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Home arrow In Brief arrow Citizen-friendly post-Electoral evening at EU Parliament in Strasbourg opens new era ?

Citizen-friendly post-Electoral evening at EU Parliament in Strasbourg opens new era ?

Written by ACM
Montag, 08 Juni 2009

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The new 2009-2014 EU Parliament inaugurated its first evening with an unprecedented Citizen-friendly atmosphere at its beautiful Strasbourg's headquarters, where MEPs will elect their new President on July, before voting for the New EU Commission's President either then or, more probably on October, after the expected ratification of Lisbon Treaty by Ireland.

It's the first time that "EuroFora" entered EU Parliament's building helping a group of sympathetic but overloaded young people to carry a heavy load of .. Champaign, to celebrate 2009 EU Elections ! 

EU Citizens were astonished to be greeted with .. free Champaign (offered by Strasbourg's city), Giant TV Screens and an open EU Parliament, freely meeting with EU and local politicians, officials and journalists at MEP's Hemicycle : Strasbourg takes seriously the fight against majority abstentions on EU Elections since 1999..

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-  "It's the first time that it happens", confirmed to "EuroFora" EU Parliament Strasbourg Office's Director, Jean-Jacques Fritz, busy to run around for several practical matters. Indeed, as "EuroFora" remembers, the post-Electoral night was traditionally used only for a "happy few" "invited" persons, politicians, journalists, officials, etc, most interested Citizens having just to keep to their homes' TV screens...

- "I don't think that it's practiced in Brussels, but we'd like to establish and develop further in future this opening towards EU Citizens in Strasbourg", said to "EuroFora" the City's Mayor, French Senator Roland Ries (Soc.)

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- "What is specific in Strasbourg is its European vocation towards Citizens" :  With the European Court of Human Rights, the EU Ombudsman, the PanEuropean Congress of Local and Regional authorities, CoE's International NGOs, and, the most important : EU Parliament's full plenary sessions, added later Mayor Ries, accompagnied by his beautiful International/European affairs' director, Ms Nawel Rafik-Elmrini.

Journalists were positively surprised to find working Tables, with Electricity and Wifi connections, in front of a huge TV Screen, right in front of MEP's Hemicycle at the 1st floor, close to Politicians, MEPs, Officials and Citizens, surrounded by a spectacular eye-catching view, among transparent Crystal "walls", to a splendid Natural landscape at the Sunset, made of Rivers, Forests, Sports' areas, Tram, Bicycles and Boats', looking straight at the European Court of Human Rights' original building, (designed by the same British Architect : Sir Rogers, who made also Paris' world-famous "Beaubourg", visited a few hours ago by new US President Obama and his family)..

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Instead of being closed in an... Underground room, surrounded by high walls, closed doors and windows, far away from MEPs, EU Officers and Citizens, at a "Press room" curiously pushed at the other side of the building, in unequal and poor ventilation conditions, as usual...

Citizens were happily strolling around, having never seen EU Parliament open and active like this, looking for and commenting on Elections' results, among local, national and EU politicians, while various Receptions were going on in parallel at several meeting-points all around the central area.

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Security guards appeared astonished that everything was going on calmly, without any incident to notice. Impressive EU Parliament's Ushers, wearing their uniforms, had come to guide People to, and around the Hemicycle.

Only regret : When "EuroFora", thirsty, urgently asked for "a glass of Water", the only tables close to the events served only ... Champaign (and a dangerously good one), offered by Strasbourg's City.. It took some hours, and a helpful young couple, to find out that there was also an open Bar with almost everything People wished to eat and drink, including refreshing fruit juices.

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Who claimed that People don't give a damn about EU Parliament since 1999's first majority abstention ? Even after Midnight, a young EU Citizen, anxious to be among the first to have the lastest overall EU Parliament's results, asked "EuroFora" to lend him a pencil to simply write down on a piece of paper the numbers which figured at a Giant Screen out of the Hemicycle.Sometimes,

Citizen-friendly atmosphere may simplify journalists' work...

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Pierre Pflimlin's visionary line : Honouring the Memory of the man who wanted to build Europe on the Mountains, based on Spirit !

 

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One of EuroFora's best inspirators is naturally Pierre Pflimlin :

We had a chance to personally meet the dynamic and experienced former President of both EU Parliament and CoE's Assembly, France's Prime Minister and Strasbourg's Mayor, only at his 90th anniversary, during an Historic speech at the Council of Europe, exceptionally full of people.

But his energetic figure looked more like a youngster of 19 years old, eager to win the Olympic games !..

Visionary, 2P was, from many points of view :

His daughter, Antoinette, Artist-decorator, and Senator Jung, President of a group of friends, confirmed us an Historian's revelation, that Pflimlin had initially the idea to build all European institutions (EU Parliament, Council of Europe, European Court of Human Rights, etc) at the spectacular heights of Oberhausbergen hills, with an eye-catching view of both French Vosges and German Black Forest Mountains, in the midst of a Forest : A real vision to create a brand New European Headquarters with a big ambition !

But, it seems, that "someone in Brussels" found that picture, precisely, too big for his taste, and threw a spanner on the works...

Pflimlin stroke back a Decade ago, at his Historic 1997 farewell speech :

He urged Europeans to find another, more substantial way, to lift Europe to more important Heights in Future :

- "On which basis can we imagine the birth of a great Europe ?", he asked.

"Certainly an Economic basis ! A solid market economy, meeting also the needs of social justice. A Political basis : Europe must become a strong Political Power, able to influence World's changes, naturally for Peace."

"But I believe that the essential foundation of a greater Europe should be of Spiritual nature : .... The great pacific Revolutions were Spiritual Victories" : They expressed "People's main motivation to live in a society with our Values of Liberty, Democracy, respect for Human Dignity".

"Then, the roadmap is ready : Yes, the foundation of the unity for a large Europe is the spiritual heritage, inspired by Christian Humanism and the Humanism of Renaissance, of Enlightenment, from which emerged a Civilisation focused on the Human person".

"Here is the task to be accomplished. It's very difficult".

"The Time approaches when I'll have to pass over the torchlight. God willing, this torch should enlighten the path of those who are going to build, tomorrow, the great Europe, marked by this Spirit".

 

(Extract from the Book "Pierre Pfilmin : Alsacian and European", 2007. Texts by Senator Louis Jung, by the long-time f. Director of Strasbourg's Newspaper DNA, Alain Howiller, and by f. EU Parliament's Press Director, Paul Collowald : See dedications, hand-written by the authors, the day the book for Pflimlin's 100th Aniversary was launched at Strasbourg's Press Club and European Parliamentary Association's headquarters, 13 April 2007).

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