Mário Soares on the significance of the upcoming European Parliament elections

Writing in the daily Diário de Notícias Portugal's former head of state Mário Soares stresses the importance of the upcoming elections to the European Parliament: "Voter turnout for the EU Parliament elections has never been as high as for national elections in individual EU states. This is because European voters have not been involved in the EU's decision-making, and the concept of a strong sense of European citizenship has not been promoted. EU citizens show little interest in what goes on in the European Parliament and European Commission because they lack information about the tasks of MEPs and the members of the Commission. I hope that in the upcoming elections to the European Parliament the member states finally initiate a serious debate about the future of the Union and agree on a strategy for preventing the break-up of the EU (a threat that is hanging over our heads at present). In addition, political institutions must be founded that can make the EU a global player with an important role in today's world. If we fail to achieve this the decline of the EU and all its member states is inevitable. Germany and France are largely responsible for the current situation and can't lay the blame elsewhere."

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