Why we might need EU-sceptic parties

Nosemonkey has made a strong point for EU-sceptic parties, even though he dislikes them:

"[...] With the EU still seriously under-reported in almost every member state, and with so few sceptical voices around to form an opposition - one of the most essential elements of any healthy democratic system - little wonder that there is so much public frustration. The worries of the people are not, in the eyes of the people, being addressed. [...]"

In principle, I agree.

But I have made my point in a comment to this article:

"The problem is that EU-sceptic parties’ critique to anything the EU does can easily be discredited as if it was just done to harm the Union, as a matter of principle and not as a constructive approach to make the Union better, even when they are right.

I think we will need heavily EU-critical parties with a true love to the basic idea of such a supranational entity. So far, this critique too often comes from the extremes, but it needs to comes from the centres of the political spectrum, to make it more credible.

But maybe those political forces will first need the EU-sceptic pitbulls to smooth the way before they get their window of opportunity to make the EU a better polity than it is today…"

What do you think? Go to Nosemonkey's article and join the discussion!

Guest post on "Th!nk About It" (3): A visible opposition in the European Parliament

This week I am guest blogging on TH!NK ABOUT IT. I will publish the articles here, too, but I would like to kindly ask you to comment on TH!NK09. This is my third article, which you also can find here.

One might be as europhile as I am (and just a little remark: I still would not call myself "EUrophile" with a capital U, but rather "EUroptimistic" or simply "europhile"), but I can understand to a certain extend many of those who have doubts about the European project called "European Union".

And so, given that this week we are witnessing the last session of this European Parliament in this period, let me express high appreciation for Daniel Hannan who, in his probably last speech in front of this parliament, has again shown that you can be eurosceptic, critical, and even tastefully polemic, but that this can be done in the most intelligent, articulate, and honest way.

His call for a "visible opposition against the EU" in the next European Parliament is thus not to be understood in a negative manner, but in the best tradition of a democratic institutions in which the pro and the contra are the main elements of free and democratic discourse of ideas and ideals.

And he is absolutely correct pointing out that it is better to allow and to support open and democratic opposition - even against the project as such - within the institution than waiting for radicals and xenophobic opponents outside the parliament to be the sole voices of discontent heard all over Europe.

So here's Daniel's speech, as always short and concise, and with remarkably warm words for outgoing EP president Hans-Gert Pöttering:



Thank you, Daniel, for your work and your directness - and I suppose you will be around...!

Opposition in Belarus, Russia, and Moldova

Recently, I had the opportunity to talk to representatives of the Russian, Belarussion, and Moldovan opposition (Yabloko, PFP, and AMN).

Apparently, they are all living in countries where civil liberties are not respected (2008 Freedom House reports on Russia and on Belarus) or not fully respected (FH 2008 on Moldova) and where democratic opposition is, well, not liked too much.

The Russian and Belarussian parties are not represented in the respective parliaments and both face suppressive policies from the state: Several leaders of Yabloko have been arrested in recent times, and PFP has tried to be officially registered for several years now but has been rejected three times on "formal grounds"...

AMN is at least represented in the Moldovan parliament, where it is the largest opposition group. Nevertheless, especially limited access to national media and a lack of an impartial press limits their possibility to get their message(s) spread as it is the case in more democratic countries. Early next year (around March or April), there will be elections in Moldova, and it has to be seen how far the democratic opposition will have a word to say.

In this blog I am intensively following the 2009 European Parliament elections, and I am complaining about a number of shortcomings and problems the EU is facing these days. But talking to those men and women coming from countries where they would be more than glad to have the problems we are having in the European Union was a reminder on what is more and what is less important in Europe today:

It is of utmost importance not to forget those women and men who are fighting for democracy in countries where pluralist democracy is more a dream than a reality, and to treasure the freedom and liberty we are enjoying in our democracies (as much shortcomings they may have)!

Bomb blasts in Belarus

I know I am quite late but it took me three days to read that an explosion in Minsk/Belarus on Thursday (during the national independence day celebrations) hurt 50 people.

Belarus, the last complete dictatorship on the European continent, has not made itself heard through good news in the last decade and this explosion is a tragic confirmation of this rule.

In fact, as Die Presse remarks in an article, this is not only tragic for those injured by the blast but also for the desperate Belarussian opposition. Even though there are no blames for a political motivation of the attack, it will most probably be used to take a much tougher stand on regime critiques - especially to ensure that the upcoming presidential elections in September will not be "disturbed"...

Lukashenko, the dictatorial president, who already is the strong man of the country can now even better show how strong he really is.