newsitems

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Europeans are United to ask from colonel Kaddafi to immediately abandon power and leave, so that a free and Democratic Dialogue between all Libyan People's socio-political forces should start, while, together with USA, the Arab Ligue, UNO, etc., it's very important to note also the "Historic significance" of more Arab Countries' joining the common effort to help the Libyan People from violent attacks of the Kaddafi regime, stressed Sarkozy, who preferred, on the contrary, to downplay NATO's future role as "Technical" coordinator, and  Turkey's last-minute U-turn, from initial opponent to late candidate dragging its feet, while keeping the "Political Direction" to the Coalition composed at the 19/3/2011 Paris' Summit (See "EuroFora"'s NewsReports from the spot). 

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

-"About the Humanitarian (protection) Zone, Mr. President, it's (f.ex. Benghazi, etc) very close to EU Lands. Do you think that EU Member Countries as Italy, or, mainly Greece, (see MAP), could facilitate that, f.ex. for (AirPlanes') ravitaillement (Logistics, etc) ? Did they offer to do so, or not, f. ex. for (Airplanes') refuelling, etc. ?", "EuroFora" asked Sarkozy.

Meanwhile, Greece would be ready to provide to the Coalition, and in particular to French Airplanes, any such facility, incsding:for Ravitaillement (Logistics') Base, told to "EuroFora" both the Government Spokesman, George. Petalotes, and the Foreign Ministry's Spokesman, Grigoris Delivecuras :

                                    
Petalotes added that the Geographic Proximity of Greece to Banghazi etc. requires also a "Fair Share" of  possible new immigrants, between EU Countries.

Delivecuras observed that, already the French AirCarrier "Charles de Gaulle" would soon be in Athen's FIR, and  for the rest, if they really need and ask for it (i.e. for a Military Base, etc), normally, "there should be no problem" for it to be given.      

                                             

                                                                                                                                                                                           
The opposite would be, moreover, difficult to justify, for a European Country, as Greece,  which already has a .. USA Basis in Crete, while it doesn't yet host any EU facility...

Last but, perhaps, not least, it's, precisely, at nearby Crete that Greece had notoriously installated several S300 from Russia, whose Radar Range dj(able to spot hostile >Missiles reportedly extends much further than the distance to Benghazi : up to 1000 km, compared to just 400 km, respectively.         
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    But NATO couldn't cover everything, among others also because Participants to the Paris Summit Coalition's operations are also Countries who are Not NATO Members, such as, f. ex. Qatar, United Arab Emirates, etc., the French President observed, while it's also true that several among EU Countries which politically supported today the Paris Summit's decisions are also No NATO Members (f.ex. Sweden, Austria, Finland, Ireland, Cyprus, etc.)     

    + In  particular, in addition to Qatar's 6 Airplanes, already engaged in the Libyan confict, the United Arab Emirates promised another  12, so that Arab Countries will have "18 Airplanes", "soon", Sarkozy observed.

      So that "the Machinery of NATO" could be used just in order to "Technically coordinate" moves, f.ex. by "Dispathcing these or other Airplanes, from one Country or another, at one moment or another, particularly when the growing participation of various other countries will bring in more Airplanes, while  50% are French until now". On the contrary, "the Political coordination" should remain at the hands of the "Coalition" of the Paris' Summit to help the Libyan People (EU + USA/Canada + Arab Ligue, together with the UNO).

            -  Together with the "absolute Unity of the EU" (the only, slight "exception" among the 27 being ..Cyprus' President Chriostofias, who simply raised the question : - "What Next ?", i.e. after a possible Kaddafi's departure, etc., as Sarkozy revealed), in alliance with the USA and Canada, it's mainly the growing link with Arab Countries, and vis a vis the Arab civil society and People, that Sarkozy outlined as "very Important" for the Future.

                                                    

                                                                                                                                                                   It's the 1st time, indeed, that UNO and Paris' Summit, endorsed by Brussels' EU Summit, established a so large Coalition of Europeans and wider Western world with Arab Countries and civil society, focused on the Principle of the "Duty to Protect civilian People" threatened by Violent Attacks, observed the French President, who also reiterated that the Coalition does Not intend to put Soldiers on Libyan Land, since this is excluded by UNO SC's Resolution, which is a hard-fought diplomatic text, that we must apply with resolve in real practice, but aso by carefully following its principles, without any deviation, concluded in substance Sarkozy.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                The Brussels Summit's draft Declaration, whose final wording is due to be hammered out tomorrow, Friday, succeeds to forge all EU Countries' Unity on the Libyan issue, Sarkozy also reiterated, adding that he met and spoke also on that matter with German Chancelor Merkel, who adheres to the Principles expessed by all 27 EU Heads of State/Government together, which create a "précedent".

- A fact is a fact : There are no more real "Greens" in the French Bas-Rhin department (at least as far as Strasbourg is concerned), nor at the neighbouring Baden-Würtemberg German Länder !

Indeed, True "Greens", the original, Historic Environmentalist, Alternative movement, notoriously stood up for protection of Nature, (f.ex. Trees, Landscapes, pure Oxygen, etc), including for the Human natural Genome (being traditionally keen on BioEthics), as well as for Freedom, against violations of Free Speech, Censorship, etc., and/or against Oppressive regimes all over the World, while also traditionally supporting Renewable and other Modern Science-supported Energy Sources, non-polluting and Environment-Friendly.

But today, how can anyone dare call himself a "Green", (without attempting to mislead and manipulate People with False appearances and unfounded claims : a kind of False Publicity, punished by Law), if he doesn't give a damn whether, or not, some corporate bureaucrats prepare to cut down a small Wood (the only existing among many Families' Homes), destroy a beautiful Hill, and  censor critics suppporting the inhabitants' Right to preserve their Freedom of Access in existing Green Areas around their Homes, threatened to be lagely destroyed ? Particularly if this is added even to favoritisme vis a vis some notoriously Oppressive Regimes, as f.ex. that of Turkey, many times condemned by ECHR until now for particularly grave and serious Violations of Human Rights, the obviously "False denomination" of "Greens" should normally be changed for something much more faithfully corresponding to the Facts..

Joan Baez' personal characteristics make it crystal clear, throughout all key points :

- Just 1 week before arriving in Strasbourg, Baez was awarded a special Human Rights Prize by famous NGO Amnesty International for her life-long personal contribution to the struggle for Freedom and Democracy both in the USA and Worldwide, (including the ephemeral foundation of a new Human Rights organization named "Humanitas").

