Brussels, 30/05/2013 (Agence Europe) - At a time when the European Union is experiencing one of the worst crises in its history, citizens expect more from Europe than austerity measures - which are undermining their confidence in the European project. As part of the regular dialogue between the Churches and the rotating presidencies of the EU Council, around 20 senior representatives from the Christian, Muslim and Jewish religions met President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy and Vice-President of the European Parliament Laszlo Surjan in Brussels on 30 May. They discussed how to bring Europe closer to its citizens and how to fight against ghosts of the past that are making a fresh appearance in these times of crisis - ghosts such as nationalism, anti-semitism, Islamophobia and “Christianophobia”. As well as the economic crisis, “we have to weather another crisis - a crisis of trust, a crisis of values”, Barroso said. “We have to bring citizens back to the heart of our common project of European integration (…) the active involvement of religious communities is essential in this undertaking”, he stated. “It is in responding to the effects of the crisis and reaffirming our values, that one finds the urgency of the European citizen”, said Van Rompuy, acknowledging that the European project is under pressure and that it is necessary to “reinvigorate this citizenship” through reflection and discussion between political and religious authorities. European citizens have the possibility to make things move forward, he said.
This year, this ninth meeting of its kind focused on how to intensify the dialogue with citizens and civil society organisations on the future of Europe and the fundamental, individual and collective rights that are guaranteed by European citizenship. A journalist asked the religious leaders whether the ever growing mistrust of citizens towards Europe - citizens who believe that their power is being confiscated by national European élites - had been discussed. A little embarrassed, the senior religious representatives said they did not believe it was necessary to criticise the European leaders but to help them overcome the crisis. Citizens must remain constructive and help build a new Europe. Acknowledging that the crisis has gone on longer than predicted and that the price to be paid is also higher, Van Rompuy asserted that “Europe is not the problem but the solution”. (IL/transl.fl)