Event report

The survey participants were offered to evaluate 9 ideas selected from the ideas already submitted to the Conference Platform, which at that time had received the highest level of support. The survey mostly supported or rather supported almost all of the selected ideas: 1. Ensure that cooperation with non-EU countries (trade relations, investment outside the EU) pays particular attention to strengthening democracy, peace, solidarity, respect for social and human rights and environmental protection in the world. (90 % aid, 5 % rather aid, 5 % hard to say) 2. Making the EU a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council, which is responsible for maintaining international peace and security (75 % in favour, 20 % in favour, 5 % hard to say) 3. To increase the EU’s global visibility and Europeans’ pride of the EU by making the EU’s achievements more visible, at least through the use of an EU flag on export goods produced in Europe. (70 % aid, 20 % rather support, 10 % hard to say) 4. Making content generated by European public television available worldwide on a similar platform as Netflix only free of charge and with subtitles in all EU languages, as well as in Arabic, Russian, Chinese and Hindi languages, thus improving global knowledge of Europe, raising Europe’s reputation and promoting the spread of European values. (60 % aid, 40 % rather aid) 5. Continue the enlargement of the EU to other European countries that are able to meet the criteria set. (45 % aid, 50 % rather aid, 5 % hard to say) 6. Bring together European security services to be able to share information more effectively and jointly combat threats to EU countries and their citizens. (55 % in favour, 35 % rather in favour, 5 % not in favour, 5 % hard to say) 7. Building a common EU foreign policy to strengthen Europe’s influence in the world and reducing the possibility for individual EU Member States to block European decisions. (25 % aid, 65 % rather support, 5 % not supported, 5 % hard to say) 8. To create a European army (20 % in favour, 50 % in favour, 10 % against, 5 % against, 15 % hard to say) Most respondents did not support or partially support the idea of transforming the EU into a United States of Europe (similar to the United States) so that Europe becomes not only an economic but also a political and military superpower of the world (15 % do not support, 40 % do not support, 15 % support rather, 15 % do not support, 15 % is hard to say). Finally, respondents were asked to put forward its own proposals that Europe should do to encourage Europeans to make a global change that they want. The following ideas were presented: • Global experience exchange programmes to enable people from countries and continents to share their good practices in person. • First of all, in a simple, easy-to-access way for citizens to inform about the plans, events, projects and opportunities that are important to us, where and how we can express their views by participating and encouraging change. In short, the distribution of some such surveys, so that a European citizen can feel like a real influencer with a “voice” rather than a viewer from the outside. • Promotion of “product” education between European countries worldwide, such as Erasmus/Erasmus+/Etwinning, thus opening up opportunities for European countries to cooperate with other countries outside Europe — good practices will be applied, etc. • Investing heavily in science and making it a priority. • The birth rate needs to be strengthened so that Europe’s indigenous peoples do not die and the population does not grow at the expense of immigrant growth alone. • All countries need to agree on a common issue. In addition to politicians, knowledgeable experts should be involved in assessing and coordinating the situation. • The European Union (EU) aims to reduce poverty, but it can also be eradicated. To do this, we call for the introduction of unconditional Basic Incomes (BPIs) across the EU as an effective tool to reduce poverty and inequality. The EU can aim to become the first part of the world without poverty by introducing unconditional basic incomes. The BPI is a matter of ethics and morality, as well as of the EU’s objectives and values, an innovative tool to enable the whole of society to participate in the Green Deal, the digital transition, balanced and strengthening the implementation of the 20 principles of the Pillar of Social Rights. We in Latvia want to participate in public life, but many Latvian and EU citizens still lack the means to live in dignity, not to mention the ability to engage and participate in the EU’s goals. • Develop strong guidelines for the EU’s external relations, which must not be violated by individual EU Member States. Such strict frameworks could relate to issues related to the fundamental values of the EU (no need to regulate the foreign policy of all Member States, but e.g. arms trade, tanker production to other countries in the world) • planting trees in areas where deserts, droughts deprive fertile land, i.e. investing in the restoration of green areas and the disappearance of existing green areas. Provide support to local communities to do so). • Europeans need to understand these changes, often people feel that all this is “very far away and does not touch me”. Here it is important to explain the decisions taken, the proposals made — why, how this problem will affect every citizen of a particular country. This should be done not only by the European institutions, but also by each country. Some things are also perceived as a complex, bureaucratic solution to issues that should be resolved more easily, faster. At the moment, economic, social and other problems cause disagreement among European countries, but I think it is important to maintain cooperation, understanding of things to be done together, to be done. • Not to overdo environmental protection — as long as “buyers” are allowed to use chemistry in unlimited quantities. • Expand the diplomatic corps by creating EU embassies, which can, if necessary, fulfil the function of embassy of any country in the bloc, as all countries are unable to provide their embassy everywhere. • Stick to the EU’s original values and stop using money for blackmail. • Europe must be based on 3 whales: health, education, family. • The availability of true and specific information in all European languages when a European issue is recorded in Google search. *** Respondents were between 29 and 83 years old. The largest number of participants were from Kuldīga region (60 %), other Kurzeme regions and cities had 25 % of participants, the remaining 15 % of other places in Latvia. The majority of respondents were women (16), 3 men participated, one surveyer did not want to indicate gender