A survey among participants shows that the participants’ opinions about the initiative differ widely. From “I don’t feel comfortable” to “It’s good to be here”.
People were unexpectedly invited to participate. Also Huub Verhoeven (24) from Arnhem. “I got a random phone call and was asked to participate in this. At first I thought it was fake.” Verhoeven checked it and discovered that it was a serious request.
He is moderately enthusiastic about the conference. Previously, Verhoeven was not politically engaged, but that has changed. He now has the feeling that he can have a say in important topics.
Intimidated
Ymare van Halen-Van der Sluis (37), entrepreneur and mother of 4, is considerably less enthusiastic about the panels. “I am an ambassador in a working group, but politicians only hold monologues and we are not listened to at all.”
At one of the first meetings, in Strasbourg, she felt completely uneasy and even intimidated. Verhoeven recognizes this, but did see a major improvement in the conferences that followed.
Commissioner Dubravka Šuica, also present in Maastricht, hopes that the event will bring the EU closer to the citizens. “We want to be enriched with the ideas of the citizens. That is what this conference is about,” says Šuica.
“I hope that the participants will see their recommendations again and find that they can do something about European policy from the bottom up.”
The panelists will meet again at the end of February, in Dublin. After that, the citizens’ conclusions will be pooled and it will be up to the EU countries and the European Parliament to consider them. It will therefore be some time before anything is done with the ideas of the citizens.
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