- Pointing at a possible Renaissance of a new Humanist, protest, creative/original wave, the Mythic Folk Song Legend expressed recently her "Concern with Obama", criticizing as "silly" the too early attribution of a Nobel Peace Prize (by the Oslo Committee headed by Strasbourg-based CoE's Secretary General Thornbjorn Jagland) , and emetting the hypothesis that the inexperienced young US President (only 4 Years Senator from Chicago before his November 2008 Election facing the pragmatic non-charismatic, old .. from the Republican side, who had just out-manoeuvered the only Charismatic GOP Candidate, a revelation of the 2007-2008 Primaries, former Arkansas Governor and Priest, currently TV presentator, Mike Huckabee) has "fallen into a Trap".

In this regad, Baez is one of the rare living and acting 1960ies Folk Legends,  standing together with .."Chicago Song" (a premonitory, 1968 written song by Graham Nash (of the famous "Crosby, Still, Nash and Young"), when protesting People classed with Horse-mounted Policemen hitting with Clubs, etc. at the Democratic Party's congress, chaired then by controversial former US vice-President Johnson, who aggravated the Military Intervention in Vietnam, etc., after the Murders of John and Robert Kennedy), recently revitalized by "Pink Floyd"'s David Gilmour since 2009  in a vain appeal to current EU President Obama to free Informatecian Gary McKinnon.

 

+ By another astonishing "coincidence", Steve Jobs, Apple's inventive founder, reportedly a Joan's friend since the 1970ies, launched revolutionary "Ipad2" (for the 1st time with 2 Cameras able to Film "live" Events, on politics or music, etc), simultaneously in 25 Countries (including France and Germany) precisely on March 25 : I.e. the same day Joan Baez kicked off her Europe Tour in France in Strasbourg's "Europe Zenith"...

 

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 * But, even more pertinently for the issues raised in this paper : Joan Baez, is also a famous Defender of Nature, and in particular Trees, even with the commitment of her own person and body, specially when they represent an important Social/Human issue : F. ex., after reportedly having slept overight in a "Tree-House" among Farm Trees defended by in-City farmers trying to stop Mass Expulsion from a Land Owner who had augmented the price of the land that they cultivated, Baez also strongly supported Buterfly Hill, a young girl's fight to protect a Tree (named "Luna" by a group of Environmentalists) from being cut down by a local company, in Redwood, California : Hill lived and slept almost a Thousand of Days on that Tree until she succeeded to save it. Moreover, until recently, Baez had got the habbit to personally sleep overnight on a Tree, looking right in front of the Stars, at the garden of her Home, from where she suddenly fell and was slightly wounded, for an unclear cause, just last Autumn 2010, shortly after her scheduled venue in Strasbourg had been earlier anounced in public.

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Baden-Wurttemberg : from "Stuttgart 21", to BioEthics,  Turkey, etc.

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- 1) The biggest 2011 Electoral Controversy at the nearby Laender notoriously is the "Stutgart 21" project, aiming to develop a High Speed-Train Network largely operating Underground around the Capital of Baden-Wurtemberg, so that inhabited Natural Landscapes can be preserved at Ground level (including some Forest areas and many Trees), while also boosting High-Tech.

Since this project saves several Gardens, Trees and Forests around Stuttgart, while also adding a New "Green" Park in the City, and accelerates fast Train links allover the surrounding area, and mainly on the Strategic EU Axis "Paris - Strasbourg - Stuttgart - Munich - Wienna - Budapest" High-Speed Train Network, generally known as "Magistrale", i.e. boosts Environment-Friendly Train, instead of CO2-polluting Cars, normally, real "Green"/Environmentalist Parties should be glad to support it.
But in 2011's Baden-Wurtemberg it's exactly the Opposite that is, curiously, happening : Our so-called "Greens" block High-Tech underground Railway links, preferring de facto to keep CO2 polluting Cars, damage the natural Landscape, cut Trees and reduce Forests, etc...

The pretext is purely ..Financial : "Stuttgart 21 costs too much money" for the Taxpayers, they invariably say, when asked by "EuroFora", without realizing that this is a typically .. "Liberal" reasoning, which has nothing to do with real "Greens"/Environmentalists..
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However, in Baden-Würtemberg it looks even worse :

- 2) F.ex.  among nowadays "Greens", gathered at their Historic, founding city of Freiburg, many (and even official members, specialized journalists, etc) ignore even the fact that their party was founded there...

- 3) BioEthics notoriously was a landmark concern for German "Greens" in the good old days, when they suddenly emerged in the mainstream political arena out of the blue (i.e. since the beginning, up to EuroMP Hlitrud Breyer and others, etc).
But now, astonishingly, the notoriously growing Technocratic Dangers against the Natural Human Genome are hardly mentioned among the current party's members, not even at the top ! ((See NewsReports by "EuroFora" from the spot,  during the recent Party's National Congres in Freiburg).

On the contrary, it's only the ChristianDemocrat CDU/CSU party which brought up to the Agenda, with "hot", open Debates among delegates , such topical BioEthical issues, as, f.ex., against reported Risks for Eugenism via the preimplantation genetic screening, etc., which were recently debated in Baden-Würtenberg, (See "Eurofora"s NewsReport from the spot).

- 4) Real "Greens"/Environmentalists are everywhere against CO2 pollution, notoriously pushing towards any High-Tech solution might find any new possible ways to reduce CO2 and invent other, innovative and Climate-friendly Energies.
But, when it comes to March 2011 Baden-Wurtemberg La    ender's Election, things change a lot :

- F. ex., EU Parliament's Green Group co-President, German "Green"  MEP Rebecca Harms, when asked by "EuroFora" about her view on a Pioneer Scientists' project to transform harmful C02 Pollution into a "Future Fuel" and New Materials, (See relevant "EuroFora"s earlier Publications from Strasbourg and Brussels), instead of rejoicing, on the contrary, looks sceptical, suspicious, curiously against :  - "I suspect that this might be a pretext to try to justify CDU/CSU-FDP's Carbon capture and storage plans", she reacts, referring to another current Controversy, mainly in Germany, between EU Commission's plans to fight against CO2 Pollution and protect Climate by stocking CO2 underground, to which "Green" Parties are usuallly opposed, arguying mainly that nobody knows yet whether Long-term Carbon Storage underground might end up by harming Natural Environment. So, ... "let them Prove it !", she simply replied on the Pioneer Scientific Researchers' project, which asks EU support for RST tests during the EU "2050" Climate protection long-term Plan..

On the contrary, ChristianDemocrat/EPP origin, EU Energy Commissioner, Gunther Oettinger from Germany, when he was recently asked a similar question by "EuroFora" on the "CO2-Future Fuel" Scientific Project (See supra), agreeingw also that it may alleviate fears of some People (as f.ex. NGO "GreenPeace", etc) about Long-term Storage of CO2 underground, by making it possible to be later retrieved from the ground and recycled for useful purposes, (See earlier"EuroFora's NewsReports). Particularly after the current Japan and Libya Crisis, which showed how Nuclear power and/or Oil/Gas can be unreliable and/or excessively volatile as market prices react to events, it becomes "certainly interesting" to "examine (also) that possibility", i.e. of inventing, through Scientific Research, ways to recycle CO2 into a "Future Fuel",  Oettinger acknowledged.

