Reconnecting the people with Europe

MERCATOR Working Track 2 (2016)

There is an urgent need to reconnect the European idea to both political elites and citizens in order to renew a sense of ownership of the European project. A joint European narrative is needed to support the European integration process. Our workshop provided MPs with the chance to explore why and how we need to reconnect people with the EU, what role civil society, education and mobility initiatives and programs can play and how communicating better can help to achieve this purpose. The goals of the workshop were to explore, reflect and analyze what can be done at EU and national levels to reconnect citizens with the European project with the help of Education, Mobility and Civil Society programs and a better or renewed communication strategy. The group was an optimal size to allow and stimulate an open, deep, profound and trusting conversation. The conversations were facilitated by Peter Woodward. The 34 MPs gathered in Berlin in September 2015 for the first ‘Mercator European Dialogue’ agreed to continue working on four strategic lines: EU Global Strategy; Reconnecting the people with Europe; Sustainable Development in Europe; and Refugees and Migration. This workshop developed the working track of Reconnecting the people with Europe and was held in Barcelona on March 4, 2016.