#EuropeDay: 'They don't know what they want, they're European'

The questions, assembled by a panel of 96 citizens from 27 member states, range widely. One question asks where would you like to have more harmonization? Excuse my cynicism, but do 'ordinary' citizens speak in these terms? No doubt it's an important question, but would Joe or Joanna Public really say 'harmonization'? One feels the hand of a seasoned bureaucrat has at the very least been guiding some of the discussions. Wouldn't the public be more likely to ask: "Where do you want the EU to do more?" Or indeed, less. On the list of possible options they've included - among others - 'wages' and 'minimum social benefits'. These are no doubt important questions, but they aren't really in the gift of the European Commission - or at least not yet.

Another question asks: "What do you think should be done to improve access to health care for all Europeans?" - one of the possible options is "more medical staff in rural areas", this has the ring of authenticity and anyone from a rural area can imagine this being an important concern. But again, is health-care provision, in say rural Hungary, for 'Europe' to decide - I assume that the overseer of the discussion had left for a coffee when the idea was put forward.

The entire exercise elicits more questions than answers. Who are the 96? How were they selected? Why did they decide that 12 questions were needed?

Leaping ahead, what happens next? What if 400 million EU citizens reply to the consultation saying that they would like more harmonization of wages. Will the European Commission immediately draft a White Paper calling for EU wages to be harmonized? And how would we do that? An EU wide minimum wage of €2/hour or €50/hour? A decree that everyone skilled or unskilled will be paid €25/hour, or offer a universal basic income? Don't get me wrong, I can see the appeal, but we know that it would be a White Paper that would go nowhere. So why bother?

The bottom-up right-on-ness of this is to show that "the European Commission is listening" that the EU is not a remote elite. Following Brexit and what the Commission usually dismisses as 'populist' votes, the EU has a lot of convincing to do. But what to do? There is no simple answer. If you have one, please share it. While I don't like to be dismissive of the legitimate and sincere attempts by the Commission to engage with the wider public, I feel that Facebook live chats with Commission officials, YouTube live-streamed interviews with prominent EU vloggers and free inter-rail tickets for some 18-year-old's are a nice touch - but are not the answer.

But today is Europe Day, so I would just like to make a personal paean to the European Union. I love the European Union, it has made some deeply flawed and sometimes near-ruinous decisions, but it is also one of the most stunning examples of peaceful co-operation. One could make a very long list of what it's got right and grumble about what it's got wrong. Often, the answer to the problems faced by EU citizens is not less, but more Europe.

Many years ago I remember hitching from Northern Quebec to New York with a French au pair, who was working in New Jersey. After our long journey through the night we collapsed in a diner in New York. Looking at the menu and chatting in French, the waitress approached and asked us what we wanted - we weren't quite ready. The short-order chef shouted to the waitress from the kitchen "What do they want?", the waitress shot back: "They don't know what they want, they're European!" It was a moment of realization for me, yes I was Northern Irish and my friend French, but we were also definitely and undeniably European.

So, fellow Europeans, on this day, let us remember that we have to work together to make the EU a success; and for goodness sake just get on and decide what exactly it is you want!