At 20:00 on Thursday the 10th April 2014, De Balie and the ECF presented a debate about our attitude towards the EU, in particular our lack of/trust in the concept and its institutions.
About the debate:
In 2014 we are experiencing a growing mistrust of the EU amongst Europeans. Many citizens perceive the EU as too distant and too bureaucratic. In the run-up to the European elections in May, the European Cultural Foundation (ECF) and De Balie jointly organised a public debate about the EU and its future: In the EU We (Mis)Trust – on the road to the EU elections. This debate was part of the New Pact for Europe* project, which examines the challenges facing Europe today, and the strategic choices that need to be made.
As Dutch citizens prepare to cast their votes for the European Parliament on May 22nd, the debate took a timely look at the many questions and opinions which Europe continues to provoke. ECF and De Balie asked spectators how they perceived the future of Europe, presenting and arguing 6 options on increasing scales of intergration. They asked, should we go back to basics, undo the mistakes of the past and dismantle the euro? Should we leap forwards towards a fully-fledged political and economic Union? Or, should we instead focus on finding new ways to involve citizens in the continent’s future?
ECF and De Balie believe that we need a much more ambitious debate in the Netherlands and between European leaders and citizens. They feel that we need a new pact and a new understanding of Europe, to inspire us to shape the future of the EU going forward and this debate gave use a first taste of how that could be.
Keynote speakers:
George Pagoulatos, Professor European Politics and Economy, Athens University of Economics & Business; Member of the Governing Board, ELIAMEP, Athens
Philippe Legrain, writer and former economic advisor to European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, and Head of the Analysis team of the Bureau of European Policy Advisors (BEPA), will give the second key note speech
Additional Speakers:
Jet de Ranitz, President of the Executive Board, Amsterdam School of the Arts and Chair of Kunsten ‘92, Dutch association for arts, culture and heritage
Bas Eickhout, GroenLinks candidate in the European elections and Vice Group Leader of the Group of the Greens, European Parliament
Dirk Gotink, CDA European Parliament
Ivan Krastev (via video connection) is Chairman of the Centre for Liberal Strategies, Sofia, and Permanent Fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences (IWM) in Vienna. His latest book is In Mistrust We Trust: Can Democracy Survive When We Don’t Trust Our Leaders?
Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, VVD candidate in the European elections and Member of Parliament
Kati Piri, PvdA candidate in the European elections and Programme Manager South-Caucasus and Moldova, NIMD (Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy)
Marietje Schaake, D66 candidate in the European elections and Member of the European Parliament
Eric Smaling, SP candidate in the European elections and a Member of the Dutch Parliament
Moderation:
The debate was moderated by Lennart Booij, co-founder of BKB, The Campaign Agency, Amsterdam
This was an ECF debate taking part in association with De Balie as part of the New Pact for Europe project.
In the EU we (mis)trust – op weg naar de Europese verkiezingen
De Balie, Kleine Gartmanplantsoen 10, 1017 RR Amsterdam
Thema:
Burgers wantrouwen de EU steeds meer. Zij ervaren de EU als afstandelijk en bureaucratisch. In de aanloop naar de Europese parlementsverkiezingen organiseren de European Cultural Foundation en De Balie een publiek debat over de toekomst van de EU: In the EU We (Mis)Trust. Dit debat, onderdeel van het project New Pact for Europe*, gaat in op de uitdagingen en prioriteiten om zaken in de EU aan te pakken.
Op 22 mei stemmen de Nederlandse burgers voor het Europees Parlement. Op dit moment is het vertrouwen van burgers in de EU op een dieptepunt beland. Daarom willen we jouw visie op de toekomst van de EU horen. Moeten we terug naar de basis en keuzes uit het verleden ongedaan maken? De euro afschaffen? Of juist een sprong voorwaarts maken naar een volwaardige politieke en economische unie? Moeten we nieuwe manieren vinden om burgers meer bij de EU te betrekken?
Hoe nu verder? Tijdens deze avond in De Balie zal een ambiteus gesprek tussen Europese leiders en burgers worden gevoerd. We hebben een ‘New Pact’ oftewel een nieuw idee voor Europa nodig, dat ons inspireert om de toekomst van de EU vorm te geven.
Programma:
George Pagoulatos, Professor Europese politiek en economie, Universiteit van Athene; Lid Raad van Bestuur, ELIAMEP, Athene
Philippe Legrain, schrijver en voormalig economisch adviseur van de voorzitter van de Europese Commissie José Manuel Barroso en hoofd analyseteam van het Bureau of European Policy Advisors (BEPA), zal vanuit zijn ervaring in Brussel en zijn expertise rondom immigratie reageren op Krastev.
De andere panelleden zijn:
Jet de Ranitz, Voorzitter van het College van Bestuur van de Amsterdamse Hogeschool voor de Kunsten en voorzitter van Kunsten ’92
Bas Eickhout, GroenLinks lijsttrekker in Europa en vice-fractievoorzitter van de Groene fractie in het Europees Parlement
Dirk Gotink, CDA Europarlement
Ivan Krastev (via video connection) is Chairman of the Centre for Liberal Strategies, Sofia, and Permanent Fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences (IWM) in Vienna. His latest book is In Mistrust We Trust: Can Democracy Survive When We Don’t Trust Our Leaders?
Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, VVD kandidaat Europese verkiezingen en Tweede Kamerlid
Kati Piri, PvdA kandidaat bij de Europese Parlementsverkiezingen en programmamaker Zuid-Kaukasus en Moldavië, NIMD (Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy)
Marietje Schaake, D66 kandidaat Europese verkiezingen en lid van het Europees Parlement
Eric Smaling, SP kandidaat Europese verkiezingen en Tweede Kamerlid (te bevestigen)
Moderatie
Lennart Booij, medeoprichter BKB, Het Campagnebureau, Amsterdam.
This was an ECF debate taking part in association with De Balie as part of the New Pact for Europe project.
