Published Sunday, June 29, 2008 at 15:09
by
stephane.veyret 
(578 views and 1 comments)
« Unis dans la
diversité », tel est le slogan qui a été adopté pour l'Europe. Mais
quelle diversité souhaitons-nous vraiment ? Une diversité absolue,
où l'on ne pratique aucun échange entre les peuples, où chacun
garde sa propre culture, sa propre langue et ne cherche pas à
communiquer avec ses voisins ? Ou une diversité limitée, où l'on
fait en sorte que toute l'Europe s'exprime dans une même langue et
se reconnaisse dans des valeurs similaires ?
Aujourd'hui, il semble que c'est ce second choix qui a été fait, avec l'anglais comme langue commune, et les valeurs des États-Unis comme base de notre culture, au détriment de nos propres coutumes.
La France, pays réputé pour sa tolérance se dote de lois de plus en plus strictes, alors que les adolescents se reconnaissent de plus en plus dans les cow-boys qui, au nom d'une certaine idée de la justice, se permettent d'ôter la vie aux hors-la-loi… La France, pays réputé mondialement pour sa nourriture voit fleurir de plus en plus de « fast-food » au coin de ses rues. Le français, la langue des... » read more ...
Tags: discrimination, languages, multiculturalism
Published Friday, June 27, 2008 at 10:34
by
rikkeindenmark
(690 views and 3 comments)
“I don’t have
anything against gays and lesbians, but I do think the only right
thing for a child is to have a father and a mother”Tags: blogger of the week, discrimination, diversity, gay, LGBT
Published Thursday, June 26, 2008 at 16:30
by
arktika
(575 views and 7 comments)
Today EU has a Parliament. MEPs sit and travel between Strasbourg and Brussels, with no power and no authority. Commission, their army of bureaucrats and lobbyists keep EU as their playground.
One common custom is to... » read more ...
Tags: EU, European perspective, Western Balkans
Published Thursday, June 26, 2008 at 14:34
by
franciscopolo
(456 views and 0 comments)
At the same time
I start
writing this article the ratification process for the Lisbon
Treaty is starting at the Spanish Parliament. I can hear the
Foreign Affairs Ministry starting his discourse...
Probably (no to say “for sure”), tomorrow the Spanish newspapers will show on their front pages the results of the Spain vs. Russia soccer game at the Eurocup. The matter of the Treaty will also be shown in those newspapers but it will not be given so much importance.
As you probably know, the Lisbon Treaty is important due to many things: The Fundamental Rights Chart becomes binding, the Treaty creates a common space of liberty, security and justice (it was formerly... » read more ...
Tags: blogger of the week, citizens, democracy, fundamental rights, political parties, transparency, treaty
Published Thursday, June 26, 2008 at 09:39
by
negrescuvictor
(472 views and 2 comments)
Most of European
countries confront themselves with the problem of bringing
youngsters to vote at the different elections. Regarding European
elections the stats are similar to the other elections even knowing
Europe normally speaks more about the future of our societies.
Involving youngsters in the European project and inside the socialist parties is becoming a more and more difficult task even know many of the PES member parties have chosen to promote younger leaders or building special information campaigns. The question is to find a way in interesting youngsters in politics and in the European project.
PES activists Romania has participated at a debate in Bucharest on this issue and came to a general conclusion: the need of appealing and the necessity of offering new solutions to the next generation of social problems. It become clear to us that European themes have to been translated in a language understandable for everyone and this is a task that the PES has to assume.
There are social groups excluded by European politics because of its high level of specialization or simply by the lack of time and this is a task socialists have to complete. On the other hand we have to create new topics for our societies and mainly youngsters... » read more ...
Tags: blogger of the week, citizens, elections, PES, political parties
Published Wednesday, June 25, 2008 at 16:42
by
Editor
(627 views and 0 comments)
European Network Against Racism (ENAR), representing over 600 anti-racism NGOs all over Europe, put forward its suggestions for the manifesto2009!
Check them here with its director, Pascale Charhon.
Read ENAR' full contribution here and
leave us your comments to tackle minority problems across
Europe!
Published Monday, June 23, 2008 at 18:26
by
chourka
(876 views and 12 comments)
Plusieurs
contributions (Brussels PES working group, Contribution du PS 67,
contribution de la Fédération de Paris) mettent en avant la
nécessité pour les partis européens à commencer par le PSE
d'offrir aux électeurs un choix clairs entre la droite et la
gauche.
