European transnational campaigning - ‘citizens initiative’

in the new EU- treaty (Art.11.4)National Democracies & transnational structures +

Democracies in the practical test

A contribution to the EAPC Conference “The challenge of Campaigning in tomorrow’s Europe”

by Andreas Gross (Switzerland)Director of the Scientific Institute for Direct Democracy in St.Ursanne

Swiss MP & Leader of the Socialdemocrats in the PACE

Zuerich, 7th of May2009

www.andigross.ch info@andigross.ch

Soon citizens will have the right for “European transnational

campaigning” - following the new article 11.4 of the Lisbon Treaty

• No concrete utopian idea anymore - but the first transnational participatorial right for 1 Million of Europeans !• The European Parliament was ready to share it’s power with 1 Million of citizens• Already a product of 20 years of citizen’s campaigning

The double crises of Democracy means:- Democracy is too representative

- Democracy is too national

1. We have to open indirect democracy with direct democratic instruments:

• Citizen initiated referenda on laws decided by MP’s• Citizen initiated referenda on constitutional or

legislative reform-propositions

2. We have to trans-nationalize democracy:

• European Constitution making with a mandatory European Referendum

• Citizen initiated European Reform-Propositions to the EU-Com and EP

The EP understands the new right The EP understands the new right “as a new instrument to strengthen the democracy within the EU” and and

as as “ a first step towards a transnational Direct Democracy”

Transnational Direct Democracy is possible ! Size matters, but is not a impossible obstacle. “A common demos” is not the condition, but a

fruit of a common democracy,a common constitution !

Many European citizens share the concerns of Swiss citizens...

But “size matters”:The bigger the space and the people

to be included in a democracy the more you need ways to prevent freedom to become a privilege !

The capacity to campaign has to be guaranteed for all:

The free gathering of 10’000 signatures from five countries qualifies a initiative committee to get vouchers for:

Translations Websites Printing European Gatherings Train and flights for meetings

A well designed Direct Demo-A well designed Direct Demo-cracy (DD) produces exactly cracy (DD) produces exactly what the EU needs most ! what the EU needs most !

Reduction of the distance between citizens and polity (less alienation)

Participation produces a sense of belonging (Identification, common transnational identity building)

More public debates (Transnational public sphere) More knowledge and collective learning process A dose of DD helps to built the conditions to

strengthen transnational democracy (“Transnational Demos”)