- 5) Last, but not least, current "Green" party's  position favoring Turkey's notoriously controversial and unpopular EU bid, is obviously at variance with the Traditional, real "Green" stance, from their Historic Founding era, when real Human Rights and Democracy respect led them to fearlessly denounce any Gross and Sustematic Violations by any Oppressive Regime in any 3rd Country, including, notoriously, by the Turkish Authorities, (already often condemned by ECHR for numerous serious Violations.

It's also a Fact that former "Green" Chief of the 2000ies, and former Foreign Minister, Joshka Fischer,  has been recently ...hired by this same Turkish Government, in order to try to make Publicity for an Old and Controversial, too Expensive, and too Risky Gas Pipeline project "Nabucco", (threatened by Earthquakes, violent Conflicts, "Vetos" frequently abused by Ankara, but also by .. lack of sufficient Gas to transport), which has recently started to be out-paced by various other, much more competitive alternatives, (f.ex. Russia's "South Stream", Romania-Georgia-Azerbaidjan-Hungary-Bulgaria's AGRI, Natural Liquefied Gas' See and River Transport networks, etc). Given also that one of the current "Green" Chiefs in Germany is even a directly Turkish 1st generation immigrant, who was granted a Job in the German Public sector (to deal with ... other Turkish immigrants !), Nationality, an Eligible Political post, etc., in .. less than 7 or 8 Years only after his arrival (!), i.e. Mr. Ozdemir, (earlier mixed up with a series of Scandals as former assistant of former "Socialist" Minister of Defence, Rudolf Sharping, who was obliged to resign at 2002), obviously excludes any eventual claim of "Objectivity" or "Neutrality" vis a vis Turkey's a.o. such notoriously oppressive regimes in now-a-days "Greens", unless they change...

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Similar (even if not identical) Facts observed on the French side of Rhine river :

 - Obviously can't be a Real "Green"/pro-Nature Environmentalist, anyone who, instead of protecting Trees, Forests, beautiful Green Areas and Landscapes, at least those to which local People are attached and struggle to defend in inhabited areas, on the contrary, shows total indifference et doesn't give a damn, going even as far as to persistently threaten them to be .. Cut down, destroyed and replaced by ... Concrete surrounded with Metallic Barriers brutally Excluding People from any Free Access to their initially "Open" Green areas, near their Family Homes, threatened to become closed, Fenced .. Car-Parkings and/or Gray Guarded areas full of Concrete and closed metallic Fences excluding all Inhabitants of an already heavily Urbanized area from any really "Green" space near their Homes, threatened to be condemned to survive in the middle of a Jungle of Concrete, cut off from any previously easy to access Green space, but now risking to be surrounded by aggravated CO2 and Noise Pollution by Doubled or Tripled Car-Traffic !..        

                                
But that's precisely what is happening, here and now, at the Heart of Europe, eve of Local Elections, astonishingly in a City where a "Socialist" Municipality doesn't keep a Majority but only thanks to a big so-called "'Green" Party, whose representative, Alain Jund, was repeatedly informed by the affected Inhabitants, both orally and by writting, of all those Threats, without doing absolutely Nothing to protect at least the threatened Trees, Forest, green Landscape, abandoned to disappear by voluntary Destruction..

The drama goes on at a Symbolic area : In an Historic show-case of France's initial Political Will, since the De Gaulle and Pompidou era of the 1960ies-1970ies, based on World-famous Architect Le Corbusier's ideas, to use Modern and imaginative Urbanism  in order to help protect and socially integrate "fragile" People and Families with many Children, Students, etc., by offering them a quiet, open, healthy, Natural and "Green" living space, full of Oxygen, Sunlight, Trees and safe pedestrian pathways, without dangerous, polluting and noisy Cars ever entering in the centre of each Grouping of Family Homes, but only running outside, in a dispersed and rarefied way, so that the Inhabitants' children, housewives, old and young people, etc. can stay, walk and meet eachother quietly inside their open and protected Green squares, hills, etc., at the shade  of many Trees, small Woods or Forests, etc : The famous "Mailles"  of HautePierre (aka : "High Stone") in Strasbourg's North-Western area, facing the OberHausBergen small Mountainous area, there where the former EU Parliament's President, and f. French Prime Minister, Pierre Pflimlin, had reportedly dreamt to build a "European" quarter, due to host all EU/CoE/ECHR, etc. Euro and PanEuropean Institutions (See relevant "EuroFora"s earlier Publication).

But, after several Years of Crisis, Local Policy errors, abandonments, etc., the  former "Show-case" was scandalously transformed into a rather Poor Neighborhood, with risks of racial/Ethnic Segregation and/or Social Appartheid, etc., until the current French Government recently decided to exceptionally invest large sums of Money in order to Fund some big Urbanistic operations due to renovate and revive the HautePierre quarter's quality of life for its present and future inhabitants. A main pat of that Financial package was even placed, explicitly, under the banner of Natural "Environment" protection and promotion, ("Grenelle de l' Environemment")...

Instead of using this exceptional financial opportunity (mainly funded by the National Government) in order to saveguard and/or develop Healthy, Natural "Green" areas able to promote a much needed Qualiy of everyday Life in that Historically Symbolic Quatet of HautePierre, however, on the contrary, an unnamed yet, shady Lobby interfering inside the current "Socialist-Green" Local Municipality, ( not so much its well-known, elected political Leaders, but rather someone hiding behind a kind of Communautaristic and/or other way to interfere behind the scenes, in a quite Anti-Democratic way, practically throwing to the waste-basket all popular consultations, in order to stubbornly push, blindly, a pre-fixed plan with unknown real aims), persists to ... Cut even the rare remaining Trees ;  Demolish the most beautiful open Landscape : a unique "Green" Hill with a Modern Architecture-designed Bridge, which allows, from the Heigh of ist Top, a rare Overview of the Horizon up to Sunrise ;  Destroy a quiet, clean and popular Pedestrian Pathway between the local School and that Hill, full of shady Trees, Flowers, etc., which unites 3 Christian Churches (and soon a Mosquee) along one and the same prolonged, safe "Green" Path ;  Block more than 50% of the existing "Green" area (in fact, all its Best parts : The  Top of the Hill, the Pathway, the Biggest Trees, etc) behind Metallic Fences hindering all Inhabitants to have Free Access to the Green Spaces near their Family Homes, as they did in the Past and until now ;  impose a thick and large layer of Gray Concrete at the area where Trees will be cut, Green Grass and Flowers deracinated, and Metallic Fences set up ; add a ...Car Parking (one more, in a quarter full of Car Parkings !) inside the currently "Green" area ; surround that Group of Family Homes with a Double sens Car and Bus Traffic, inevitably augmenting more than X200% Air Pollution, Noise, accidents' Risks, etc. ; and even ... Cut off this obviously targetted Group of Family Homes from any other "Green" area, by  demolishing a unique pedestrian pathway, a small "tunel" surrounded with Trees, bushes, Flowers, etc, built under the road, which Historically unites the Inhabitants (particularly Children, old People, etc) with a small Green Wood located at another, neighbouring Quarter, (known as "the Small Wood"), where the poor, affected Inhabitants might, at least, try to partially escape the Hell of gray Concrete, Metallic Fences, blocked pathways, aggravated Car Traffic Pollution, Noise and Dangers of accidents, etc., which threatens to surround their Family Homes ! ...