Toutes soulignent également qu'un mode de scrutin uniforme pour l'élection des députés européens est un objectif de plus en plus urgent de réaliser.
Enfin, la proposition formulée par Jacques Delors de faire du chef de file du parti arrivé en tête lors des Européennes, le Président de la Commission, est littéralement plébiscitée. Se pose alors pour les partis politiques européens la question de l'organisation concrête de cette désignation.
Pour un courant de pensée démocratique comme le socialisme, il n'est pas concevable que cela se fasse dans un conclave fermé à huis clos entre leaders des formations composant le PSE. Cela ne peut nécessairement se faire qu'à travers une consultation de l'ensemble des adhérents par un vote de désignation. A dire vrai, en tant que... » read more ...
Tags: blogger of the week, citizens, democracy, european elections, PES, transparence, UE
Published Monday, June 23, 2008 at 14:05
by
rikkeindenmark
(759 views and 3 comments)
I hope that this
campaign will still be relevant - in spite the depressing outcome
of the referendum in Ireland (of which I will speak no more for
now!).
Danish Member of the European Parliament, Christel Schaldemose, has started a cross-party campaign for having women represented among the 4 EU top leaders which will - hopefully all! - be appointed during the next year. If the Lisbon treaty is ratified we will see the following very important EU posts:
Have you ever seen a 'family photo' from meetings in the Council? Well, if you haven't allow me to enlighten you: it's black suits, suits and more suits. There are very few women top leaders in Europe. For me there is no doubt that we need a more equal representation of women and men.
Therefore, I encourage you to support Christel's initiative: Sign the » read more ...
Tags: blogger of the week, citizens, democracy, diversity, treaty
Published Tuesday, June 17, 2008 at 12:26
by
Maitresinh
(759 views and 6 comments)
Note de la
rédaction : un sympathisant du PSE nous a envoyée une « lettre
ouverte » qui serait intégrée à une nouvelle section de
cafebabel.com, une magasine européen en ligne. Cette nouvelle
section du site traiterait le thème des élections européennes de
2009.
Pour un coup d’état démocratique européen en 2009 !
En juin 2009, pour la septième fois dans l’histoire de l’Europe, plus de 350 millions de citoyens voteront pour nommer leurs représentants au Parlement européen.
Trente ans se sont écoulés depuis les premières élections de 1979. Trente ans durant lesquels l’Europe et le monde ont beaucoup changé. Le Parlement européen lui aussi, de simple organe consultatif, a acquis d’année en année un pouvoir croissant au sein d’une Europe toujours plus unie.
Institution démocratique par excellence, exprimant la volonté des citoyens européens, le Parlement demeure pourtant dans l’ombre du Conseil des ministres, assemblée qui détient le dernier mot, privant... » read more ...
Tags: commission, democracy, democratie, europe, president
Published Tuesday, June 17, 2008 at 09:28
by
Joel Cordier
(641 views and 2 comments)
« The Lisbon Treaty
is now dead », voilà ce que déclarait vendredi Eamon Gilmore,
leader du Parti Travailliste irlandais. En effet, après les « NON »
néerlandais et français de 2005 sur le traité constitutionnel, les
citoyens irlandais ont décidé de rejeter, par 53,4%, le Traité de
Lisbonne.
Alors que « le cadavre est encore chaud », certains échafaudent déjà des stratégies pour contourner le choix démocratiquement exprimé par le peuple irlandais. Personnellement, je considère que ce choix doit être respecté. En effet, je veux croire que le « NON » exprimé jeudi dernier n’est pas un « NON » à l’Europe mais avant tout la manifestation du désir d’une autre Europe.
Comment peut-on espérer convaincre les citoyens européens du bien fondé d’avancées contenues dans des traités alors qu’ils sont confrontés chaque jour à plus de « flexiprécarité » au travail, à la difficulté de couvrir leurs besoins... » read more ...
Tags: blogger of the week, citizens, EU, transparency
Published Monday, June 16, 2008 at 08:47
by
mehmetsel
(427 views and 0 comments)
Depuis l'origine de la construction européenne, les européens s'interrogent sur les moyens d'honorer le pacte politique liant les Etats membres. La politique d'unification de l'Europe a donné lieu à de nombreuses controverses sur la nature des institutions à créer pour rassembler les peuples européens. Lorsque le marché commun fut fondé en 1957 ses initiateurs ne pensaient qu'à une coopération purement économique. Si l'on tient compte des circonstances, on peut affirmer qu'ils ont atteint leur but.
