Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I join with others in expressing my gratitude for the comprehensive presentations from our three experts. We covered a lot of ground so I will not re-trample it but I want to get back to a very basic question. There is a difference of opinion - certainly of emphasis - in the presentations we have received relating to what the conference is for. Is it a bottom-up exercise asking the citizens of Europe how they envisage the EU in the future or is it the case that these are suggestions for change? From a democratic perspective, we would say that it should the former. We ask citizens what they want. At the same time, I cannot envisage a conference on the future of Ireland asking people what they think Ireland should look like and expecting to receive detailed and rational proposals. One would get everything so it needs to be focused.

In his presentation, Professor Fabrini underscored how the inevitability of further integration is the bedrock of future direction. That is the view of the French President. We have a lot of work to do to bring people with us on that journey if that is a view to be realised.

There is almost a view among some that whatever people say, this is the right thing so we must drive the agenda. That view is doomed to fail in my judgment.

Outside the scope of what we talked about, in respect of one issue that will be on our collective agenda, I would be interested if anybody has any views on a European perspective on governance. Beginning in the US in the aftermath of the most recent set of elections, there is a view of the future of democracy within the US. It is obviously a union of states that is not governed on the basis of one person, one vote and each vote being equal. As we can see, it is possible to lose the popular vote in a presidential election and still win the presidency. Similarly, as was pointed out in newspaper articles this week, there is more and more urban focus in the future so it is reckoned that in the foreseeable future, 70% of US senators will be elected by 30% of the population. How does that manifest itself in a European context? Is there tension relating to the European Council where regardless of whether it is Malta or Germany, everybody has an equal vote? Is governance an issue we need to grapple with in the future? We saw one of the fundamental issues in the rejection of the most recent changes. What had to be fixed related to the removal of a commissioner for every member state. What is the witnesses' take on future governance of the Union and how democracy is to be manifest in this context?

A citizens' assembly, which was proposed by Eamon Gilmore, has been extremely successful in dealing with significant issues here but it was successful because it was focused on a single theme, be it, marriage equality or the eighth amendment. Obviously, Dr. Day's own agenda is a wider one and I would be interested in hearing her take on whether a broader focus can work in a citizens' assembly of that type.