 

Julia Buterfly Hill's TreeSit (See supra) reportedly was "next to a massive Mudslide caused by a MAXXAM/Pacific Lumber clearCut that destroyed and damaged over 30 homes in the town of Stafford, CA".

And by a coincidence, the "Bois de la Colline du Pont" (the "Wood the Hill with the Bridge"), is located near to another, flat "Small Wood" ("pétit bois"), where recently, the local municipality started to cut just 3 or 4 Trees only. But this was enough in order to provoke there (i.e. at the precise area where these 3 or 4 Trees were standing before they cut them) an astonishingly pesistent, ugly, and dangerous ... "lake" of dirty water, gathering mosquitos, smelling bad, etc., which didn't disappear but only when the Local Municipality spend even more money and time to fill the provoked gap with a pile of ugly soil, standing there irregular, ugly and empty, without any shape nor any tree, just to hinder dirty water from provoking Mud....      
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Not even a Popular Petition, supported by writting by many Inhabitants of the affected area, who vainly campain since 2009-2011 for the "Freedom of Access and Protection of Green Areas and Landscapes", focusing in particular to the emblematic, concrete example of the "Wood of the Hill with a Bridge" (aka : "Le Bois de la Colline du Pont"), which is the Biggest and most beautiful "Green" area still remaining throughout all the Haute-Pierre quarter (a Housing zone with more than 15.000 inhabitants), and on efforts to save, at least, its direct, safe Pedestrian subway link to a neighbouring "Small Wood", -(See supra), wasn't ever really taken into consideration by the Local Bureaucratic apparatus, while the Activists, members of the Local "consultative Council", who organized the local People, spread the Petition, and tried to kindly speek (with Facts and Logic Arguments) in its favor in Public Hearings, were notoriouly targetted, harassed, submitted to Personal Aggressions, grossly Insulted, frequently Censored, Threatened with exclusions, etc.

 

As if ...  defending  People's elementary Right to keep Free Access to a few Trees, a Wood on a small Hill with an Historic Monument sculptured at its top, giving a rare overview to the Horizon, to the Sunset, to an open Stary Sky, etc. that even groups of local Children spontaneously demonstrated asking Corporate Bureaucrats "Hands off from our Hill !", there where they are used to play with the Sun, Oxygen, Trees, as well as with Winter's Snow (See Photos), desperately trying to protect the only free access to a unique spot of Nature for an entire Poor Neighborhood with many Family Homes, otherwise surrounded and suffocated by gray Concrete, Pollution, Noise and Risks of Accidents, etc, would be a "Crime", instead of a Democratic and Social Duty..

Curiously, the only reaction from the so-called "'Green" party Municipal Officials, ("Key" to the current "Socialo-Green" governing coalition), until now, was to ... totally ignore that Popular Petition, avoid replying on the substance in crystal-clear Press Questions, and even omit to participate in the Local concultative Council's session due to discuss this "hot" Environmental issue... Moreover, when the Head of Strasbourg's "Green" Party, Alain Jund, had initially the good idea to organize a meeting for interested, active citizens, to participate in the preparation of the City's Legal Land occupation Plan (PLU), nevertheles, both the promoters of that Popular Petition (already signed by several Hundreds of People), and an experienced former Leader of a 20 Years older Petition, which has saved a neighbouring "Small Wood", as well as the President of an Associciation on "Quality of Life" in HautePierre who had gathered more than 6.000 signatures just a few years earlier, who had all been officially proposed to participate in a formal Consultative Procedure at Municipal level (i.e. at the level of the entire City of Strasbourg), were, suddenly excluded in practice from any participation, just after they proposed to include also the protection of, precisely, the "Wood of the Hill with the Bridge" (See supra) !

Hopefully, however, the current astonishing Facts and subsequent Political Findings as far as so-called "Green" Politicians' real stance is , will serve EU Citizens' informed choices, not only now, for this week-end's 2011 Elections to the "Bas-Rhin" (Lower Rhine) Department, and/or  to the German Baden-Würtemberg's Länder, but also into the forthcoming National 2012 and 2013 Elections in France and Germany respectively, as well as to the subsequent 2014 Municipal Elections, particularly in Strasbourg, EU Parliament and CoE's HQ...

 

*Brussels/Angelo Marcopolo/- Surprisingly but wisely, EU Parliament's Plenary voted to postpone an initialy scheduled topical debate on Mediterranean and Neighbourhood Policy, amidst rapidly changing developments, including Popular Revolts reaching Syria, while bordering Turkey was strongly criticized by CoE to "Destroy" Democracy in Kurdish Regions, while Turkish Cypriot dissident Demonstrations continue in Cyprus' Territories occupied by Ankara's Military, expressing fears even about their "existence", as denounced a T/C Politician to "EuroFora" at an intercommunal Brussels' meeting which brought together Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots aspiring for a Democratic ReUnification of the island, instead of the Division that Turkey traditionaly searches to impose.
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Wednesday's EU Parliament's surprising, last minute decision, just after this week-end's launch of the EU/USA/Arab Ligue/UNO operation "to help the 'Libyan People", (See "EuroFora"s NewsReport from Elysée palace during Paris' Summit), to postpone an initially scheduled Debate on 3rd Mediterranean Countries and Neighbourhood policy, send the topical issue to Strasbourg's Next Plenary, at the beginning of April.

Meanwhile, the Mediterranean "Wind for Democracy" had blown from Tunis Egypt and Libya, towards Syria, at Turkey's borders :     

Spreading from the South to the North of Syria, demonstrations, arrests, violent clashes with Police, making a growing number of Wounded and Killed People this week, made EU's High Representative Cathy Ashton to officially express her "Deep Concern" and "sharp Condemnation", launching on Thursday Morning, just before the beginning of EU's Heads of State/Governments' Summit in Brussels, a "Call" to the Syrian Leadership" for change :

- Ashton denounced, in particular, "the increasing number of Persons Killed and Demonstrators arrested" in Syria, as well as "the use of Ammunition and Excessive Force against Peaceful Demonstrators", which "must cease immediately", as she stressed.

