Iuliu Winkler MEP (RMDSZ, EPP) believes that the responsibility of providing solutions for Europe recovery lies on the politicians who believe in the destiny of the European Union, but they must be based on the fundamental values and freedoms. In the context of preparations for the European elections, Winkler considers that 2014 should be the year of European values.
“The responsibility of providing solution is up to us, to those who believe in the future of the EU, in the new Europe, that really put the citizen interests in the foreground, in which politicians become more honest and responsible with the electorates, in which tradition holds its rightful place, and where the respect for human dignity among all the European values should be the center of all policies and actions”, declared Iuliu Winkler Wednesday in Brussels, during a meeting with a group of visitors from Hungary, Transylvania and Vojvodina.
Given that the whole Union is already feeling the fever of the preparations for the European elections in May, there are enough analysts predicting an important advance for eurosceptic and anti-european forces, xenophobic, anti-system and extremists based on the dramatic effects of global crisis on the economies and societies of many Member States, stated the MEP.
According to Winkler, the lack of jobs, dark prospect at the individual level and also for families suffering from the effects of the current crisis is leading to an increased pessimistic and a flowering euroscepticism. In his view, these trends are strongly influenced by demagogic and populist discourse that many politicians choose, trying to take advantage of the dissatisfaction of Europeans, without giving solutions to the crisis.
” As a Hungarian politician from Transylvania, I think the new Europe is our common home in which our community can keep its values, can educate its new generations in the spirit of these values as a community with equal rights as all the other European communities. We, the citizens of Central and Eastern Europe, see xenophobic statements reappearing again and again; the latest flare is also linked to the full opening of the EU labour market for citizens of Romania and Bulgaria. I firmly reject any attempt to divide Europeans into different categories depending on their country of origin. I think such call, besides that it offends us all, is a violation of fundamental freedoms that the Union has established, of which freedom of movement is one that most precious to each of the Europeans”, said MEP. He said that populism and demagogy must be rejected and European values should prevail. “We must reject populism and demagogy no matter where they come from, and I think we can best prepare for the European elections, by considering the year 2014 the year of the European values. Europe has, today, many flaws. For us, Hungarians from Transylvania, there are many reasons for dissatisfaction, but only believing in European values and placing these fundamental values above the interests of the moment, we can accomplish our full equality with all other European citizens, “said Winkler.