tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7539746319670509238.post8156075719155939169..comments2023-11-24T19:27:27.919+02:00Comments on Casa Europei Cluj-Napoca: 2014 EP elections via a European public sphereCasa Europeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04883743430282452387noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7539746319670509238.post-72071791899623321672010-06-22T21:08:24.709+03:002010-06-22T21:08:24.709+03:00Dr. Luca,
Thank you for an interesting, and rathe...Dr. Luca,<br /><br />Thank you for an interesting, and rather inspiring, perspective of the prospects of a European public sphere.<br /><br />I find that the most challenging of all in this debate is to point out the simple solutions that are, at the same time, entirely realistic. I am not convinced that your suggestion of internal leadership elections in the European parties is such a solution. <br /><br />Apart from the classic argument of European elections merely being "second-order national competitions" (ie. do the EP elections really matter?), I'm afraid it is naive to think that national polities will engage in European candidates any time in the near future. And why should they? An American citizen from Fairfax, VA isn't interested in voting for a Californian, because the background and interests are different. How would voting for (or even being able to vote for) an Italian MEP help me, as a Dane - after all, I don't even speak the language! There may be sound, empirically-founded arguments for advocating this solution, but I haven't heard them yet.<br /><br />An alternative first step might be to persuade the national parties to campaign, not with their national party logos, but with the European pendant. There may be a few outliers, but if the majority of the members of, say the ALDE, campaigns as the ALDE in the national campaigns (possibly based on a common policy framework), wouldn't we slowly introduce the European-level understanding you seek in your article? Wouldn't it be easier, and more realistic?<br /><br />Kind regards,<br />Peter A. Lemmich<br />peter@lemmich.euPeter A. Lemmichnoreply@blogger.com