“One must go in and fetch a diamond out” says one of Arthur Miller’s characters in “Death of a Salesman”. The same process applied to collecting 10 reasons to vote from ex-EP presidents when they gathered in Brussels last week. I met them together with other three editors and our photographer Pietro and asked them to give our readers the reasons to participate to the European elections.

Our main job consisted of waiting. Here, Manja was waiting for Mr Colombo...

When you want to meet a VIP (and you are an editor for the European Parliament’s website) you have to respect several rules. First, you inform the organizers and get an appointment, second, you go there half an hour in advance just in case and third you wait, without disturbing the VIPs interacting with each other.

Before I met Pat Cox face to face, I thought him stern and distant. I didn’t expect an ex-EP president to be so friendly and helpful. He shook my hand for one whole minute, while I was doing my best to explain what I wanted from him. He was very happy to meet us, the editors for the Parliament’s website. And he was quite docile moving around in different kinds of light, so that our photographer, Pietro, can take the best photo of him. “The European Parliament makes continental scale laws and budgets that impact on the citizens’ day to day lives”, said Mr Cox. His remarks were quick and sharp: “If it matters to you, this is the place you can make it happen”. Irish clarity and conciseness. So, go and vote!

I had never met a lord before meeting Lord Plumb last week. I was conscious about the way to address him (Mr Plumb, Lord Plumb, Sir Plumb?) and whether I had to bow while shaking his hand. I remember having met Prince Charles while I was working for the British Council; I did have to take a bow. But a Lord is not a Prince after all. Even so, Lord Plumb is really tall, which makes him even more impressive. I was quite surprised when he treated me as an equal.

Lord Plumb told me about peace, which is no longer such an obvious benefit. Everybody expects peace in Europe and thinks it inherent. But things were different in the past.

When you talk about the benefits of the EU and what MEPs do for citizens, you mention the last, more visible achievements: low roaming rates, equal opportunities, free movement etc. Lord Plumb told me about peace, which is no longer such an obvious benefit. Everybody expects peace in Europe and thinks it inherent. But things were different in the past. The British Lord experienced World War II, and is still affected remembering its atrocities. “I find it very difficult to understand why people as old as me who lived through the last world war, and some people still around who lived through the one before, don’t recognize the fact that the only way we can work is to work together in trade terms, in social terms and in political terms”, he told me. He said he was a committed European and was extremely convincing in saying it.

... and Barbara is waiting for Mr Baron Crespo

Last week I was also lucky to talk with the only two women-presidents of the European Parliament – both French. Simone Veil was also the first president after the first European elections, in 1979. 16 years after she left the Parliament she still felt at home on its premises. She took her time to explain the importance of the common work of Europeans, now more then ever, so EU can come out of the economic crisis in the best way.

Still an MEP, Nicole Fontaine knows that the Parliament can do a lot for the citizens and that this institution’s role cannot be ignored (“le rôle du PE est tout à fait incontournable”). Ms Fontaine also mentioned democracy, which is only a dream in other countries. She wants the Europeans to realise how important it is to be able to vote. In Chile, she said, people were enthusiastically queuing to vote. She called the EU states “bien ingrats de ne pas se rendre compte de la chance qu’ils ont de pouvoir voter”, thinking probably of the low turnout in the last European elections.

My colleagues Bárbara, Manja and Anete interviewed the other ex-presidents. Up to them to tell you about it. In the meantime you can read the president’s reasons by clicking on ”meet the presidents” in the central column on our Elections website.