As a part of the United States of Europe exhibition, presented in Brussels between April 19 and May 26, we hereby invite you to the debate “Europe, the politicians and the people: confidence and commitment?”.
This debate offers an opportunity for EU officials and local politicians from Brussels to meet citizens in the heart of the European capital.
The travelling exhibition project United States of Europe was born out of the low turnout rate in the 2009 European Parliament elections. Was this symptomatic of citizens’ low confidence in the EU? Why did people not care about European citizenship?
This debate will analyse the reasons of the big gap between EU institutions and citizens. Do local issues and policies with direct impact on people’s life matter to people the most? And how are European initiatives and policies communicated to the citizens? Do citizens believe that their voices are heard?Both panel groups are given the same amount of time to talk and the dynamics between the panels and the audience will be essential.
Participants
On the politician panel
- Jimmy Jamar, head of the representation of the European Commission in Belgium
- Doris Pack – MEP, Christian democrat
- Jane Morrice, vice president, European Economic and Social Committee
- Christos Doulkeridis, Minister President for the French Speaking Community
- One person from the City of Brussels
On the citizen panel
- Six representatives for the Brussels citizens will be chosen.
These persons will come from different communities and they will have different life experience. The names will be revealed one week before the debate.
Moderators:
- Robert van de Roer (journalist, diplomatic expert, moderator, Netherlands)
- Eric Russon (journalist and TV presenter for “Cinquante degrés nord”, Belgium)
U.S.E is presented in Brussels from the 18th of April to the 26th of May 2013 atDe Markten, Tour&Taxis, Goethe-Institut and Carrefour de l’Europe.
The project:
- Examines today's Europe
- Promotes an active citizenship
- Promotes synergies between politics and art
- Creates a communication platform for citizens in order to make voices heard
- Tries to embrace a large audience, not only the art elite
For more information please have a look at:
http://www.go-use.eu/en/debates.html
http://www.go-use.eu/en/exhibitions/brussels.html
http://www.go-use.eu/en/press.html
To register for the debate, please send an e-mail to: contact@go-use.eu. Please specify the names and the number of persons attending.
U.S.E is a European collaboration project, coordinated by the Goethe-Institut Paris and ten other partners: AIDA, association for artistic development, Belgium; L’art au Quotidien, France; the University of Lodz, Poland; the Lasipalatsi Film and Media Centre, Finland; The Red House, Bulgaria; the Centre of Culture and Art Initiatives, Lithuania; The Pharos Arts Foundation, Cyprus; Transforma, Portugal; Cork Vision Centre and the National Sculpture Factory, Ireland. The debate is realized in collaboration with the Representation of the European Commission in Belgium. This work programme has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may made of the information contained therein.