UĦM Voice of the Workers eMagazine issue 23

VOICE OF THE

WORKERS ISSUE 23 June 2014

A Reformed Europe The people of Europe have spoken

Those who voted, those who didn’t; those who decided to vote for the mainstream formations and those who decided to give fringe parties their vote. Being right or wrong, fair or unfair, the wishes of the people need to be respected and heeded. However, the question is: What wishes?

Putting things into perspective, it is pertinent to point out that the moderate political formations still enjoy the trust of the majority of the European electorate. By and large, the dreams of Europe’s founding fathers of a strong and united Europe still stand. However, it would be naive not to perceive that this dream, or at least, the way it is being managed, is under attack.

Increasing numbers of people are feeling that the European Union is letting them down, and that things are not what they had initially bargained for. The economic situation in some member states is also an important contributor VOICE OF THE

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Contents Get the Message?

02

This is how Europe Voted

03

On Democracy and Compromise

05

European Parliament Elections 2014 - Now What?

07

Shaping Europe’s Future

08

News and Analysis

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Editor’s note josef Vella

to this unease. Moreover, the people worst affected believe that belt tightening measures are squeezing the life out of any hope of economic recovery. Frightening levels of unemployment, especially youth unemployment, are contributing to a general feeling that politics is letting people down.

The recent anniversary of D-day is a stark reminder of where the European Union was a mere seventy years ago. We have come a long way since. Peace, individual liberties, environmental protection, free movement of citizens, culture, 1

editorial/picture story

transport and technological advances and international credibility, are a few of the fantastic achievements of the European Union over these years. it would be a pity, indeed a tragedy, if all this were to be dismantled and forgotten.

The UHM, together with other constituted bodies, lobbied hard in favour of Malta being part of the European Union, precisely because it firmly believes in the principles forming the basis of the European ideal. However, not all is right. We need to wake up to the pressing need for the EU leadership to be more in tune with the aspirations

and needs of the people. The EU needs to be proactive, rather than reactive to the changes happening within and outside of it. It needs to be more flexible, cutting down the inefficiencies that hold it back.

It is useless being satisfied with achievements with regards to workers’ rights, for example, when huge crowds of workers cannot go to work each day; when swift changes to the labour market are not met by swift and assertive decision making.

Winston Churchill once said: “The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.” It would be

counter-productive, however, to underestimate to voters’ messages.

Voting patterns across Europe should be an opportunity to seize the moment and make the necessary reforms, seek more consensus, and prove to people that what has been built till now, which is far from perfect, is in a process of making people at the centre of its core activities. This can only work through the direct and constructive input of all involved; where the common good becomes more important than narrow-minded selfinterest. If we really believe in a free, peaceful, united Europe, we all need to roll up our sleeves, and be the change we would like to see.

Get the message?

Across Europe, people voted to elect their representatives to the European Parliament. Unprecedented voting patterns and a larger portion of the electorate refraining from casting their vote, the European Union faces an uphill struggle to become more relevant and positive. European leaders need to take the eurosceptic and far-right vote not as a threat, but as an opportunity to push on with the necessary reforms and make Europe work more for Europeans. Rather than a victory for fringe parties, this election needs to provide the necessary impetus to build a more proactive and successful Europe.

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Feature story

4.26%

EFD - Europe of Freedom and Democracy Group - 32 Seats

7.46%

Others - Newly elected Members not allied to any of the political groups set up in the outgoing Parliament - 56 Seats

5.46%

NI - Members not belonging to any political group - 41 seats

29.43%

5.99%

Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) - 221 seats

This is how Europe voted

GUE/NGL - European United Left/Nordic Green Left - 45 seats

6.92%

Greens/EFA - The Greens/European Free Alliance - 52 seats

7.32%

ECR - European Conservatives and Reformists - 55 seats

7.86%

ALDE - Alliance for Liberals and Democrats for Europe - 59 Seats

There are a total of

751 seats

25.3%

S&D - Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament - 190 Seats

in the EP

In

r te

g tin s e

St ion t c E le

cs atisti

Turnout was

43.09%

in EUrope Belgium had the

highest turnout at 90%

It is compulsory to vote there

Minimum age of candidates

in Malta is 18.

In Italy, Greece and Cyprus it is 25

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Slovakia had the

Malta had 74.81% turnout a decrease from the 82.39% in 2004 and the 78.79% in 2009

To be recognised as a group,

one has to have at least 25 MEPS and have members representing one-quarter of member states

lowest-ever turnout at just 13% This is an all-time record

Germany has the largest amount of seats in the European Parliament, 96

Malta has 6 seats.

