Sophie in ‘t Veld, Chair and founder of the European Parliament Platform for Secularism in Politics, today spoke (on a conference) on the theme of Article 17 of the Treaty of Lisbon. The article states that the EU should consult regularly, through a formal dialogue, with both religious and non-confessional organizations, such as Humanists.
Yet, according to In ‘t Veld, secularist voices are not being heard. “All citizens must feel represented by the EU institutions, in particular the European Parliament. Therefore it is essential that any arrangement for the implementation of Article 17 reflects the full range of beliefs, convictions and life stances held by 500 million European citizens.
However, the current organization of dialogue under Article 17 entails the risk that religious voices in the EU are becoming many times stronger than the secular ones. Not all convictions and beliefs held by European citizens are organized. Therefore, an arrangement that is based exclusively on contacts with formal associations or institutions, by its very nature excludes a large part of the European population and advantages organized religion over secular voices.
Religious groups are simply better organized and therefore more strongly represented in formal dialogues like this”, said In ‘t Veld.
During the meeting, In ‘t Veld again expressed her concerns about the lopsided balance between religious and secular sounds in the current dialogue with the European institutions. “The EU began as a secular project. The EU institutions are not a representation of individual groups or religions, but of all 500 million European citizens together.”
In June 2011, during a meeting organized by the European Parliament Platform for Secularism in Politics, President Buzek promised to organize an equal platform for secular voices. This will be the first dialogue between the EU and non-confessional groups, taking place this fall.
