EU : agenda making is up to the citizens

According to Wim Kok, the former Premier from the Nederlands, ?the silence must be broken? to enable a key debate on the future of Europe. This quotation from a seminar taking place in Paris on last 18th november exemplifies the need to give the floor to all EU citizens, in response to the political present vacuum in Europe. A new initiative giving voice to the European citizens is now in its preparatory phase under the leadership of a group of NGOs with the support of some MEPs. The ECI wants to give legal force to citizens initiatives, gathering at least one million signatures. ?To take democracy seriously?, the general co-ordinator of the campaign, Carsten Berg emphasised the need of a ?bottom-up? approach to close the gap between citizens and institutions, but also foster the development of European civil society. What?s at stake ? The European project seems to be redesigned in some way by its stakeholders… Info at www.citizens-initiative.eu