Same as Estonia, Cyprus & Luxembourg

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Feature story

Š European Union 2014 - European Parliament

Election night and post-election night

for more photos visit our flickr gallery http://tinyurl.com/otrhkef VOICE OF THE

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Behind the scenes on election night

This short video clip shows some of the preparations held to keep Europe and the world informed of how people voted. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRtUoviZHQU 4

On Democracy and Compromise Interview Dr Peter Agius, Head of the European Parliament Office in Malta

How has the European political landscape changed after the European elections?

The novel element in this election was the fact that for the first time the result ought to have a bearing on the choice of the President of the European Commission to succeed Jose’ Manuel Barroso.

This meant that the European political parties nominated their own candidates for this post.

Jean-Claude Juncker (form the European People’s Party) and Martin Schulz (from the Socialists and Democrats) have somewhat become household names. In my view this enhanced the European dimension of these elections.

Having said that, as we speak negotiations are still ongoing on who shall ultimately fill the EU’s top posts. In any case, this development moved another step towards a further democratisation of Europe, which is often criticised for being managed by nonelected people. It is not the case: the European Parliament – the members of which are directly elected – are those in charge of VOICE OF THE

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changing and adopting European laws affecting the lives of the 500 million EU citizens, including the Maltese.

Secondly, we have seen the widely reported increase in MEPs pertaining to non-mainstream, sometimes extreme, political groups. Needless to say that there is a message the EU needs to take heed of. I dare to say that voter apathy across Europe contributes to this kind of result, even though the trend of decreasing turnout figures hasn›t gone further down this time round.

What in your view, will this landscape bring to the way Europe decides on different issues?

One has to see the overall composition of the European Parliament. The mainstream groups remain in much larger numbers. Yet, they would need to work more together to get things done. That means that in particular the centre-left, the centre-right, the Greens,

Interview MEUSAC

and the Liberals need to form different degrees of cooperation depending on the subject matter at hand. Europe needs to work effectively more than ever to make sure that it makes the most of the current signs of post-crisis recovery.

With scepticism on the rise, and the United Kingdom vying for a referendum on membership, can the European Union maintain the unity it has achieved so far?

The EU epitomises compromise.

It has a lot of ups and downs along the way, but there is a general acceptance that it contributed to peace and wellbeing. The EU is not a finished product. Far from it. It is conceived to be an ongoing process that adapts according to the needs and priorities of its peoples. This is what I hope we will be able to do in the coming years.

On the specific UK question, the feeling in political circles is best expressed in a statement

by Herman Van Rompuy who described the political developments in the UK ‹like seeing a friend go alone in the desert›. Beyond the internal UK question which needs to be answered mainly by UK politics, the main question for the EU would be whether it is ready to pay the costs of differentiated integration required for an 5

interview MEUSAC

acceptable relationship with the UK. Another wider question for the EU is whether the model proposed by the UK, hence that of scaling down the EU›s ambitions on non-core areas, would correspond better with the current appetite of several other Member States in the Union right now.

Do you think that there is a danger that discussion on the future of the European Union might derail attention on other pressing issues, such as the economy and employment?

Some think it’s the opposite!

That we’ve been taken by the economic woes while losing sight of the long-term strategic direction of the Union. Economic wellbeing remains top of the agenda, as it concerns each and every one of us. Yet, a balance is to be struck. There are also other priorities that need to be tackled – migration policy is one of them.

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With the current scenario, do you see any light at the end of the tunnel?

We are not in a tunnel and I see a lot of light coming from many directions anyway! Be it simplification of business rules, public procurement, worker safety, environmental standards, consumer protection, internet freedom or immigration, the EU is doing significant inroads everyday, big leap after big leap. In the last two years alone the European Parliament has passed novel legislation in all the areas mentioned above and that legislation has all the potential to unblock areas of growth in the member states and tap on the huge potential of the single market. And yet, the EU is pictured as in constant crises in the media, where Merkel decides and the rest dance to the tune, where Member States collide in a paralysis on economic and immigration policy amongst others. Nothing is further from the truth. Brussels is

the city where political initiatives that were perceived as impossible 10 years ago are now coming true.

Where dialogue is the norm and compromise is unstoppable. Where a Union faced with the biggest threat to economic and monetary stability has found structural ways to save Greece, the euro and a number of other economies in the meanwhile. Where a policy which basically did not exist up til 10 years ago(immigration) is now in rapid progression in the shaping of funding, operational and policy instruments.

Put in perspective and given reasonable time the Union is a true conveyor of solutions to national governments and to their citizens. This is the plain truth. But is that worth shouting about? That depends on subjective perspectives and interests.

Dr. Agius was interviewed

by John Mallia

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MEUSAC

European Parliament Elections 2014

Now what?

