Progressives must insist on democracy!

Warm thanks to the FEPS for giving me this opportunity to affirm my fervent belief that the European Union is one of the best ideas in history and that together we can safeguard European values and prevent the EU from committing suicide.  The EU must cease to deny democracy and listen to citizens.

Some examples:

–In 2005, the Commission ignored the results of the French and Dutch referenda on the Constitutional Treaty and followed the Commissioner who said “We must not give in to blackmail”. They gave us the Lisbon Treaty instead, a faithful copy of the treaty we’d just refused.

–Since Maastricht, all the treaties impose harsh economic rules and arbitrary numbers. Values should be eternal but economic doctrines change and should not be constitutionalised. The only other Constitution to impose an economic model was the one written by the Politburo in 1936 for the USSR.

–The Commission welcomes huge corporations and their lobbies and refuses to instate a compulsory lobby register. Corporations also design trade treaties. When, in 2014 citizens asked for an official Citizens Initiative on the TTIP and the CETA, the Commission refused but the European Court of Justice recently ruled that it had denied democratic expression and should have honoured our request.

–Neoliberalism has become our state religion.   It rewards elites, punishes ordinary working people, causes huge inequalities, dismantles social protection and ignores the environment. Austerity is harmful but seems here to stay.

–Socialists have too often acquiesced and supported such policies. This strategy is a disaster. I beg you to take a hard look at the fate of the party in France and change course. Progressives must insist on democracy, side with the people and protect the environment or populism and narrow-minded nationalism will win. Socialists must not commit suicide – nor must Europe.