Luxembourg, 02/04/2001 (Agence Europe) - Lydie Polfer, Luxembourg Minister for Foreign Affairs, in a contribution to the debate, now open, over the future of Europe, recalled that one of the keys to the success of European unification is the Community method. She also added: It is necessary to adapt it, everyone will agree. Though I do not want to throw out the baby with the bath water. We will continue to need strong institutions (…) At the same time, we must take into account the fact that we live in a union of States and peoples. Any future equation will have to take this into account (…) Gamble on classic intergovernmentalism will lead to a deadlock, developing the nation-State factor will do the same".
Furthermore, Mrs Polfer thinks that the citizen would be more interested in Europe if we spoke of major political stakes rather than issues of institutional power and mechanics. All the more so that the citizen is interested in who is responsible for what, for as much as he mocks the procedural details, feels the Minister, for whom the true transparency required from the citizens an understanding of the major stakes and responsibilities. While recognising that, at the right time, it will require specialists to translate into the constitutional and legal texts, the result of the democratic debate undertaken, Mrs Polfer exclaimed: But, please, let us try this time to have this debate before.
According to her, the theme of enlargement would possibly be a good opportunity to return to the basics, as an extension of the Union to the East and South is "truly a work of peace", which should, moreover, incite us to a more general reflection over the problem of solidarity, with the future partners, but also between the regions and States, between generations, in the face of globalisation. As for the demarcating of competences, she would like to the debate to be widened, and that we question "in a more in-depth manner what must be contained in the EU policies, when wondering if the citizens want more or less from Europe. Her impression is that it wants both at the same time, since it calls for, as an example, a greater European pretence on the international stage, while it reproaches the Union for "excessively going into the details" or exercising its competences in an inappropriate manner in other fields.