Democracy not taken for granted” “

While the debate on the reference to God and to religions in the text of the future European Constitution remains open, Convention and governments are seeking to settle or to find compromises to the burning issues of European institutions and the democratic participation of citizens in the life of the EU. SirEurope asked Pawel Krzeczunowicz , representative of Polish NGOs to the EU, and former rapporteur during the sessions of the Convention devoted to listening to civil society, for his comment. President of the Union nominated by governments, EU Foreign Minister nominated by governments, restricted Commission, Intergovernmental Conference that will have the last say on the draft Constitution. Are we heading towards a ‘new’ Europe run by the ‘old’ governments? “In any case, we will have a new Europe as a result of enlargement. It will not be a Europe of the ‘old’ governments since new members will be involved, each bringing with it its own different perceptions. The risk, however, is that of having a Europe of the intergovernmental method. In the EU, democracy seems to be taken for granted, which represents a glaring example of historical amnesia. For the peoples and the NGOs of the new member states, on the other hand, democracy represents a privilege of recent acquisition. What is most worrying is not the institutional structure, but the process of nomination that is being proposed. Where is the democracy in this proposal? Where is the declaration adopted at Laeken of bringing Europe closer to citizens?” Will the European Constitution make possible a better and more structured dialogue with citizens and so-called ‘civil society’ and its organizations? “We need to bear two things in mind. In the first place, the current text of the Constitution on civil dialogue is vague and does not give rise to a structured civil dialogue; indeed, it throws into doubt social dialogue, as an integral part of the existing European juridical order. And the Presidium still has to respond to this criticism. Secondly, it is by setting an example that Europe may positively influence the development of civil dialogue. Without such an example at the European level, civil dialogue will not be able to advance where it is most needed – at the local, regional and national level – and especially in the candidate countries where it is still in its infancy”. Europe and religion, God and Europe: the debate is still open, and the positions disputed, all the more so after the interventions by John Paul II on the matter. What do you think of the reference to God and to religions in the EU Constitution? Could the well-known clause of the Polish Constitution represent a solution? “It was undoubtedly great to see a constructive proposal by one of the candidate countries. The assumption in the EU is too often that the wise men speak and the rest of the world listens. This may in truth create great embarrassment: it’s enough to think that only recently one oversight – an enormous once for a Constitutional treaty – was ‘corrected’: namely, the failure to include any reference to citizenship in the draft articles. It is clear that unilaterally repudiating religion would jeopardize the chance of the Constitution being ratified. Not inserting any reference to God and to religions would render improbable a victory of the ‘yes’ vote in the referendums of ratification, at least in Poland”.