- Calling for "the immediate Release of all Persons Arrested during the Demonstations" throughout the country recently, Cathy Ashton "reiterated EU's call on the Syrian Authorities to uphold the Right to Peaceful Assembly, and to abide by International standards calling for the use of Non-Violent means by Law-Enforcement officials".

- "The leadership of Syria must meet the Legitimate grievances and aspirations of the People calling for Political and Socio-Economic Reforms, the End of the State of Emergency, and the Release of all Political Prisoners and Human Rights' Defenders", EU's High Representative concluded, even without great illusions to be immediately heard by Syrian President Assad junior..., particularly when he sees the blatant counter-example of his Neighbour, Turkey, which notoriously persists into Oppressing and Muzzling Critical Journalists, Arresting and Jailing Political Dissidents, persisting in a scandalous impunity of Tortioners, and Violently opposing Demonstrations and other collective moves by various dissidents, particularly in the sensitive Kurdish areas close to the Syrian borders, (Comp. earlier and subsequent "EuroFora"s relevant NewsReports)...
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+ Meanwhile, it's also in the Occupied Territories of Cyprus, held by Ankara's Military since the 1974 Invasion, that even Turkish Cypriots recently started to organize Massive Demonstrations to protest against Ankara's restrictive policies, provoking Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan's fury recently by their call "Ankara : Hands off Cyprus !", etc, as well as reported Death Threats and Bullets shot against Dissident Turkish Cypriot Newspaper "Afrika", but continuing fearlessly their movements also on next April, during EU Parliament's forthcoming weekly session in Strasbourg.

Turkish Cypriot dissidents, from Trade Unions, Political Parties, etc., were, together with their homologues from the Greek Cypriot community, this week at EU Parliament in Brussels, invited by EuroMPs as Takis Hadjigeorgiou (See recent statements to "EuroFora", given earlier in Strasbourg), and welcomed by EU Culture/Education Commissioner Androula Vassiliou from Cyprus on the occasion of an Exhibition of Historic Photographs showing common struggles of Greek and Turkish Cypriots fighting together for various Socio-Political issues.

- The Secretary General of PEO, the largest Trade Union in Cyprus, Pambis Kyritses, speaking to "EuroFora", reminded that, already since the Historic Murder of "Kavazoglu and Mesiaules", there are "many common activities, Cultural Events, Social Mobilizations, etc, and pointed also at the presence in Brussels of friendly T/C Trade Unionists, such as T/C Teachers' Trade Union's (KTOS) head Sener Elcil, etc.

The events were organized on the occasion of an official visit of the New Secretary General of the Governing Party (of President Christofias) AKEL, MP Andros Kyprianou, (a former CoE's MEP in Strasbourg), who met now in Brussels with EU Commission's President Jose Barroso and other Top EU Officials.

    - Speaking later at EU Parliament to "EuroFora", AKEL's Chief stressed that an annual event organized by the Governing Party each year had, this time (on 2011) focused, precisely, "into highligting common efforts and fights, by Greek and Turkish Cypriots, both in Social and Political issues, including, today, for the ReUnification of Cyprus". That's why we have invited several representatives of all Cypriots from the Civil Society of the island; such as Artists and Teachers, Trade Unionists, Politicians, etc, Andros Kyprianou told us, pointing, f.ex. to Izzet Izcan, Secretary General of the "United Cyprus" Party, (Birlesik Kibris partisi), and other Turkish Cypriots among a lot of invitees.

- Andros Kyprianou, speaking to "EuroFora", didn't exclude the eventuality for the current Mediterranan "Wind for Democratisation"  to reach also Turkey, after Tunisia, Egypt, Lybia, Syria, etc., but observed, nevertheless, that - "The situation is not the same".. I. e. obviously hinting mainly at the fact that the large Majority of the original Inhabitants of the Northern, Occupied Territories of Cyprus, have been notoriously forced to flee from their Family Homes and Ancestral Land, becoming Refugees/Displaced persons, since the 1974 Invasion and persisting Occupation by Ankara's Military, which still hinders their return,  despite many Condemnations by ECHR for such Massive Violations of Greek Cypriot Refugees/IDP's Human Rights, while many Turkish Cypriots have been pushed to emigrate and/or are marginalized by incoming Settlers from mainland Turkey. (I.e. something synonymous to a "War Crime" committed by an Occupying Power, acccording to the statute of the International Criminal Court... )

- AKEL's Chief launched a call for "our Turkish Cypriot compatriots to give Together this Struggle for the ReUnification of our Country", making it a Strategic "Bridge of Peace between the People" of the Eastern Mediterranean "and the EU".  For that purpose, Andros Kyprianou praised the "Tree which is deeply rooted in the Heart and the Conscience of progressive Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots", reminding us of "our common struggles for Social Justice and against Foreign Interventions and illegal Exploitation of our Land", against Crimes committed by some extremists, sauvinists and nationalists guided by Foreigners, bringing military invasion, forced division and still persisting occupation by Turkey, whose Prime Minister, Erdogan, recently  admitted that Ankara holds the northern territories of Cyprus "for its own Interests", and not for those of Turkish Cypriots, as  he noted.

 

Today, in order to succeed a Solution to Cyprus issue, which will guarantee all EU's Fundamental Freedoms for all the People of Cyprus, another Common Struggle of Greek and Turkish Cypriots is needed", he pointed out. "After the recent Massive reactions of our Turkish Cypriot Compatriots against the difficult Economic Situation which was provoked also by the Military presence of Turkey", raising, at least from a part of demostrators, also some crystal-clear aspiration on Cyprus' issue, against a restrictive economic policy imposed by Ankara's regime, which searches to control even the air Turkish Cypriots breathe, while also persisting to import Turkish Settlers who threaten to alter the island's Demographic stucture and provoke an explosive situation, as he characteristically said.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              ----------------------    

 

Meanwhile, T/C. dissident politician, Izzet Izcan, Head of the "United Cyprus" Party, (Birlesik Kibris partisi), speaking to "EuroFora", remembered that had met earlier, back on 2003, when a Tree for the reUnification of Cyprus was implanted, at the invitation of the then former CoE's Secretary General, Walter Schwimmer, by representatives of all Cyprus' Political Parties, both Greek and Turkish Cypriots : - "Yes, I was in Strasbourg", at the CoE, : - "How is going that Tree in Strasbourg ?" Izcan asked us..

