Liberals and Democrats call for a new vision for Europe

8.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 16th Jun 2005

Preparing for the Brussels summit this weekend, Graham Watson addressed a meeting of 6 Prime Ministers and 6 commissioners belonging to the Liberal Democrat family in the Palais d'Egmont where they shared their assessment of the failure to ratify the European Constitution and the steps necessary to restore confidence amongst the European electorate.

"Leaders must have a real debate tonight, tomorrow and in the coming months about what sort of Europe they want and what will enjoy the support of their citizens" said Watson. "Europe is clearly lacking a compelling narrative. Our national leaders need to convince the electorate that EU can provide the answers to the many international challenges of the 21st century and offer a vision of society for the people and not just for the elite."

"Europe cannot be built from the top down anymore. A studious pause for thought would let temperatures cool on the future of the Constitutional Treaty and encourage more focus on the real questions posed at the Laeken summit in December 2001 which have still not been answered."

"This Liberal Democrat vision would be reflected in a future budget for the Union for 2007-2013 which lays the foundations for a more prosperous society based on investment in research, competitiveness, innovation, fighting cross-border crime and promotion of Human Rights."

Europe's leaders must not be afraid to show leadership. This means being honest with the people about what they are doing together in Brussels and why. Only this way can they regain public support for the European Union. Too often they run scared of public opinion rather than informing it."