On 26 February, Minister-president Geert Bourgeois and Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans debated with some two hundred Flemish citizens at the Irish College in Leuven. They answered various questions about citizens' initiatives, brexit, migration, the future of the European economy and social policy. Bourgeois and Timmermans often agreed on the role of the EU in these issues. But they disagreed profoundly in the Catalan issue.
The first question of the evening immediately heated the debate: should the EU intervene in the Spanish-Catalan conflict? Minister-President Bourgeois and Vice-President Timmermans differed greatly. Where Timmermans defended the non-intervention of the EU by pointing to the correct functioning of the rule of law in Spain - "One can disagree with the laws and regulations but that is not yet a license to violate them" - Bourgeois found it Europe - unworthy that politicians are locked up for their convictions: "Rebellion is a 19th century concept. This is not possible in today's Europe."
On other subjects they both agreed, even though they set different emphases. They both see no alternative for the six Western Balkan countries than integration into the European Union. But Bourgeois emphasized that before the integration a solution for Kosovo has to be found: “Europe can not afford to import a frozen conflict.” And urgent work needs to be done on a European -holistic- approach to migration and refugee problems. There was also great understanding on the Brexit which Timmermans called "a weakening of the EU".
Vice-President Timmermans and Minister-president Bourgeois are both great advocates of the European project. But they also realize that constant work needs to be done on the public support of the EU. Bourgeois called upon his fellow politicians to stop putting the blame on the EU. Timmermans addressed his appeal to the citizens directly: "It is a civilian task to nurture the fragility of the EU and to promote the European project."
vrtnws (only available in Dutch)