- But, now, "Nothing is moving", towards Cyprus' ReUnification, sharply denounced the experienced Izcan to "EuroFora"s questions on how are going the prospects for a political agreement with the new leader of the Turkish Cypriot Community in the territories occupied by Ankara's army, Dervis Eroglou ...  

- I believe that currently Ankara isn't really ready for a Cyprus' reunification, which doesn't seem to be in Turley's "Agenda".

- "It seems that Turkey is playing games as well" with the EU, the experienced Izcan acknowledged, in reply to "EuroFora"s question if he believes that Turkey is really sincere about its controversial and unpopular EU bid, or if it uses that claim as a Pretext in order to press EU for other Political and/or Financial Concessions elsewhere, and in order to find an excuse to practically block Cyprus' reUnification, etc.    -"The Deep State in Turkey doesn't want EU Accession, that's for sure. But a Majority of People seem to wish a Democratisation, etc. Our Position is that Turkey should comply with EU Acquis, EU Regulations, etc. But at the end of Negotiations, if it really complies, it should accede. However, the EU - Turkey Negotiations are currently in "Deadlock". Main EU Countries as France and Germany don't want Ankara inside the EU, while Turkey is also "heading towards Asia", etc., he observed.

- Meanwhile, Izcan appeared much more anxious about the "Existence" of the authentic Turkish Cypriot Community as such, considering mainly the persisting massive influx of Settlers from mainland Turkey, which notoriously risks to outnumber and/or marginalize them, by provoking a "Demographic Alteration" of the Occupied Territories of Cyprus, already denounced twice by the CoE. This risks to become the "End of the Turkish Cypriot Community", which has become a "Hostage" of such "Games", because the Number of Settlers is increasing, accelerating and we are becoming a Minority" even inside the Occupied Territories, he denounced.

+ Izcan also agreed that it was "Strange" and "not normal" that, even after an ECHR's condemnation of Turkey, back on 2005, for blatantly failing to do any efficient Investigation on the 1997 cold-blood Murder of Dissident T/C Journalist Kutlu Adali, (killed with 5 bullets outside of his Family Home, in the Occupied Territories), on the contrary, Ankara apparently escaped from any COE Sanction or pressure after the issue was taken off CoE's Committee of Ministers Agenda, by a controversial decision immediately after Turkey assumed its Chairmanship, last June 2010 (See relevant "EuroFora"s NewsReport). The experienced Turkish Cypriot politician didn't exclude that this might be eventually due to some "Pressure" or threats, etc, perhaps exerted upon the murdered Journalist's Wife, Ilkay Adali, and or Daughter, similar to other such attempts of intimidation that they had denounced in the Past, and/or any other interference in an issue which, in fact, concerned all the Turkish Cypriot Community, particularly also after recent Murders  of dissident Journalists in Turkey (f.ex. Hrant Dink in 2007, etc), and/or Death Threats against living Turkish Cypriot dissident journalists, (f.ex. bullets fired against the Door of Sener Levent, of "Afrika" dissident Newspaper in the Occupied Territories of Cyprus), etc.

- Thus, Izcan spontaneously lauphed when "EuroFora" noted the strange attitude of some lobbies, which, instead of wishing for Turkey to really change for the better, now that Democratic aspirations seem to shake all 3rd Countries' old rigid regimes throughout all the Mediterranean, on the contrary, claim to .. impose a so-called "Turkish model" over the revolted Arab People's will : - "Turkey is only the kind of so-called pseudo-"Democracy" that some Americans would like to impose in the Mediterranean. But Not according to European standards, nor to People's really Democratic aspirations, critically stressed the experienced Turkish Cypriot politician to "EuroFora".
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Only .. Blind people might, indeed, be manipulated to adopt such a grossly erroneous view on Turkey, as topically reminds the ... Libyan Colonel "Kaddafi's Human Rights Prize, that was attributed to Turkish Prime Minister Tayip Erdogan who recently visited Tripoli for the award, end November 2010...
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Practically responding to the results of 2009 Local/Regional Elections by ....arresting and putting to Jail most Elected pro-Kurdish Representatives until now (2011), the Turkish State's attitude had a "disproportionately DESTRUCTIVE effect on... Democracy", CoE's watchdog on Local/Regional level : CLRAE, strongly denounced, by adopting an official Recommendation on Turkey this Thursday morning in Strasbourg, as Officials confirmed to "EuroFora", (See infra).

+ Moreover, during almost 15 Years : from 1997 up to 2011, the Turkish Government has been largely ignoring CoE's main Recommendations on the need for Democratic Reforms at least on the Regional/Local level in Kurdish areas of the country, CLRAE critically observed. F.ex., "No Steps have been taken to implement Congress Recommendation 229 (2007), ..to permit municipal councils to use Languages other than Turkish in the provision of public services when appropriate, and ...to allow Mayors and municipal councils to take “political” Decisions without fear of proceedings being taken against them", contrary to a CoE's demand for "Cultural Autonomy" of the mainly Kurdish regions since a 1997 Resolution. And a recent Law ..."has left Municipalities even More heavily Dependent upon Centrally determined Grants and introduced new Financial disciplines", while "Provincial Administrations still have No access to any “own Resources” for their funding". Moreover, still "the Autonomy of Provincial government is put into question in a situation where (its) Chief executive is...  an Appointee of the Central Government". Indeed, Ankara's Government never abolished main "Obstacles" to Local/Regional Democracy, which had been denounced by CLRAE since 1997, such as the imposition of an "Administrative Tutelage.. maintained in Article 127 of the Turkish Constitution", the 2011 CoE's text criticizes.

- Surprisingly, it's since the .. Begining of EU - Turkey Negotiations, i.e. as early as since "2005" that Reforms were "Reduced" and "Slowed" by Ankara, an official Recommendation adopted Thursday morning by CLRAE's Plenary observes from the outset, while CLRAE's Rapporteurs denounce ..."5 Years of Reduced actiity" (2005-2010), i.e. practically all the period of controversial and unpopular EU - Turkey Negotiations !...     
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Between 2008 and 2010, two of CLRAE's most experienced Members : Its vice-President Anders Knape, a Swedish ChristianDemocrat, and its Institutional Committee's Chairman, the Austrian Herwig Van Staa (former President of the CLRAE), visited 3 times Turkey, accompanied by Legal Experts, and concluded in 2011 by a critical Report noting "with Regret" many "Problems in the functioning of ... Democracy in Turkey" :             

- Most important, a "DESTRUCTIVE Effect on ..; Democracy in Turkey and (on) the Human Rights of ... Elected Representatives" of the People, is the "Disproportionate" "way that the existing Criminal and Anti-Terrorism Legislation is being implemented" in real practice, the official Recommendation adopted by CLRAE denounces.     

