Enlargement, Constitution, European social model: these are the main themes tackled during the first two Citizens’ Forums held respectively at Saarbrücken and Hamburg (Germany) on 16 and 20 March. The meetings form part of the agenda of public meetings promoted by the European Parliament. After the rejection of the Constitution by the citizens of France and Holland and the impasse suffered by EU integration in 2005, the EU institutions have begun a series of projects to restore the Constitution to the centre of public interest. To this end the session of the EP in Strasbourg approved the so-called Duff-Voggenhuber Resolution in January; it calls for an annual programme of debates involving MEPs, national parliaments, associations, mass media, schools and universities. In the first half of this year round tables will be held in various places in France, Germany, Greece, Poland and Sweden: “At the end of the first events, the conclusions will be transmitted to the heads of government of the member states, who will examine them at their summit in June”. The next Forum will be held at Komotini, a Greek city on the frontier with Bulgaria and not far from Turkey, on 31 March. Theme: “Future EU enlargement: a threat to the future of Europe?”.