The European elections have come and gone and with them the 751 elected Members of the European Parliament (EP) got their seat for the next five years For the first time, following the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, the European Council will have to take into consideration the results of the European elections when nominating the new presidency of the European Commission – and the nomination has to be approved by the EP. The voter turnout in previous EP elections has had a tendency to be on the low side and this year was nothing different. The EU average turnout was 43.09% (45.47% in 2004). Even in Malta, which usually registers the highest voter turnout in the EU, there has been a lower turnout - 74.81% (82.39% in 2004).

Another major difference in these elections has been the surge

in anti-establishment voting in Britain, France, Belgium, Greece, and Denmark and these have been making gains in several other countries too, including Malta. Consequently, Political Groups in the EP have seen losses, however both the European People’s Party and the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats remain the two largest Groups within the EP with 214 seats (28.5%) and 191 seats (25.43%) respectively. Other seats are as follows: The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe - 64 seats, The Greens/ European Free Alliance – 52, European Conservatives and Reformists – 46, European United Left/Nordic Green Left – 45, Europe of Freedom and Democracy Group – 38, Non-

attached Members (Members not belonging to any political group) – 41, and Others - 60 seats (These have to either join the established groups or form new ones). The official political groups forming the EP should be created by late June in time for the first plenary session on July 1. A political group in the EP must consist of at least 25 members coming from a quarter of the Member States.

In Malta the MEPs elected were Alfred Sant, Miriam Dalli and Marlene Mizzi for the Labour Party and Roberta Metsola, Therese Comodini Cachia and David Casa for the Nationalist Party. The Maltese MEPs will form part of the European People’s Party and the Socialists and Democrats in the EP.

MEUSAC 280 Republic Street, Valletta VLT 1112 Tel: +356 2200 3315 • Fax: +356 2200 3329 • Email: info.meusac@gov.mt www.meusac.gov.mt VOICE OF THE

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Shaping

MCESD

Europe’s Future The European Parliament Elections are a sign of a democratic Europe. The past months have been characterised by these elections and now Europe has chosen its representatives. Malta has 6 representatives within the Parliament. Throughout the years, even though the number of MEPs is relatively small compared to other countries’ representation the elected members have still managed to put Malta’s challenges and ideas at the forefront of the European agenda.

MCESD would like to congratulate the newly elected MEPs and encourages them to keep in contact with the Council.

The previous members of European Parliament and the then candidates for the election had been invited for an MCESD

meeting wherein Social Partners discussed their concerns and wishes for the next European Parliament legislature. An MCESD meeting proposed by the European Parliament office and involving MEPs and nine election candidates as well as all the Social Partners with a focus on employment and the challenges of the European Union took place. MCESD found this to be a particularly useful way to put together the European and local Social and economic issues to the benefit of the social partners and the MEPs alike. Furthermore, some of the European Parliament Candidates also attended a Gozo Regional Committee meeting wherein the members present could voice their concerns to the prospective MEPs, ensuring that whoever is elected also keeps

MCESD 280/3, Republic Street, Valletta, VLT1112 Tel: (+356) 2200 3300 www.mcesd.org.mt

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the sister island at the forefront of their work.

Europe has had a tough five years with recession and austerity at the forefront of European politics and this has led to a low voter turnout and it seems that the trend across the EU countries is that voters decided to cut off their support to mainstream parties. Malta had one of the highest turnouts of voters for the MEP elections and this shows that Maltese want to be part of the shaping of Europe’s future.

Important decisions lie ahead within the European Union and the newly elected MEPs will soon start their work for a better and improved Europe.

MCESD looks forward to further cooperation with the European Parliament Office in Malta as well as the elected MEPs for the benefit of all.

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CIA

News and analysis European election night video from the European Parliament - as it happened : https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=c4464TvLT90#t=92

Follow all the results, information, quotes and videos on the website of the elections: http://electionsnight2014.eu/

ETUC Press release on European elections: for citizens the crisis is not over http://tinyurl.com/kw3zzov

Video

European Parliament: Results of the 2014 European elections The 2014 European Elections are now over. Europe has spoken and the final details are gradually added to the picture of the results. The political balance in the European Parliament, the political families the members belong to and the parliamentary groups, new and old, they will join or form is now emerging and will also be decisive in the choice of president of the European Commission.

In the frame of the campaign ACT. REACT. IMPACT. please share your opinion on European elections here: https://www.youtube.com/user/ EuropeanParliament

Press release

News and Informative sources

Going to the polls is the central aspect of any democracy. News and analysis on the European Parliament elections abound. This information has been collected by the Brussels Office of the Confederazione Italiana Agricoltori

The page to check the results of the elections by Country: http://tinyurl.com/kcz3gzr

Elections night is over: what follows?

The European elections are now behind us, but many questions have yet to be answered. The next few days should cast more light on who will be the next Commission president and which political groups will find common ground to shape the agenda of the new Parliament. Here is a brief look at what comes next: http://tinyurl.com/q5wkz2b

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Video

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