Brussels, 18/04/2013 (Agence Europe) - The president of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, wants decision-makers in Europe to take account of what the inhabitants of Europe feel and think when deciding on matters that directly affect the daily lives of the continent's 500 million inhabitants, particularly in 2013, the year of the European citizen.
“We cannot ignore the fact that European citizens are suffering the consequences of actions and opinions of bodies such as rating agencies which, unlike parliaments, are unaccountable. Many of our citizens regard the response to the crisis as disparate, sometimes delayed, not equal to the urgency of the task and showing insufficient solidarity”, said Higgins, a man of the Left, in a formal speech to the European Parliament on Wednesday 17 April. He said people in Europe get the impression that “the economic narrative of recent years has been driven by dry, technical concerns; for example, by considerations geared primarily by the impact on speculative markets rather than by sufficient compassion and empathy with the predicament of European citizens”. (MB/transl.fl)