Introduction: Today on 3rd of March, 2010, there are held Municipal elections in the Netherlands.
As I've commented in a previous post, I has doubts whteher to vote or not. So, I thoroughly analyzed the problem and made up my mind.
The reasoning is simple:
- Both the E.U. and the Netherlands have put a lot of effort and invested money so I could have the privilege of voting and to ensure I go through a smooth procedure.
- I consider myself both a Romanian and EU responsible citizen.
Side note: I have always voted in Romania, on every occasion, except one time I think when I had a health issue or something. Even in November and December 2009 I went to the Hague to vote for presidential elections. - I appreciate and respect the ones that fought/argued (and some died), in order to build the democratic system we live in, so I could have the right to express my opinion.
- The Dutch people has managed to build a very good system overall and they should be proud of it since they did a great job. (The only bad part, as I've seen it so far, is the health care system.)
It was really nice to see those 3 people in the committee being impressed that I (as an outsider) cared to participate. That's how Romania's image inside the EU shall be improved nice and slowly.
(Indeed, at the same time, we should solve the gypsy issue which deteriorates our image in the EU.)
Conclusion: I voted today, since I consider myself both a Romanian and EU responsible citizen.
Noooooooooooooo...........
ReplyDeleteBut you did not vote as a responsible EU citizen, but as a supposedly responsible Amsterdam citizen.
By this vote, have you succeeded or failed to be one such responsible Amsterdammer?
Let me quote myself: "I consider myself both a Romanian and EU responsible citizen."
ReplyDeleteTherefore, I do not consider myself neither Amsterdammer, nor Dutch. I shall always be an outsider (note that I've used the term in the post), no matter how well I can understand the system and/or improve it.
Romanian citizen, yes.
EU citizen, yes.
And that's it for me. End of the line. No more privileges for my generation