93RD PLENARY SESSION

Thank you, Chairman.  Chairman, I would like, on behalf of the Green Party, to welcome President Barroso to the Forum here today and thank him for his presentation. 

Just two issues I would like to raise with him.  I suppose the first one is to do with the perceived democratic deficit of the European Union.  And most people would accept that the European Union is a very ambitious and successful political project which certainly has the support of the political classes in Europe.  But the whole issue of the support of the peoples of Europe is not quite as clear and unambiguous and I think the Laeken Declaration recognised this when it spoke of the need to bring the institutions of the European Union closer to the citizens. 

And I would just like to ask President Barroso whether he feels that this potential disconnect that exists between the institutions of the European Union and the citizens has the possibility of presenting a serious weakness in the Europe Union in the future where the support of citizens may be needed for the introduction of certain measures.  And does he believe that, if the Lisbon Treaty is ratified, that the period of consolidation that we are promised will follow it.  That this should be very much a period during which the democratic deficit would be addressed by the European Union through its institutions, by means of outreach with citizens, education, dialogue, structured dialogue in consultation with citizens. 

And also to echo something that Minister Ahern just referred to, putting a human face on the institutions of the European Union and bringing them closer to their Member States through visits to parliaments and to fora such as this by members of the Commission and other representatives of the European institutions.  Certainly, as far as the Green Party is concerned, that would help to bring Brussels much closer to its citizens. 

The second issue I would like to touch on just very briefly is the issue of the values of the European Union.  I think it is a very welcome feature of the Lisbon Treaty that the values are laid out very clearly.  And I think these values will help to inspire public support for the European Union because I think the values of equality and solidarity have been synonymous with the European project since its very early days and I think there has always been very strong public support in Europe for State intervention in the economy in order to promote public welfare. 

However, I think there is a degree of concern that possibly the policies of the European Union, certainly in the area of economic policy, may be shifting slightly to the right and we may see Berlin moving closer to Boston and I wonder whether the President would just respond to that and clarify whether he believes that is happening or whether he can reassure the citizens in that regard.  Thank you.

93rd plenary session of the National Forum on Europe • St Patrick’s Hall • Dublin Castle • Dublin 2 • Thursday 17 April 2008
President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso addressed the theme ‘At the heart of an  open Europe, Ireland and the Lisbon Treaty’ 

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