středa 18. června 2008

EU: closer to people or getting lost

Bloggers are not supposed to have holidays, even my ones were a bit forced under the circumstancies inside my family. While I was taking care of my two-years old daughter, Ireland decided about the future of Lisbon treaty, therefore influencing the future life of my sweetheart. No, I am do not want my daughter to by politician but she will be living in different Europe and different world. And the shape of that Europe and its role in the world is decided now.
It looks like Central Europe wants to use its influence on EU till last moment and till last eurosceptic voice. Czechs are together with Poles the other troublemakers after Irish. Lisbon treaty is not very popular document and it is not only because it is too thick to read through. It is too far away from ordinary people, which is the most probable reason why European politicians are afraid to go through Irish experience of referendum.
EU is going through phase of growing gap between so called elites and voters. It is not just feeling in eurosceptical Czechia, but through the continent. Influence of Brussels bureaucracy is not understandable for ordinary Czechs, Spaniards, Brits, Poles or Latvians. They only see free movement (not in Germany and Austria), they see some money, but for many of them even EU money are too abstract and to hard to get. All other visions and revisions are too distant for them.
EU should now look for ideas which are closer to people, for concrete projects like energy security and prices, like security issues, like credit crises. Bring EU closer to people, stop talking about vision of Europe, start discuss reality would be my advice to Brussels politicians and bureaucrats.
Of course, it is easier said than done, it is on the edge of dangerous populism, but it seems to me that this is the only way out of clench into which EU got itself through Irish referendum and possible Czech and Polish rejection of Lisbon treaty. Otherwise there is danger that EU will freeze itself into endless debates and its role in the world would be decreasing by even more quicker pace than it is doing so now.