We need to introduce collective rights through the different forms of autonomy

The European People's Party (EPP) held its last study days this year on December 8 and 9. The event was an introduction to the EPP's congress on December 10th.

The agenda for today's session included the debate about the opportunities to surpass the negative effects of the global financial crisis.

The debate started with the presentation of the notion that the current financial crisis can only be handled through the application of an ethical financial system and the implementation of a socially sensitive market. The speakers pointed out the differences between the old and new member states of the European Union (EU) and agreed upon the fact that the new member states require enhanced political and economic integration assistance in order to achieve the level of internal cohesion needed. The participants also conveyed on the principles by which the EPP can support a global climate change agreement to be signed at the Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen. 

Sógor Csaba spoke about the issues surrounding the new member states’ political, economical and social integration. He made reference to the fact that it is a simplifying tendency to talk only about economic integration. He also stated that the new member states have to make progress in the field of the ethics of using EU funds and should concentrate more on promoting the EU’s linguistic diversity instead of introducing state language laws. Sógor Csaba proposed that collective rights should be introduced through the different forms of autonomy instead of mentioning collective guilt even in a footnote. Some of the examples of the member states can enhance this process.

DAHR’s MEP concluded that the EPP must aid its younger Christian-democrat member parties so that these parties can do politics according to Christian values. Sógor Csaba illustrated this with the example of the recent Romanian elections:

- As a Christian (democratic) spouse I should reconsider my values if I’ve „won” my divorce for the third time, if my „marriage” hasn’t worked with either my Christian-democrat, liberal or social-democratic partner. We should aid the younger members of the EPP to practice the values that have won this year’s European parliamentary elections for the EPP: tolerance, acceptance and support for the minorities.