Article from European Civil Service Group

[OFSO]

Stop with the blah blah.

Why don't we ALL get out of our little bubbles and speak with ordinary people and ASK them what they
want and find out what their problems are? All the policies we push benefit in the main the rich farmers (CAP)
big business (TTIP), common fisheries again the big fishermen. I could go on. Have you ever spoken to a working class unemployed man or woman? That's where I come from and speak with them all the time. Do you know what it's like to be unemployed for 7 years in your mid-fifties without the prospect of a job?

Ordinary people across Europe have been ignored by Brussels and national political elites across Europe. At a time when we need real leadership, what do we get? Has-beens, nobodies (except maybe Merkel)

Ordinary people don't give a fig for your European ideals. What the ordinary people of Europe INCLUDING the Brits want are decent jobs, decent standard of living a decent home and a future for their kids.

Do you think they would have voted Brexit if they had that? No. If you want the European project to continue then the social chapter must be reinstated and the Neo con agenda dumped. People with money in their pockets are happy people but it's not only about money it's about fairness. How decisions are made must be made transparent and national ministers must not be allowed to blame Brussels for their decisions.

Explain to me how during this recession of the past 7/8 years how the rich have got richer (+15%?) and the gap between the poor and the rich has grown bigger? The only way to do that is to invest. To invest you need money not Austerity. To get money, the rich must pay their taxes (especially the big corporations), including us (I am not talking about AST 1 or 2 etc.)

The people of England who voted for Brexit have mostly been abandoned by their government and that began with Thatcher. All they know about Europe are straight bananas and other lies from their media over 40 years.

Did the Commission do anything to counter that? No.

So ideals are fine but if you can't bring the people with you and start now, the Dutch and the French will be next and you can kiss your European ideals goodbye.

GRASPE Issue 28 July 2016
(Reflection Group on the Future of the European Civil Service).