Citizens and democratic participation: this is the subject on which the EU Parliament convenes experts from different countries, partly in the run-up to the election of the Assembly next year. All day tomorrow, the Brussels premises will host a conference "during which explains a note the results of a research project on citizens and participations conducted in 14 member states will be reviewed. The stated intention is to "involve politicians, experts, journalists in a reflection on the EU’s public opinion before the election of 2009" to provide advice for improving the relations between the EU institutions and the EU citizen. The conference will be opened by the president of the EU Parliament, Hans-Gert Poettering, followed by reports by academicians from all over the continent, including Richard Sinnott (Ireland), Radek Markowski and Mikolaj Czesnik (Poland), David Farrell (United Kingdom), Eva Anduiza-Perea and Joan Font (Spain). The most widely discussed topics will be participation in political life in connection with gender, age, social class and disability. In addition, inspiration will be taken from a final document of a survey conducted last autumn by Eurobarometer about the public perception of the Parliament of the 27 member states.
