| Brussel-Stad laagste score registratie Europeanen voor de lokale verkiezingen |
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| 05-07-2006 | |
 Sinds het jaar 2000 kunnen EU-burgers deelnemen aan de lokale verkiezingen in België - dus ook in Brussel. Ze moeten zich enkel registreren door een simpel papiertje in te vullen en dit gehandtekend opsturen naar hun gemeente vóór 31 juli. En vandaag hebben nog maar 1000 onder hen dat gedaan. Triest.In Brussel-Stad wonen er ongeveer 20.000 EU-burgers. Velen onder hen zijn de zogenaamde "eurocraten", actief in of rond de Europese politiek. Je zou denken dat die mensen het nut en belang inzien en zich registreren om te gaan stemmen. Maar niets is minder waar. Vandaag zijn er slechts een 1000-tal onder hen geregistreerd. Waar ligt de fout? Zowel het Gewest als de Stad hebben een heuse PR campagne opgezet. Elke EU-burger kreeg een persoonlijke brief in de bus, maar het heeft niet gebaat. Of liever, nog niet. Want ze hebben nog tijd tot 31 juli 2006. De vraag is enkel of de stadsdiensten wel zullen kunnen volgen als ze massaal veel brieven krijgen op 31 juli 2006. Maar dat zien we dan wel. Wat belangrijker is, is dat de "expats" nu overtuigd moeten worden om hun democratisch recht te gebruiken. Hieronder kan je een brief vinden, geschreven door Sofia Asteriadi (Griekse) en Despina Vassaliadou (Cypriote). Ze halen aan dat de "expats" niet enkel moeten zagen en klagen maar moeten meedoen. Ook ik probeer om mijn collega's in het Europees Parlement te overtuigen maar het is niet gemakkelijk. Het argument dat je het vaakste hoort is de angst of zelfs afkeer van de stemplicht. Dat zijn ze niet gewoon in de rest van Europa. En ja, wat kan je daar opzeggen? Dat er niet veel controles gebeuren? Dat zou triest zijn. Nee, ik kan enkel zeggen dat dat nu eenmaal de Belgische keuze is. Te nemen of te laten.Maar ook dat het belangrijk is want Brussel is ook hun Stad. We zullen zien wat dat oplevert... Brussels just for fun? article in Parliament Magazine by Despina Vassiliadou and Sofia Asteriadi 05/07/2006 The FIFA World Cup reveals once more the charm of "our city", Brussels. Except maybe those following the Mundial live in Germany, nowhere else on the planet people have so much fun as we do, here: watching every game surrounded by supporters of all different teams turns the hall into a big party. Friends in our home countries could never understand why the game between France and Spain was so exciting for a Slovak or a Portuguese and why everybody working in the Parliament had to run to Place du Luxembourg to watch Germany against Argentina… isn't this a Germany-Argentina affair only? Well, no, it isn't, not in Brussels: every game is a reason to celebrate or suffer, to tease each other, divided always into strange mixed compositions of supporters, to have fun and enjoy every game. Because of the fact that the European Institutions are based here this city has a unique multi-cultural and pan-European profile that charms everyone arriving here. This small capital, previously considered as the cloudy, not-so-exciting neighbor of Paris, Amsterdam and London provokes passionate feelings. Indeed, Brussels is the city that many love to hate; the only European city where practically nobody feels like a foreigner. Still, this feeling that in a way we belong here and Brussels belong to all of us, has to be reflected to our political behaviour . The local elections which will take place in October of this year are an ideal opportunity to express this political behavior. Even though Brussels is home to thousands of politically aware, socially responsible young Europeans, very few choose to vote in the local Brussels communes we live in. While European democracy struggles to find its relevance to our everyday lives, we seem to be distanced from the level of political debate that has arguably the largest impact on their daily lives. It is true that we are being put off voting by the language barrier and the complex registration process. Actually not more than 10% of non-Belgian EU citizens are expected to vote in these elections. The right to all EU citizens to vote in the local elections of the Member State in which they live is enshrined in the Treaties. Voting in Belgium is our chance to make active European citizenship work at the heart of Europe. We have no right anymore to criticise things that we don't like, no right to claim that many things should be organised better. Because now we have the right to choose the candidates whom we prefer, who have similar visions for the city as we do, whose proposals we prefer. Voting, we must remember, is not only a right but an obligation in a democracy. There are many things that could turn this city even more beautiful than it already is. The renovation and the lighting of the fantastic, but forgotten, buildings in underdeveloped areas for example. Downtown could be cleaner, for sure. Pollution –this bright gray-pink cloud we can see from our offices in the Parliament whenever there is no wind- could be reduced. Bureaucracy in the municipalities and police services should urgently be affronted. We could mention thousands of areas where we want answers and solutions. As assistants we have an additional interest in these elections as we are currently faced with various problems regarding our status and rights in Belgium. Problems, that we could be addressed with the right choice of candidates. The services of the European Parliament have already been quite active in trying to help us register for these elections, for example by setting up information desks during lunch brakes and putting up information on the intranet. All we have to do is listen to the candidates for the local elections and to choose with responsibility among their propositions. Our participation in the local elections is the minimum required by us. |