IEP Lunch Debate with Hans-Gert PÖTTERING: “Priorities for European Policy in the View of the EPP Group”
“The European Union”, Hans-Gert PÖTTERING, Chair of the Faction of the European People’s Party in the European Parliament, began his talk, “is based on values”. They are the foundation of the entire integration project. For this reason, the European constitutional treaty is indispensable, because it is the first time in history that these values have been extensively described.
An invocatio dei in the constitution would also have been desirable, especially to add emphasis to these basic values. The values on which Europe is based and which are for the most part Christian-influenced are not supposed to be just a decorative attachment, but must rather form the basis of European policy in all areas. What we need, said Pöttering, is something like a “guiding European culture”. The recent conflict surrounding the caricatures published in Denmark additionally demonstrate the importance of an intensive discussion and of respect for values. In Pöttering’s view, that eruption of conflict between cultures should be brought back into a cultural dialogue as quickly as possible.
The EPP will try to intensify the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly and open it for parts of civil society. Also closely connected with cultural identity is question of the borders of the EU. The referenda in France and the Netherlands have shown at the very least that the people have a fear of an enlargement that is too quick and too wide. Against this backdrop, it is necessary to better emphasize the openness of results in negotiations with Turkey and develop an alternative to full membership. In addition to these fundamental questions, the current fears of the population, especially concerning globalization, must be taken into consideration. Indeed, due to failures in solving these interconnected problems, the people have lost much of their trust in European policy. Frequently, European decision-making processes for these urgent problems appear cumbersome. However, as the lessons of the past 50 years of integration have shown, one can move forward only if one takes the necessary steps not only with passion, but also with patience. Both of these together, said Pöttering, are essential to securing a good future for Europe.
By: Daniel Göler