In their Report, the two mainstream CLRAE's Officials, Presidents Knape and Van Staa, critically observe, f.ex., among others, also that : "In December 2009 the Kurdish political party known as the DTP was Closed down", and "two of (the) most prominent members ....along with 35 other ..members (of) a successor party, the BDP, ...were Banned from participation in politics for a period of 5 Years", (i.e. almost up to 2015)...

- Immediately after "the Elections of 2009 (largely won by pro-Kurdish Elected Representatives in the South-East areas), ... Substantial Numbers of People have been Detained in Prison", in 3 Massive "Waves of Arrests (which) took place in April, September, and December 2009", they denounce. "In Total, some 1,500 People are now (still in 2011) being held in Detention", even "without charge or trial" !

- Among those Detained People (for 2 Years in Prison, without even Trial), "8 are current Mayors of municipalities, 9 are former Mayors, 39 are Municipal Councillors, and 12 are SPA Councillors. In addition ...there have also been some high profile Prosecutions ...affecting Prominent local Politicians", such as "the Mayor of Diyarbakır, Osman Baydemir, and the Mayor of Batman, Nejdet Atalay, ..both sentenced to 10 Months imprisonment" and "Banned (from) foreign travel", (etc).         

- "The Huge Number of Pre-trial Detentions" has an "Effect ..on ..the Democratic system", whose "extent", "is difficult to overstate", CoE's Rapporteurs observe. "The Loss of this Large Number of Elected Officials and others", inevitably "raises .. Concerns" and has "Consequences for .. Democracy". In particular to the detriment of "the local and regional Democracy in South Eastern Turkey", (i.e. on the mainly Kurdish areas), which is a "significant Casualty" of that situation, they warn.
=> "Measured by general European standards", "the Effect on Elected officials and on the institutions of Democracy" in Turkey,  is "disproportionately Destructive", CLRAE's Rapporteurs conclude.  

+ "2009-2010 has also been a Period during which a High level of Violence in the South East of the country has recurred", Knape and Van Staa observe, without taking sides, and ommitting to estimate the Number of Victims Wounded and/or Killed recently in Turkey, since Ankara's "Government Officials" reportedly complained that CLRAE's Rapporteurs would "not have the (Legal) powers or capacity to Investigate and Report generally" on such issues, which are "matter for separate Institutions", such as "Prosecutors, Judges", Security forces, etc.

But, more largely, "over Half (+ 50%) of Turkey’s Prison Population of nearly 120,000, are Unconvicted remand Prisoners", and, "consequently",  "the (Turkish) Prison and Court systems" are "Overloaded", "producing a situation which has a Disproportionately OPPRESSIVE effect on ...those held as (simple) Suspects", they denounce, as far as Human Rights in general are concerned in Turkey, taking into account ECHR's and other "independent" CoE's monitoring bodies' recent findings
--------------------------
      - "In any event", "there is ... a .. shared consensus that rapid institutional Change in Turkey will, ...always (sic !) be Difficult", because "a Conservative political class and Bureaucracy", and "the social, political and cultural inheritance of the founding principles of the (Turkish) Republic which place such a heavy emphasis (reinforced in the 1982 Constitution [imposed by the Turkish Military]) on a unitary and indivisible State, make the pursuit of decentralisation and ...regional and local self-government very difficult", observe CLRAE's Rapporteurs : Indeed, "those who oppose reform ...readily point out the potential Dangers of reforms which might have a Domino Effect in ... Dismantling of the (Turkish) State", which has less than 1 Century of existence since its establishment after the Armenian and Smyrne Genocides of 1915-1923 which artificially stopped the on-going Dissolution of the former Ottoman-Turc Empire, with apparently too unstable brakes...

    Curiously,  CLRAE's Debate on the "destructive" "problems" faced by Local/Regional Democracy in Turkey is the only one to be excluded from the Publication of Video-records which exist, on the contrary, for all other CLRAE Debates this week in Strassbourg, "EuroFora" found...

 

 

 

 

 *Brussels/Angelo Marcopolo/- EU Parliament Rapporteurs and other EU personalities, replying to "EuroFora" and other Journalists' Questions, including on Gasperi's Historic premonitory observations, expressed both reserves that Military action to help revolted Libyan People against Military attacks by Colonel Kaddafi's regime might go towards NATO, instead of an EU's Defence and Security policy, and Hopes that a permanent Financial Stability Mechanism will not stay exclusively in a €uroZone Member States' InterGovernemental New structure, at nearby Luxembourg, but could also be linked with an EU framework, after a necessary impulse was successfully given by an initially Franco-German initiative spearheaded by President Sarkozy and Chancellor Merkel (Comp. "EuroFora"s NewsReports from 12/2010 Freiburg's and Brussels' Summits, as well as 2/2011 Brussels' Summit).

Both, almost parallel moves, timely challenged, in fact, on 2011, Historic European Politician Alcido de Gasperi's prioneer 1952-1954 views that European Political Integration could be achieved only with the "Driving power" of a Single Currency and/or a Common Defence policy, which both needed also a Values' driven, European Ideologic "Mentality", to be developed mainly by Democratic Political Debate, as reminded a Book recently published and presented at EU Parliament in Brussels by his Daughter, Maria Romana di Gasperi (See infra).
 
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Questioned today by "EuroFora" and other Journalists, during a Press Conference at EU Parliament in Brussels, at the eve of EU Heads of State/Government's Summit next Thursday and Friday, March 24 and 25, about the main substance of the outcome which appears to result this week from EU Parliament's decision, earlier in Strasbourg, to Postpone its Vote on the New, Permanent Financial Stability Mechanism for €uroZone Countries, until EU States' Governments accepted a stronger role for EU Commission and Parliament, its Co-Rapporteurs, German ChristianDemocrat MEP Elmar Brok, and Italian Socialdemocrat MEP Roberto Gualtieri, explained the main reasons for theri satisfaction from EU Council's positive reply in a Letter sent yesterday, March 22, by EU Commissioner Oli Rehn and €uroGroup's Chairman, Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Juncker :

 -"EuroFora" asked EU Parliament's co-Rapporteurs on the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) to make it crystal-clear, whether, "to oversimplify things, if we understood well, the main Amendments that EU Parliament wishes are not so much about the Content, but rather about the Role that MEPs, as Representatives of EU Citizens, would play in the Decision Making Process, now and in the Future. (Apparently), that's (seems to be) the main thing. Is there anything else ? Or this is, indeed, the main focus ?", we asked them to confirm.

+ "Second, the Result is that, if we have a Regulation governing the Conditions to the Granting of an Aid, this means that, if, from one side, the decision will be taken by the Governors of the ESM, because it's Governments' Money", nevertheless, "the Conditions governing these Aids, (i.e.) the MacroFinancial Surveillance Program and the Economic Adjustment Program (of the Member State concerned), will be governed by a Procedure which will be defined by the (EU) Regulation, which is a Legal act of the (European) Union, co-decided by the (EU) Council and the (EU) Parliament", the Italian MEP added.