» read more ...Tags: democracy, EU, immigration
Published Friday, June 13, 2008 at 08:52
by
Desmond O'Toole
(551 views and 1 comments)
Well the polls have closed and the ballot boxes are now safely stored away until they are opened at 09h00 (10h00 CET) on Friday morning. As I predicted, a lot of the discussion in the media this evening has been on how many people turned out to vote. If you remember I said that the general view is that a turnout below 40% would suggest a NO vote, while a turnout above 45% would indicate a YES vote. Well, the national broadcaster, RTÉ, is reporting turnout in the region 40-45%, so I'm afraid I cannot offer even an educated guess as to how the Irish people have voted in this referendum! I will be attending the count in Dublin and we are expecting initial results to be available by lunchtime and a formal announcement of the result by about 17h00 (18h00 CET).
One possible indicator of the result is the view of Irish bookmakers. They are offering better odds on the YES side winning and as everyone knows, bookmakers don't like to lose money. It would not be the first time that Irish bookmakers knew more than Irish politicians and journalists about how the people have voted. However, all of this is just idle speculation. We will know on Friday afternoon whether Lisbon will proceed smoothly to ratification across the EU or whether there... » read more ...
Tags: blogger of the week, citizens, democracy, EU, treaty
Published Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 09:49
by
Desmond O'Toole
(469 views and 0 comments)
From 7h00 to 22h00 on
Thursday (8h00 to 23h00 CET) polling stations across Ireland will
be open and the great game of democracy will be played out with
pencil and ballot paper. Three million citizens across 43
constituencies will vote Tá (YES) or Níl (NO) to amend our
constitution and allow our government to ratify the Lisbon Treaty.
There are over three million citizens registered to vote in this
referendum, the largest number ever in the history of the State.
And the smart money says that voter turnout will be the key to the
final result.
The Irish people had to vote twice to ratify the Nice Treaty. In the first referendum in 2001 the Irish people voted NO by 529,000 votes to 453,000 on a turnout of 35%. At the second referendum a year later we voted YES to Nice by 906,000 votes to 535,000 on a much larger turnout of 49%. Almost all of the extra turnout was YES voters who had abstained in the previous referendum. The big question is whether the same pattern will repeat itself this time? If the NO side has so confused and alienated people from the EU that many decide not to vote and we have a low turnout, then we will lose the referendum and Ireland will fail to ratify the Lisbon Treaty. If, however, the Irish people refuse... » read more ...
Tags: blogger of the week, EU, treaty
Published Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 12:11
by
Desmond O'Toole
(542 views and 2 comments)
Three wise men
(yes, men, I'm afraid!), step forward, button up their jackets and
prepare to argue the case for Lisbon. In this photo are the leaders
of the three largest parties in Ireland. From left to right are
Eamon Gilmore of the Labour Party (PES/PSE), Taoiseach Brian Cowen
of Fianna Fáil (UEN) and Enda Kenny of Fine Gael (EPP-ED). They
appeared at a joint press conference yesterday to make a united
call for a YES vote and today, the last day before the
referendum, I'd like to inform everyone of the YES
campaign.
When I described the NO campaign yesterday I talked about the lessons that we need to learn about how disconnected a large minority of citizens are to the EU and the need to put the real benefits of EU membership to our citizens rather than spend so much time discussing institutions and processes. However, I noticed in the Irish Times this morning that Daniel Cohn-Bendit (G-EFA) has joined Bernard Kouchner in attacking Irish democracy. He is reported as calling the Irish ungrateful to Europe, our referendum a "folly" and that, "... if one says NO, one leaves Europe." It is precisely this sort of language and these sorts of threats that socialists and social... » read more ...
Tags: blogger of the week, EU, political parties, treaty
Published Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 18:15
by
pamela.derosa
(470 views and 0 comments)
On parle de l'Europe
comme un grand pays, une confédération d'États modernes qui pensent
premièrement aux droits des personnes. Ce n'est pas vrai. Il y a
des États qui n’appliquent pas en échec certains principes, ce qui
risque de nous faire revenir en arriére.
Évidemment, je parle de mon pays, l'Italie. C'est dommage que dans le Partito Democratico il existe des querelles par rapport aux positions politiques au niveau européen: il y a les EX-DS (Democratici di Sinistra – ex parti communiste) qui veulent appartenir au PSE et puis il y a les EX-MARGHERITA (démocratie chrétienne) qui veulent appartenir au... » read more ...
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