Voorzitter EP zet zich in voor hogere opkomst verkiezingen (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Pat Cox, President of the European Parliament, currently has two big campaigns on his hands: keeping the Parliament's powers in the new EU Constitution and raising public awareness ahead of the parliamentary elections in June next year.

In an interview with the EUobserver, the Irish Liberal, in power since the beginning of 2002, demonstrates that he is confident he will manage both.

He has reacted angrily to recent attempts by EU finance ministers to take away the power of his "House", as he likes to call it, to have the final say on the EU budget.

"The power of the Parliament over the purse is central to democracy and we are not prepared to let this pass".

He said that the finance ministers' plans, announced unilaterally and out of the blue some weeks ago, would mean that the Parliament would be ignored.

"And this they call democracy. This they call accountability", he said dismissively.

"I have been in Germany last week and the Netherlands earlier this week ... and I am reassured that the governments will be backing our position in substance on most of the questions and that the finance ministers will be `thanks very much for their interest in this but no thank you'".

The first genuine European elections?

Although this is an important battle, Mr Cox is perfectly well aware that an equally big battle lies just around the corner - raising the miserable turnout (average 39.4%) at the last European elections in 1999.

He believes that the June 2004 poll, could be the first genuine European elections given the nature of the trans-national debate in recent months on the EU Constitution, on the war in Iraq and on enlargement.

But he also knows it will have to be worked at. Early next year, says Mr Cox, he will get in touch with the people responsible for planning and designing the campaigns in the 25 member states - it is about creating "internal responsibility".

"I am hopeful that if we start already ... this could be helpful to generate turnout".

He admits that will be a "huge job" mainly because it will be about trying "to speak a language that the people can understand".

Boring House debates

The President, who at the moment heads an assembly representing over 300 million people in 15 countries, concedes that debate within the House itself could be a little livelier for it to attract the attention of the average citizen.

MEPs have so far resisted his attempts to bring a bit of spontaneity to plenary debates by introducing a general catch-the-eye system - instead electing to do it just occasionally. Mr Cox wants MEPs to be able to speak in a more impulsive manner, rather than following a set programme of speaking.

"I should like to do it more", he admits adding, "when we've done it, I certainly think _ debates have been livelier".

"The groups, not all of the groups, like to be able to control more who gives the message".

"What I love about the other system is the potential chaos theory about the guy who's a stone in your shoe getting his chance to express himself precisely because democracy should be a broad church in that sense, open to a high level of pluralism of expression".

He is also waiting for MEPs to get back to him on the idea to only debate the really divisive amendments in plenary.

"So far no one has come up to me with a proposal to do this", he says ruefully.

Not given up on MEPs' pay

Another issue that has dogged his Presidency since he made his inaugural policy speech in February 2002, is the reform of the system governing MEPs' pay.

The outdated expenses system and opaque arrangement surrounding allowances have fuelled media reports about the Brussels 'gravy train' - not a helpful image to have before the elections.

Although the reform of the system has been held up by machinations within the two large groups in the European Parliament, Mr Cox has not given up yet.

"I have spent so many hours on this that I am not in the least naive on my prospects but I still remain hopeful that there is a reality check going on in the minds of members to say, well we tried to do it that way and it is not working could we still do something".

"I am still, even as we speak, working away in a quiet way to see what can we do about getting majorities to bring us to a zone where we might get decisions".