The European Commission has just refused the proposed european citizens' initiative for a European public bank, which I am one of the promoters, with six other European personalities*.

Faced with austerity and all measures of "crisis management", we wanted to support the idea of ​​a bank whose mission it would be, unlike private banks who are speculating instead of investing in the real economy, to fund public services as well as industrial innovations which respect environment and the rights of workers.

We wanted to promote citizen participation as an exit path out of the crisis, through a major campaign and the collection of 1 million signatures of European citizens.

The reason for this refusal is appalling: " The Commission considers that there is no legal basis in the treaties that allow a proposal for a legal act establishing such an institution ."

There are at least two lessons to be learned faced with such a blockade of the commission.

The first is the sacred dogmas that guide the choices of the EU – that throw all the peoples of Europe each day a little more into the abyss, prevent innovative proposals to serve the peoples. The refoundation of the EU's objectives is more necessary than ever to find solutions against the crisis.
The second is that the power of citizens on European decisions remains to be conquered.

It is unacceptable that on the very day the European Central Bank recognizes the failure of his previous choices, through its decision to directly buy part the states' debt of the eurozone, the European Commission decided to deny the very possibility of such a campaign.
With the Party of the European Left, and with all the political, social and trade union forces seeking a real solution to the crisis, I will continue by other means to promote a different conception of Europe to serve citizens.

Pierre Laurent
September 7, 2012

* Alexis Tsipras, President of the coalition SYRIZA in Greece, Marta Sanz, Spanish Writer, Heinz Bierbaum, German trade unionist and member of parliament, Judit Morva, Hungarian intellectual, Lidia Menapace, from the association of Italian partisans, Nico Cue, Belgian unionist of the FGTB

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