Putting trust in the people

Addressing the Economic and Social Committee of the Committee of the Regions of the European Union earlier this week when bringing to the vote my opinion on the issue of non-discrimination, equal opportunities and the implementation of the principle of equal treatment between persons within the European Union, I had the opportunity to state my case that the people of Europe will never fully embrace the European project unless and until they become convinced that those responsible for the development of politics at European level are acting to safeguard their rights and interests to the full.

I believe that the element of trust is fundamental towards achieving the goal of having a strong, stable, and just European economy. In my view this is what distinguishes us today from the hollow sounds of some governments who, against the background of a hard economic and social reality, are predicting a quick turn around by the end of this year and who continue to sustain a system that has failed us badly, especially those who need to earn a living through employment.

This is not to say that a financial formula is not needed to help us through this crisis but it is not the magic wand that many make it out to be. I am concerned that the stimulus packages geared solely at creating demand for the sake of creating employment will turn out to be half baked solutions, completely focused on managing the crisis without giving due attention to the long-term investment needed in solutions that avoid such a situation from repeating itself.

Let's be clear, social cohesion is not only about material elements or that material elements alone are enough for social cohesion. Social cohesion is about the capacity of society to ensure the welfare of all its members, minimising disparities and avoiding polarisation. There is no doubt in my mind that one of the main reasons why social cohesion in Europe is at stake is because policies have tended to pay little attention to social factors and the social infrastructure such as issues of diversity, changing values, demographic change and economic and social change.

I believe that with the necessary goodwill we can achieve a paradigm shift from blind trust in the market forces by placing trust in people. In other words, a shift from the absolute trust in the power of money to a trust in the power of reason.

It is my view that cohesion, whether economic, social, or indeed political, lies at the heart of the European project. A cohesive society, that is able to sustain itself needs to have policies and measures that are designed, developed and managed to promote active participation and full integration of all member of society, in the political, economic and social processes. This needs to be done irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, religion, race or physical or economic abilities.

This is precisely why I have decided to contest for a seat on the European Parliament, believing that with the European Parliament being the only directly elected of the European institutions, it is the institution that is has greatest legitimacy but also at the same time the greatest responsibility to ensue that the issues that are on the people's mind are being addressed by the European institutions.