Together

Last weekend I was promoting the S&D for the upcoming election and there I realised that many especially young people were not interested in voting at all. We have to make clear that democracy is about everyone and that every single vote is important. Especially, when it comes to Europe many people think that they have no influence. We have to put the finger onto their open wounds and tell them why they are voting. The EU builds bridges and provides peace. My generation did not grow up with war due to this Union. I think we should not just throw it away as I believe that the EU has much potential.

In my opinion, the growing Euroscepticism requires a faster and more assertive response. Adding an electoral link between the population and the European Commission may be the most effective method of reversing the mentioned disbelief. The European executive chief, the President of the Commission, is seen as one of the main faces of the project and therefore should be more accountable for it. An elected President of the European Commission would share the responsiveness burden with the European Parliament, would become directly scrutinized by the people for its political actions and would have superior arguments when forced to negotiate. By promoting this bond, citizens would be re-engaged in European politics: more interest, participation, commitment and belief, less populism and nationalist rhetoric. The European Union cannot avoid to address these problems; and the best way to tackle them is by bring the citizens back into European politics and give them voice

Voting directly European Parties and not the symbols of national parties may help Europeans feel closer to EU and its politics. A campaign made by the European parties on concrete themes may also change the way people consider the EU.