DE:
#52 | Martin S. (Aachen) am 19-05-2009 10:56
I have heard there is a website called tellBarroso.eu, which gives every Eu-citizen the opportunity to contact the President of the commission personally. Barroso asks following important question: „How can the EU improve your life?” I think, I’d said: Mr. Barroso, promote initiatives like this one, because finally I am able to speak with other Europeans!”

DE:
#53 | Marta am 19-05-2009 11:19
I think this is only a further step towards demonstrating a little closeness to the citizens. Maybe this helps anyone to write something, but I do not really feel addressed. Nevertheless (or anyway) José Manuel Barroso has a good chance to become the presidents of the EU Commission for a second term, because the conservative European Party EPP-ED, the biggest fraction in the European Parliament, wants to keep him for 5 more years. If the EPP-ED remains after the European Elections in June as strong as now, Barroso doesn’t have to care for anything anymore. I will give my vote for EPP-ED. Even though in my opinion the European politics are not close enough to the citizens. First I thought, this is one of the EU-projects, but it seems to be another initiative. I think it’s important to involve everyone into a political talk, no matter if the people know a lot or nothing about the topic. We need the ideas of all the people – only then we are able to realize the true vision of the EU.

DE:
#54 | Ronny am 19-05-2009 11:31
Mr. Barroso is emphasizing the democratic element in the EU, but at the same time he lacks closeness to the citizens. The things I wrote about here I hardly notice in my everyday life. Europe sometimes comes to the people, represents itself and that’s it. We remain standing in our place, they remain in their position. There are not enough connection between politics and the European citizens. The power of Europe should not only consist in reasonable politics of each country but should prevalently be the possibility of communication between the citizens and the politicians and the citizens among each other.

DE:
#55 | Katha am 19-05-2009 13:26
The Social Democratic European Party (SPE) does not want to support him for that. Also an adjustment? We must go and vote, then we will be able to influence, who will become the EC-President. I keep my fingers crossed for Barroso, he seems to know what he wants and is an open man. These characteristics I can also see in Anna’s article.

I don’t know much about Barroso, his criticism of Russia's human right and the last fire in Brussels are facts I know spontaneously. European election is my choice? I don’t believe it. I just want to know new people. I don't like politicians and their propaganda.

PL:
#60 | Jacek dnia 20.05.2009 10:43
The European political parties work hard on it that European election won’t work out. There is indeed political campaign, but nobody knows for whom and it’s in a shadow. There aren’t any right arguments just „Go voting“ (What argument is it???) and „We are EU so go voting“ (We are longer Polish people and election’s frequence isn’t so high either). The discussion full with arguments is missing. The minimal parts of a debate with Mrs. Hubner (which is shown in TVN) shows politicians present willingness to a dialog sometimes, but it’s too rarely. And some politicians aren’t interested in explaining political things to citizens. If even politicians use European Parliament as a waiting room before coming back to Polish policy, than people aren’t more interested in fates of politicians in Brussels. And so there is Union itself, there are we ourselves and there is lack of motivation on both sides. It was written down here well. The Union is too far away and too strange to citizens.

PL:
#62 | Marcin dnia 20.05.2009 11:37
Decide in which direction Europe is going to go! Yes, of course! Suddenly politicians remember themselves about us.

DE:
#59 | Mark am 20-05-2009 22:07
This year`s main topic of the Regional Agency for Civic Education (Landeszentrale für politische Bildung) is called “2009 – Vote”. I was more convinced by the old campaign that used the slogan “Vote – You can`t be heared without a voice.” At least this slogan lets me see why to vote. Until now I don`t really know how I benefit from voting? What happens if there is nobody who represents my interests and puts them to practice? I rather vote to get a person or a party out of the parliament. But this is not a long-term solution, is it?

DE:
#61 | Sarah am 21-05-2009 11:54
I am at least convinced of this argumentation: if I don`t vote, the right-wing extremists will get stronger and I don`t want that. That is why I vote. Everything else is better then the right-wing extremists.