Valinakis urges European "demos"

Iannis G. Valinakis (Deputy Greek Foreign Minister) spoke of a crisis of confidence in the EU and also urged greater proximity to the EU's citizens. Europe was not faced with the challenge of building a union of strong nations, but of developing a union of citizens, a European "demos", in which all voices can be heard. In this context, the subsidiarity principle could be very useful for involving citizens in the decision-making process. Valinakis advocated special measures for structurally-disadvantaged regions and added that borders should not be viewed as fortress walls but rather as bridges which provide an opportunity to work together. He wished to see the principle "think global, act local" applied most of all to the areas of energy, the environment and tourism.