EU elections get underway at NICVA

Opening the debate Green Party candidate Stephen Agnew said that the Green Party was strong in Europe and would be campaigning for the advancement of the green new deal as away to tackle the environmental, social and economic issues facing the EU.

In a speech that was often critical of the voluntary and community sector and the support it receives from Europe, Traditional Unionist Voice candidate Jim Allister said that the term civic society was a 'fine sounding euphemism' that often masked wider political ideals and accused voluntary and community organisations that campaigned in favour of the Lisbon Treaty of being 'compliant supplicants' carrying out the wishes of the European Commission.

Sinn Fein MEP Bairbre De Brun commended the work of civic society in shaping better policies across the EU and supported the call for improved communication between the European institutions and civil society.

DUP candidate Diane Dodds commended the work of many organisations such as PIPs and FASA which work on the difficult issue of suicide but said that too often voluntary and community organisations strayed into political areas which did not sit well with the people she represents. She also criticised the 'intolerable' bureaucracy attached to securing EU funding which she believes makes funding difficult to access for groups in the protestant community.

SDLP candidate Alban Magennis said that this was the most critical European election that Northern Ireland has faced as well as the most unpredictable. He said that Europe was no longer tolerant of Euro-sceptic MEPs who wanted 'all the benefits of EU membership without contributing to the European ideal.' Supporting the call for a closer relationship between the EU institutions and civic society Mr Magennis challenged the voluntary and community sector to play its part in creating a peaceful society in NI.

Ulster Unionist and Conservative candidate Jim Nicholson said that Europe was too far from its citizens and added that the Lisbon agenda has failed in making Europe the world's most competitive knowledge based economy by 2010.

Alliance candidate Ian Parsley said that there are three main issues he will be focusing on in this election - creating more opportunities for citizen engagement with the European Parliament, the economy and the environment. He added that engagement with the EU is dominated by large NGOs and big business and its time to see the inclusion of smaller community based organisations and SMEs.

After the politicians spoke there was a question and answer session covering topics like: seamless representation at local, regional, national and European levels; double jobbing in politics and will the EU be good for us in the future.

In light of the world economic crisis and the threat to everyone's livelihoods by the recession the candidates were asked if they believed that Northern Ireland was better off in or out of the EU. Jim Allister and Diane Dodds said that Northern Ireland was better off out while the other candidates agreed in was best.

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