Anouchka van Miltenburg: Vice-President of the House of Representatives, Netherlands

Whereas more people than ever live in democracies, more people than ever are deeply disappointed by the problem-solving ability of democracy and politics. The gap between voters and their representatives is much smaller these days than a few decades ago, which is due to the media in particular. Yet, many of our citizens are turning away from politics and the democratic decision-making process because they consider government and parliament the domain of an elite they themselves do not belong to or do not want to belong to.  The third paradox is the reaction…of people who call for larger and stronger authorities every time something goes wrong in society…

We need new answers to such questions as what the role of government should be in times of global crisis, what citizens may expect from their governments and how citizens can influence government policy in our democracies…”Business as usual” is the worst possible reponse.  National and international thinking about economic growth will have to change.. We should focus on quality of growth rather quantity…At parliamentary level we require a different attitude with respect to accountability and responsiveness towards our citizens and parliament’s oversight duty.

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Ene Ergma: Speaker, Riigikogu, Estonia

Internet has given politicians a channel to transmit directly unmediated information. As a result, citizens have been given the opportunity to participate in different stages of the decision-shaping process, allowing influence on the outcome… Virtual politics and social communication are still insufficient to replace traditional communication based on face-to-face social networking. Despite fast development and good statistical indicators, parliaments should not bask in today’s success and remain mere observers of these achievements.

Parliaments are left with not so many options – but to go where the public is and where the debate takes place.

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Josep Dallères Codina: Speaker, General Council, Andorra

The world is changing constantly. That institutions should fail to bear this in mind is unthinkable if they wish to continue be effective. That we be more or less favourable to this trend and although the role of national parliaments remains local, no one can deny the need, in particular for political leaders–and thus, for parliaments–to think globally. Without global vision and awareness, decisions taken locally are very likely to be flawed.

Sometimes I have the feeling that we tend to forget that the State is not an end in itself, but a means to achieving greater human freedom and a more just society.

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Marios Garoyian: President, House of Representatives, Cyprus

The key question that arises involves the types and practices of democratic accountability that are appropriate on the world scale. Which entities should be held accountable and to whom? Contrary to popular belief, weak states and intergovernmental organizations are amongst the most accountable actors, whereas multinational corporations, terrorist networks and even powerful states are amongst the least accountable. We should therefore, as representatives of our people, seek to demand more external accountability of powerful entities engaged in various forms of global governance – indeed a very complicated endeavour, as one dimension of power is that it precisely protects the power-holder from accountability and explains the perseverance of double standards.

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Pavel Gantar: President, National Assembly, Slovenia

We are faced with an energy crisis, an environmental crisis, the crisis of relations between the developed and less developed world, we bear witness to the crisis of the predominant economic and political system which solely builds upon the functioning of the capital market. This is a crisis which consequently leads to a crisis of governance, leadership and society as a whole.

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Roberta Alma Anastase: Speaker, Chamber of Deputies, Romania

A financial crisis has become an economic one, and our countries and our democracies face unique challenges. We must ask ourselves “where do parliaments and national representatives stand in this situation? How can we preserve and promote accountability”…

We can, and we must, make sure that governments implement needed policies to tackle the crisis, as well as mitigate its effects on the livelihoods of our countrymen. But, at the same time, we must also let our citizens know that difficult measures are sometimes necessary, even if not always popular.  In representing those that elected us, we should also be sincere even when it is difficult…

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Barbara Prammer: Speaker, National Council, Austria

All who are assembled today have the responsibility to promote human rights at home in our own countries.  Without credible efforts in this respect by those who speak in our midst, all the nice speeches on human rights and women’s rights, on development, peace and democracy must be judged as empty talk. 

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Bernard Accoyer, President, National Assembly, France

Years ago, the National Assembly was known as a house without windows because of its lack of openness towards the outside world. However, like those who have preceded me, I aim to turn it into a glass house where my fellow citizens can peer deep into the arcane workings of the law factory.

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Erika Forster-Vannini: President, Council of States, Switzerland

Progress [in achieving MDGs 4 and 5] would not be possible without the many initiatives that come from outside political circles. They are of enormous value to us as parliamentary presidents. They open our eyes and we should give them every encouragement. I am confident that the UN Secretary General’s joint plan of action will create a partnership that includes all the different players in the healthcare field. Public-private partnerships are essential to speed up access to advanced technology.

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Gordana Čomić: Deputy Speaker, National Assembly, Serbia

Participation and education must be viewed not only as an emancipation indicator or a goal but also as an instrument in fighting stereotypes.

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Jozefina Topalli: Speaker, Parliament, Albania

Violence against women is not just a woman’s issue, is it ? … The fact that we were elected at the head of parliaments has given us the opportunity to speak also for the ones that keep silent. The bridge of communication with all male Speakers of parliament is important… All of us must powerfully react against the violence towards women. Every woman would feel safer if she felt represented directly in parliament.

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Pascale Bruderer: President, National Council, Switzerland

The network of female parliamentary presidents is a powerful lever that can be used to force politicians to act. We are among the leaders of this common plan of action and we must do what we can to ensure that the required budgets and the health of women and children are given priority. Through our actions we shall be able to see how to coordinate our efforts under the aegis of the IPU, in the same way as the UN brings together the actions of national governments.

Women are the driving force behind the formal and the informal economy. They have an immense potential which will be recognised as soon as all sexual discrimination has been eliminated. The IPU has understood our message.

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