Launch of Tomorrow’s Europe, first-ever EU-wide Deliberative Poll®

Will Europeans ever be allowed to voice a considered opinion? Will EU leaders forever talk over citizen’s heads? Notre Europe launches Tomorrow’s Europe, the first-ever EU-wide Deliberative Poll® through a high-level debate to understand how these challenges can be met. We know a lot today about what people think, on jobs, pensions, foreign policy and the European Union. Imagine though that we could get deeper into the average European’s mind and find out how opinions would change –or not– if citizens had the opportunity to deliberate about the same issues with other Europeans and put questions to politicians and experts. This will now be possible, for the first time.

Tomorrow’s Europe will be the first Europe-wide Deliberative Poll®, a process of balanced information, deliberation and opinion gauging. It occurs in parallel to institutional EU discussions, a fitting time to see what Europeans would think if they had time to meet and share opinions across borders. "Many people in Europe feel that they cannot take part in EU-related debates. These matters are often perceived as too complex. I commend Tomorrow’s Europe’s aim to build an infrastructure for debate across borders and to allow Europeans to express an informed opinion," explains Jacques Delors, former European Commission President and founding president of Paris-based think tank Notre Europe.

All of Europe in one room
Structured around a survey of a scientific sample of the EU population before and after it has deliberated, Tomorrow’s Europe aims to better understand what role citizens want their governments and / or the EU to play, if any, on the world stage.

3,500 citizens representative of the population of the 27 countries of the Union as a whole are currently being asked about key matters for the future of the EU, and recruited by polling firm TNS Sofres.

Just days before the next EU summit, on 12-14 October 2007, Tomorrow’s Europe will then bring together for the first time ever a representative microcosm of some 400 citizens from all 27 EU member states in the buildings of the European Parliament and the European Economic & Social Committee in Brussels. As if all Europeans were brought into the same room, they will discuss the future of the EU, exploring two topics: Economic and Social Welfare in a World of Global Competition and the EU’s Role in the World.

Deliberative Polling® uses public opinion research in a new and constructive way. The process is designed to tell what conclusions the public could reach, if people had the opportunity to get together, to gain balanced information, and to become more engaged by the issues.

"There is no returning to the days of closed door decisions by political elites. The public participation genie is out of the bottle and I don't believe it can or should be put back," adds European Commission Vice-President Margot Wallström. "105 new competencies in the rejected Constitution, there are 105 in the new; they are identical in legal application. Therefore, we need referendums everywhere and why not on the same day in all of Europe?" says Member of the European Parliament Jens-Peter Bonde on this occasion.

Additional information: www.tomorrowseurope.eu