Maltese citizens make their voices heard at conference on the future of the EU
People from all over Europe have come together in recent months to discuss the future of the continent and among them were four Maltese who participated after unexpectedly receiving a call inviting them to join us.
The Conference for the Future of Europe, currently underway, brings together some 800 citizens chosen at random from the different Member States who then have the opportunity to discuss the challenges and priorities of the continent.
Among the participants are four Maltese between the ages of 18 and 65 who have traveled to Strasbourg in recent months to participate in weekend sessions where they discussed various topics.
The three European institutions – the Parliament, the Council and the Commission – have undertaken to listen to Europeans and to follow up, in their field of competence, to the recommendations made at the conference.
The aim is for the conclusions of the various sessions to be finalized by spring 2022.
But is it all a big show?
All four Maltese participants said they initially doubted the exercise, although they were more convinced after participating in the first session.
One of the attendees, Massimo Cherret, 18, admitted that when he first received the call about the conference, he was “skeptical” and did not know if the conference would actually be “successful”.
“Before this experience, I had not been involved in anything like this and, although European affairs have always piqued my interest, I was hesitant and unsure of the opportunities open to me as a Maltese citizen,” said he declared.
“Overall, however, it was an exciting experience that contributed to my personal growth and independence.
“The conference was extremely compelling. There was a notable emphasis on our voice as heard citizens, ”added Cherret.
Likewise, another participant, Ernest Spiteri Gonzi, called the conference a “unique” experience.
Although he attended large-scale meetings while working as an accountant in the past, interacting with some 200 Europeans was an entirely new and different experience for the 65-year-old.
“The conference was very interesting because, during these three days, you met a lot of people from Europe and discussed together the problems of our countries and, in the meantime, made new friends.
“It was three hectic days where you have to discipline yourself to give yourself 100%. I really enjoyed participating in the workshops in particular, ”said Spiteri Gonzi.
Yet although Maltese participants claimed their voices were heard, sources from the European Parliament in Strasbourg said not everyone was so convinced.
They told The Times of Malta that while it seemed like a lot of time and effort was being spent on the conference, the actual impact it would have was still unclear.
The sources also questioned the institutions’ commitment, saying some of the issues discussed had been on the table for years and yet were never addressed.
Another source pointed out that some MEPs also questioned the purpose of the conference, saying they had been elected to serve as the voice of citizens and, therefore, that such an exercise was not necessary.
However, the two other Maltese conference participants, Claudia Finocchiaro and Liam Tanti, who joined the final session, said that while the process is still in its early stages, the experience has been
particularly fruitful for those coming from small Member States like Malta.
Although they initially feared that they would find it difficult to share their views, believing their concerns to be unique to Malta, they were surprised to learn that others from different countries held similar beliefs.
Many of their concerns were also shared.
“Take migration, for example. We find that although there may be different opinions, the concerns and issues are similar, so we can relate to each other, ”said Finocchiaro, 18, after one of the sessions.
The sentiment was even stronger when the teams discussed climate change, she said, with many saying the problem could only be properly addressed if member states were as one.
“Regarding climate change and the carbon footprint, everyone was saying the same thing and it is that at the moment the EU is sort of divided and we have to be a little more united”, she declared.
Like Cherret, Tanti was skeptical of the pre-trip process, especially since participants are selected at random and have no prior experience in any of the areas discussed.
But after the first session, which aimed to lay the groundwork for the other two to be held in the coming months, Tanti realized that he was now eager to come back to continue discussing and formulating ideas with the rest. some participants.
What happens next?
Now that the first round of four sessions is over, the same groups will meet again to resume talks.
While the first sessions were held in Strasbourg, the second sessions will take place in a remote format over a weekend.
The third and final panel sessions will take place in person in various
institutions, namely: the Institute of International and European Affairs in Dublin, the European University Institute in Florence, the College of Europe in Natolin (Warsaw) and the European Institute of Public Administration clairin Maastricht.
All European citizens’ panels will take place over the same overall period, from autumn 2021 to spring 2022.
After this process, the recommendations will be presented to the EU institutions.
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