Well, I have spent today, as I promised I would, in the EESC’s flagship Jacques Delors building for Open Doors Day. The atmosphere is always good on these occasions. It is healthy for us to meet the citizens on whose behalf we work. It is also healthy for us to be reminded that many (most?) of them do not know the difference between the EU institutions (we are frequently mistaken for the European Parliament). I duly had my photograph taken in our pet Trabi. But by far the most enjoyable part of the day for me was the two hours I spent with my President, Mario Sepi, and Vice-President, Irini Pari, in a debate, enlivened by its moderator, Pat Cox (that’s him below) with some of our visitors and with some of our EESC members at the end of video links in Ljubjana, Bratislava, Assisi and Paris. Cox, a former journalist (and President of the European Parliament) and currently President of the International European Movement, is brilliant at these things, and he got a genuine debate going across a wide gamut of themes that concern Europe’s citizens.
Good stuff – and to be repeated.
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