam President, what we have agreed here for the European Year of Citizens – which, incidentally, goes back to a parliamentary initiative – is both brilliant and tragic, for it highlights the yawning gap between Europe’s institutions and its citizens. Nonetheless, it is a major step forward. Everything that is set out in the Commission’s draft, but particularly in the report which has now been adopted, has my wholehearted support. That is why I not only voted in favour; as the rapporteur for the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, I also contributed in no small measure to making this a better report.
Nonetheless, I should like to make one thing very clear, if I may: it is like offering a thirsty man a teaspoon of water when he really needs a glass. The budget, the legal framework and the practical measures all fall absurdly short of the mark compared with what Europe actually needs. In the current situation, with major, indeed crucial issues being negotiated in Europe without any citizen involvement whatsoever, we not only need a Year of Citizens; we also need more citizen participation as a whole. We do not need a Europe of citizens imposed from above; what we need is far more involvement from the bottom up, so that we can rightfully claim to put citizens at the heart of the Union."@en1
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