Pitrova: CoFoE a Waste of Time and Money
Brno/Bratislava, December 1 (TASR) – The Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE) is a waste of time and money, assistant professor of Brno’s Masaryk University Marketa Pitrova told TASR on Wednesday.
As a European studies expert, Pitrova perceives the project in the current situation as completely useless.
“This initiative stands no chance to influence anything; it can’t mobilise the public or influence the drafting of European policies,” claimed Pitrova, who believes that the EU’s money should be invested in different projects, instead.
According to Pitrova, the main problem is the issue of who bears responsibility for the communication of the EU’s agenda towards public, as it has never been resolved whether this responsibility lies with the European Commission or the member states.
“If it’s the task of the European Commission, then it’s doing a poor job. With the current level of commitment and resources, the chance it reaches the public is zero,” explained Pitrova, adding that the states, on the other hand, show no interest in such a communication.
Pitrova believes that if this issue were tackled, it could help other activities as well. She cited European elections as an example, claiming that the EU citizens often don’t have enough knowledge to make informed choices.
Until spring 2022, the CoFoE will be accepting suggestions and ideas from public that might be translated into specific recommendations informing the EU’s reform.
