The significance of Christian values for Europe’s future, especially in consideration of the upcoming European elections in June 2024, was highlighted by the representatives of the European churches, EU officials, ecumenical organisations and Catholic NGOs working with the EU.
Their meeting was held on 13 January in Brussels. It was organised by the Conference of European Churches (CEC), the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the EU (COMECE) and the Interparliamentary Assembly On Orthodoxy.
The participants noted with concern the ongoing consequences of war, migration, economic, health and energy crises in Europe and the world, and the difficulty faced by European citizens to respond to such a reality.
As intellectual, religious and political actors, the participants stressed the need to redefine the framework of priorities for a sustainable future for Europe. It was shared how Christian values embraced by a large part of European citizens, have the potential to influence the European political landscape, raising voices from grassroots, and strengthening democracies.
They advocated how Christian values should be respected in pre-election campaigns.
They critiqued the instrumentalisation of Christian values and religion for political interests, discussing ways of how such phenomena can be challenged and prevented.
The participants also emphasised the importance of Article 17 (3) of the Treaty of Lisbon, which ensures an open, transparent and regular dialogue between EU, churches and religious associations.