A vote for growth” “

“We are having to come to terms with a situation that creates undreamt-of opportunities for our nation, but that at the same time brings with it new challenges and fears. Many fear that we will lose our identity and sovereignty. The national identity is preserved and expressed through our culture, which includes moral and religious values. If Europe really wants to be a community it must embrace a minimum of spiritual values that the population will be willing to accept and promote, for the benefit of the common good”. (Polish Episcopal Conference) “The European elections will directly influence the future development of the European Union. Europe must have a policy based on Christian principles transcending party divides. The defence of human rights, life, marriage and the family, and respect for the creation and solidarity with the disadvantaged in our societies and in the poor regions of the world must remain, in future too, at the basis of European policy… We hope that the future members of the European Parliament will commit themselves to a European Constitution that makes specific reference in its preamble to the Christian roots of Europe and to responsibility before God”. (German Episcopal Conference) “The vote is an important means of expressing the will of the people. Faced by a general election, each elector has the responsibility to act for the common good, and in choosing what party to vote for British Catholics ought to consider the widest possible range of indications. In considering the opinions of a particular candidate, they should take into account his/her attitude to the more vulnerable and his/her capacity to defend the sacredness of human life. Catholics are also invited, not just to vote, but also to participate actively in public life”. (Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales) “The enlarged Europe does not jeopardize the cohesion of the Union. On the contrary, it must increasingly generate in the common values the energy it needs to construct a pluralist society respectful of its diversities. Europe must ever more clearly affirm that reconciliation and peace are the foundations of its unity. Social justice and the campaign against poverty and all forms of exclusion remain priorities. Europe must enable the voice of the poorest to be heard on the international scene and actively participate in the struggle for freedom and human rights”. (French Episcopal Conference and other Christian Churches). “The free vote of European citizens must be aimed at those objectives that can contribute to the genuine good of united Europe by pursuing the effective unity of Europe not only at the political and economic but also at the cultural and spiritual levels, without selfish forms of nationalism. Nations must be considered as vital centres of a cultural richness that deserves to be protected and promoted to the advantage of everyone… It is misguided to press for a forced levelling of cultures and traditions, of moral values and the social habits of the various peoples. Rather, we should respect them and accept them, by fostering a free ‘exchange of gifts’ in which the best characteristics of the individual nations may be progressively diffused. The unity of the new Europe can only be based on true freedom, on freedom of religion and on the social liberties nurtured in the humus of Christianity. May the Christian politicians of all countries act in the consciousness of the human richness that the faith brings with it, and place themselves at the service of everyone for a Europe of man!” (Italian Episcopal Conference) “Anyone who reduces the European Parliament to an empty talking shop misunderstands what is an important component of the European democratic decision-making process. All the electors for the elections of the European Parliament not only have the right to vote, but also the moral duty to contribute to it by their own vote. By voting in this election, each of us will benefit the privilege of peace and democracy that our forefathers were deprived of. The next European Parliament will tackle issues that are of great concern to us today and will have an impact on future generations. Consequently the European elections must not be considered a test of popularity for our national governments”. (Episcopal Conference of the Netherlands) W