Abstract: The Irish “no” to the Lisbon Treaty brings to light once again what is so clear for over a decade: the EU citizens don’t rely on the Institutions and there is a growing democratic legitimacy crisis. To bridge this gap, transparency and openness are raised as flags and civil society is invited to promote participatory democracy. On its part, the European Parliament has twice opened the sacrosant plenary room to more than 500 civil society representatives in a meeting that should become a recurring affair – AGORA – and several Committees are engaged in bringing the EP to the general public, through the Zaragoza Exhibition, the Open Days or within the framework of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue. A path for building Trust that depends both on political goodwill, media social responsibility and vigorous citizenship.
Cristina Silva Bastos
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