Sie lesen aktuell unserer Archiv. Die aktuelle Webseite befindet sich unter: iep-berlin.de
You are currently reading our archive. The current webseite is located at: iep-berlin.de/en/

IEP Lunch Debate with Hans-Gert PÖTTERING: “Priorities for European Policy in the View of the EPP Group”

Hans-Gert Pöttering, Chair of the European People's Party 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