Talks about the future of the European Union should focus on realistic and doable achievements rather than endless discussions that end up going nowhere, MEP Alfred Sant has said.
Sant, who together with Malta’s other MEPs voted in favour of a resolution to hold a Conference on the Future of Europe, said that some stakeholders seemed intent on using the initiative to push their agenda forward.
“Rather than listening to what European citizens from the different parts of the continent would wish for their future, some political actors seem to wish to impose their agendas on this conference. Yet, if Europe wants to succeed, it is essential that a bottom-up approach for this debate is adopted Alfred Sant said.
Announced in late 2019 by the European Parliament and Commission, the conference on the future of Europe was originally scheduled to begin in May and run for two years. But those plans were upended by the coronavirus pandemic and the conference has not been put off.
The conference is intended to map out the medium- to long-term future of the EU and to present ways in which citizens would like the union to reform in the years to come.
The EP resolution, which was adopted by the European Parliament with 528 votes for, 124 against and 45 abstentions, calls for the conference to resume in the autumn and notes that while the European Commission has pushed for talks to begin, the European Council has yet to adopt a position.
“Despite the pandemic, the direct involvement of citizens, civil society organisations, social partners and elected representatives should remain a priority for the Conference,” the resolution states.
Speaking during the plenary debate, Sant noted that despite the European Union’s growing powers, many citizens continued to feel closer to their national governments and parliaments than Euro-parliamentarians.
“It is therefore essential that national representatives be given a leading role in this debate for the rest of us to listen and understand what is needed for a better future,” he argued.