CAMPAIGNERS fighting for Scotland to make a return to the EU are devising plans to visit Brussels annually to build a stronger relationship with sympathetic MEPs.
A delegation featuring representatives from campaign groups Yes for EU and Europe for Scotland as well as ex-MEPs Alyn Smith and Heather Anderson visited the European Parliament earlier this month to meet with six MEPs as concern grows for UK security post-Brexit in the era of Donald Trump.
Andrea Pisauro, political coordinator for Europe for Scotland, said the MEPs they met were “very supportive” of Scotland and were even open to working on a resolution in the years to come to outline the Parliament’s position on EU enlargement and Scotland joining the EU in the event of independence.
It is part of a long-term goal to build up Scotland’s links with MEPs and keep awareness of the injustice Scotland faced in the aftermath of the Brexit vote alive, with some also keen to look at getting Scotland back into the Erasmus scheme prior to independence.
David Spacey, of Yes for EU, told The National he left the Belgian capital buoyed by the conversations he had had and the positive attitude of Europeans towards Scotland.
He said: “I approached the day with a bit of a feeling of sadness, heading off to Brussels and the heart of the Parliament, and knowing we’re not part of it anymore.
“But that changed as I met the others on the steps of the Parliament and we were doing a photo opportunity with the Saltire. This Spanish man came up to us and said ‘are you guys from Scotland? We love Scotland, when are you coming back?’.
“Although that was just a member of the public, that summed up the mood of the entire day. That was the spirit and vibe we got from the MEPs we were speaking to as well.
“The door is very much open – open to dialogue, open to us joining, open to a closer relationship in any shape or form.”
The delegation met with Italian MEP Brando Benifei, part of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, alongside several MEPs from the Greens/European Free Alliance group – Austria’s Thomas Waitz, Par Holmgren of Sweden, Catalonian MEP Diana Riba i Giner, Vicent Marza from Valencia and Terry Reintke of Germany.
The event was organised ahead of Europe Day in May, with this year being the 75th anniversary of the Schumann Declaration which proposed the creation of a European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). The ECSC was the first of a series of supranational European institutions that would ultimately become today's European Union.
“We think this should become an annual event, built around Europe Day on May 9 and linkages between Scotland and Europe,” he said.
“There was also some talk about inviting MEPs to come and visit Scotland, either as a delegation or as a series of visits and joining them up with Scottish ministers on devolved matters.
“I think we need to speak about how we get this message out across Scotland, that the only thing stopping from Scotland from joining the EU in quite a rapid fashion is the small matter of our independence.
“I don’t want people to forget that injustice [Scotland faced]. I have two grandchildren and I find it absolutely heartbreaking that they will both have less opportunity to study and travel and work across the continent than I have had.
“That’s just not on and in a time when both geopolitics and domestic politics, there are many voices trying to persuade us to cosy up to Trump, I think it is really important that we point out Europe is on our doorstep, they share our values, they welcome us.”
Pisauro said many of the politicians were acutely aware of Scotland being treated unjustly through the Brexit process after the vast majority of Scots voted to stay in the European Union and were dragged out against their will.
He said a few were keen to look at the issue of getting Scotland back into the Erasmus programme to enable students to more easily study on the continent.
Campaigners were also looking to explore whether MEPs felt it would take Scotland a long time to join the EU as an independent country, but he said Reintke told him she did not forsee this while others they met confirmed they were confident their nations would not veto Scotland joining the bloc.
Pisauro said: “Terry mentioned that she couldn’t forsee it would be a long process at all because there is a degree of convergence already with the laws and the fact it had been part of the EU already as part of the UK.
“Unanimously they said there would be no veto from their countries.”
Pisauro added he felt it was important to work with MEPs to “keep the light on” for Scotland, especially in the face of Trump.
“We had quite a few comment from people who had been following the Brexit process over the years and they knew Scotland went through an unjust process,” he said.
“A couple of MEPs were scared by Farage topping the polls and there is a level of concern for the political dynamics, I think particularly in England.
“In many ways, we think it’s a disastrous there isn’t a Scottish voice in Europe so citizens from Scotland and Europe need to supply that voice and we need to keep that issue alive.
“We think it’s important to keep the light on and remembering the injustice of Brexit. We think it’s very important in the face of Trump to stand up for European unity and democracy.”
Yes for EU will be sharing more from their trip to Brussels during an event at Augustine United Church in Edinburgh on Friday, May 9.
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