Speech by President of the Republic Tarja Halonen at the seminar on "The EP elections: Democracy and partnership - civil society's role in the EU" 3.4.2009

It is a great pleasure for me to address this seminar on the upcoming European elections. The year 2009 is important for the European Union. New Members of the European Parliament will be elected. A new European Commission will be nominated. The Lisbon Treaty will hopefully enter into force by the end of the year and important summit on climate issues will be held in Copenhagen.

The older generations know very well the difference between the old Europe and the present times, characterized by unique cooperation and integration. Based on the values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, the European project has made great progress.

The results of European cooperation in promoting peace, security and well-being are impressive. Violent conflicts between our countries are unthinkable. A more coherent EU is a stronger international actor than any of its Member States alone. Recently, this has been highlighted by our common response to global challenges such as the financial crisis and climate change.

The European ‘peace process’ extends beyond military security. Our approach is based on a broad concept of security. The Union’s strength lies exactly in its ability to promote security through a diverse range of means, such as enlargement, political dialogue including human rights, crisis management, as well as development and trade policies.

The present financial and economic crisis touches all Member States. People are laid off when companies cut down their operations. Governments are under great pressure and they consider drastic measures to revitalize economic activity and safeguard social stability.


The basic structures of the Union are in place to meet the challenges. The internal market and the common currency in the Euro zone are clear advantages. If our countries had to face the situation individually, they would be much more vulnerable. However, the crisis points out the need to address the weak points in EU cooperation. It is essential to promote coherence and transparency especially in difficult times.

The Members of the European Parliament will bear their share of the responsibility for economic recovery. What is now at stake is the well-being of our citizens and the successful further development of the European project. We should not forget that Europe is not the whole world.

* * *

The nomination of candidates for the European Parliament elections is currently in progress. EU citizens have the possibility to participate in the largest transnational elections in the world. Out of the total 736 Members of the European Parliament, 13 will come from Finland. The European Parliament, the Council and the Commission make up the representation and decision-making framework for our citizens and peoples.

Citizens' participation is essential for the democracy of the Union. From the first direct European Parliament elections in 1979 there has unfortunately been a constant fall in the turnout percentage. In the latest European elections in Finland, held in 2004, the turnout was 41 per cent, which is less than the average in the EU countries. By comparison, voter turnout in the latest parliamentary elections (2007) in Finland was 68 per cent, and in the latest presidential elections (2006) it was 74 per cent in the first round and 77 per cent in the second round.

According to the latest Eurobarometer, 57 per cent of Finnish citizens think that Finland has benefited from membership of the European Union. Finland’s membership is considered to be a good thing by half of our population (48 per cent). On the other hand, a majority of citizens (71 per cent) believe that Finland’s interests are not taken into account well enough in the Union.


The European Parliament has vital role in bringing the Union closer to citizens and in building a more democratic and transparent Europe. I am pleased that the Parliament has launched a campaign to inform about its role in European politics. I sincerely hope that the campaign will encourage voters to actively participate in the coming elections.

* * *

Democracy is much more than participation in democratic elections. Active civic participation is an indispensable pillar of our societies. Non-governmental organizations are influential in taking initiatives and pointing the direction also for EU policies and external relations.

Among the largest non-governmental organizations in Europe are the trade unions, perhaps together with religious communities. Cooperation between the social partners is vital in building a citizens´ Europe. They have shaped Union policies toward social partnership in the Member States and in the EU.

Social partners take an active interest in developing various aspects of economic life such as social standards and free competition. They also look into the well-being of our citizens by influencing national and EU legislation. Genuine cooperation at the European level requires that the needs of businesses and the needs of employees are taken into account in a balanced way. This will also promote the goals of decent work and fairer globalization worldwide.

Non-governmental organizations have had a central role in successfully setting goals for development cooperation and climate policies, and they are active in monitoring the implementation of these goals. They have influenced the EU´s external relations also by their efforts to improve human rights in partner countries and further away.

The EU should look at civil society organizations as a source of future inspiration. It should cooperate closely with international organizations such as the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, where citizens´ organizations also play an important role.

European Parliament and the Union as a whole should cooperate closely with non-governmental organizations also because it is a very good way to increase the interest of citizens in the EU and to make them more active voters in the European elections. Young adults between 18 and 30 years tend to vote less actively than older age groups, but they could be reached through civil society activities.

* * *

Promoting equality in the Member States and in the partner countries is of particular interest to many civil society organizations. Women’s empowerment is an important part of democratic development. Progress has been made in many EU countries with the active involvement of women. Gender equality in all areas of life has been a fundamental right and value of the EU since 1957. However, much remains to be done. In the present European Parliament, 31 per cent of the Members are women and in the Commission their share is 37 per cent. By comparison, 42 per cent of the Members of the Finnish Parliament and 47 per cent of the Members of the Swedish Parliament are women.

Since the 1970s the European and national laws have improved women's possibilities in working life and politics. Through the Treaty of Amsterdam, the EU committed itself to eliminating discrimination and to promoting equality between men and women in all activities. The Lisbon Treaty sets the goal that the Union should eradicate gender inequalities. With the European elections now approaching, it is time to make a decisive step to promote gender equality. All parts of the Union should practise what they preach. Member States should underline gender equality by putting forth women candidates and promoting gender-related themes.