European citizens hope EU leaders will listen 

A number of familiar issues topped the list of citizens' concerns. The vote among the 1,500 participants saw the battle against climate change established as a decisive frontrunner. 

A motion for the EU to "reduce global warming and phase-out fossil fuels by promoting renewable energy" received 419 votes, comfortably ahead of the 339 votes calling for a "common healthcare system". 

Almost all the participants interviewed by EurActiv said that the experience had made them more aware of the EU dimension of the problems that affect their daily lives. 

One UK participant noted that "one thing we all understand from this process is that the problems are so different between countries – each one has its own issues and agenda – and that's why it's so difficult for the EU to come up with unified policies". 

Likewise, there seemed to be a consensus among participants that many of these problems can only be addressed adequately at EU level. Indeed, the fifteen final recommendations were effectively, in the words of one participant, a "to-do list for a stronger and more active EU". 

This dynamic was emphasised when a number of the EU leaders attending the Citizens' Summit, notably European Commission President José Manuel Barroso and Party of European Socialists (PES) President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, noted that the "professional citizens" (as moderator Pat Cox jokingly referred to them) wanted "more Europe, not less". 

Paying lip service to democracy? 

However, many participants and observers alike seemed reluctant to believe the entire exercise was anything more than a token gesture. 

One of the participants told EurActiv that "my personal opinion is that a lot of this is so the EU can be seen to be democratic, to show that they're in contact with citizens". 

"I think it's great to get the citizens’ point of view, but you wonder how much will actually make a difference," she said. 

Another echoed this doubt: "I hope the process will result in something. There's a niggle in my mind that as this is coming just before the elections, it's just a political exercise. That gives me the creeps, to be honest." 

There was plenty of positive feedback too, though. One Portuguese participant said "this has been amazing. I never thought I could actually make a difference. There should be more initiatives like this. No-one at home knows how the EU works. I now know there are websites to provide information to citizens, but I hadn't heard about them before I came here". 

An Austrian woman, too, chose to be hopeful, telling EurActiv that "the optimistic part of me says that the EU really does want to know our opinion".

Finally, a man from the UK summed up the overall view of the panel neatly when he noted that all the citizens who were involved in the project would be watching EU leaders closely to see if they were really listening. "If they want our input, then they have to keep their word," he concluded. 

European Commission Vice-President Margot Wallström, who spearheads the EU's Plan D for Communication, told the citizens that "you can all influence and contribute to European democracy and better European policies. You just need to have the right channels and the right tools". 

She added: "I suspect some of these recommendations may come as a surprise to some politicians and to some member states; including the idea of a European identity card. That's good! Without ideas and visions, suggestions and solutions like the ones you have discussed, politics won't develop." 

Belgian State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Olivier Chastel said that "without citizens' involvement, the EU construction will remain a utopia". 

Citizens: 

Sarah Sulub  from Austria said: "I liked this a lot, but there wasn't enough talking. The debates were too short to express your own opinion." 

One UK participant explained that "I became involved through a research project. I live in London and we were offered an incentive of 40 pounds to come, so I thought 'why not'?" 

She went on to say: "I think it's great to get the citizens' point of view, but you wonder how much will actually make a difference." 

A Portuguese participant said the experience had been "amazing". "I never thought I could actually make a difference. There should be more initiatives like this. No-one at home knows how the EU works. I now know there are websites to provide information to citizens, but I hadn't heard about them before I came here," she noted.