- "This means that we establish a Link between an InterGovernemental leg, I'd say, of the Mechanism, and a(n EU) Community leg of the Mechanism, linking together these two elements, and avoiding the Risk of creating a kind of "Parallel" InterGovernemental (European) Union Governance, outside of the EU Institutional framework, which was the bigger Risk , reinforced also by the fact that the Original Project of Competitivity Pact was a project which was also a Risk to  establish a kind of Parallel EU Governance", as the mainstream Socialist MEP found.

- "Now, our (EU Parliament's) efforts have been to link the InterGovernemental side with the (EU) Community side, and I think that this element is very important, (i.e.) a Strong Link between the two Dimensions", Gualtieri underlined.

- "So, we had a Role of the (EU) Parliament which is both "Procedural", (i.e.) on how MEPs can influence an outcome, and which is also about the Content : Because the Regulation means involvment of the (EU) Parliament in the definition of the procedure governing the Conditions" of ESM's future Aides, he concluded.
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    As for German ChristianDemocrat MEP, Elmar Brok, he had already stressed, earlier in this same Press Conference, the fact that, several times in Europe's History, "an InterGovernemental Initiative always started something (New), because it was impossible to do it under the standard EU competences, since the (EU) Treaty didn't allow that. But afterwards we put it into a Framework of a Community Method, so that the Unity of an EU approach is kept", as he had said from the outset.

    Therefore, now, after EU Council accepted most EU Parliament's last minute demands for Changes to an initial Draft Text on ESM,  "nothing can be done without proposals, without assessment, without checking by EU Commission", and the framework conditions have to be done under a Regulation", where both EU Commission and EU Parliament play a full role, Brok had observed.

    Indeed, even if ESM's decision to grant, or not, an Aide to an €uroZone Member State, and under what concrete conditions, is to be taken by an InterGovernemental Board of Governors, due to be headquartered in Luxembourg, according to EU Council's Draft, due to be endorsed by EU Heads of State/Government's Summit here during the next 2 Days, nevertheless, EU Commission plays useful role at various stages of the procedure (See supra), while the Regulation which will define the General Conditions for the granting of such Financial Aides, has to be co-decided together by EU Governments, Commission and Parliament, which will, moreover, be "regurlarly informed" on how the New €uroZone's Mechanism functions in practice, according to the Compromise Draft.
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    But, according to another Journalist, from "Radio Radicale" (Italy), EU Council's replies to EU Parliament's such requests weren't always as positive as expected, and "this is the 1st time it happened", while recently we saw something like that also for the Budget. So, aren't you astonished of what is happening, including asking for a Treaty Change ?, the collegue's question apparently criticized about the InterGovernemental initiatives.

    - However, Brok was anew adamant : - "First of all, this (ESM) concerns the Crisis of the €uro : Not the Crisis of certain €uroZone Countries. Second, politically, it was absolutely clear, that this question could find an answer only in a Simplified (decision-making) procedure, which makes it possible not to have certain Countries' Referenda : We don't want that", he explained realistically.

    - "And we have done it several times" : I.e. Start Moving Forward, with an InterGovernemental Lead. But, making sure that EU Institutions are Part of it, and make it, later, (EU) Community Policy. F.ex. in Shengen's case, of Justice and Home Affairs", etc., Brok reminded.

    This was apparently endorsed by an overwhelming Majority of MEPs who adopted, later this afternoon, at EU Parliament  Plenary's votes in Brussels, the Compromise Amendments to the ESM agreed by Brok and Gualtieri with Rehn and Juncker (See supra).
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    Meanwhile, the Dialectic tensions between InterGovernemental Initiatives and EU or narrower Groups' moves to start realizing a new European policy, emerged also at another crucial field for EU Integration this week, on the occasion of Topical developments on the Libyan issue, where Brussels' growing rumours about a possible coordination of Military actions by NATO went on, at the same moment that, after expressing strong regrets for the absence yet of an immediately active "EU Defence and Security policy", with "all necessary instruments", already since the start of the Libyan crisis,  experienced MEPs as EPP's 1st vice-President Vito Bonsignore, (See his statements to "EuroFora" in earlier NewsReport), timely added a Press Conference on a recent Book about Alcide de Gasperi from Italy, generally considered, together with Schuman (France) and Adenauer (Germany), one of the spiritual fathers of Modern Europe :

 

    - Asked to comment on the fact that the Book "Alcide de Gasperi : Christian, Democrat, European", that she presented, together with Bonsignore, at the aftermath of the 50th Anniversary since the death of the European Politician, almost ends with the Past reject of an initial attempt to create a European Defence (1954), she observed that, indeed, at that period,  - "My Father was ill and wasn't able to go to Paris (before the Vote) on EDC. Some Days afterwards, he was shocked when he heard about the results (of the Referendum) that he considered as a "Calamity". He firmly believed that the European Defence Policy played a key role for a Political integration of Europe. At that moment, he almost thought that the European project was blocked. But later he hoped that such obstacles would be lifted "in a Few Years" time. "He didn't foresee such a long period", until today, de Gasperi's daughter regretted now, almost Half a Century later (1954-2011, i.e. obviously implying that Gasperi was more right, on the crucial importance of EU Defence policy, than he thought)...

    + But, almost immediately afterwards, replying to another question, De Gasperi's daughter also gave another (and apparently linked) Critical view on EU's development through History :  - "I don't know what's going on, but in the EU Parliament, almost everything is done in a so distant, Cold way, that you can't imagine that it could raise the Enthousiasm, particularly of Young People !", she regretted.

    Obviously this  is linked with the importance given in the Book on Alcide de Gasperi about the Political dimension, Identity and Values of Europe, pointing at the need to stimulate a Motivating Speech able and willing to raise EU Citizens' interest, accession and Involvement : - "I want more to speak about the the Common European Heritage, that Single Morality that exalts the Human Person and his ad, .. that Culture of Law, inherited from the Classical World, .. and that desire for Truth and Justice, sharpened by a Thousand of Years of Experience", Gasperi had stressed then (4/1954), explaining why, "together with (Historian and Philosopher) Toynbee, I affirm that Christiantity is at the Root of our European Civilisation".

     - Pointing at the importance of forging a conscious Ideology among EU Citizens and Officials, Gasperi had stressed, indeed, that "a European Mentality had to be created : .. SupraNational Institutions will not be enough, and may well become no more than a Playing Field in which particular interests compete, if the men assigned to them don't feel that they represent Higher and European Interests. Without this European Mentality, any formula uponwhich we decide, may be no more than empty legal abstraction", the Book published recently by EU Parliament's EPP Group with a preface from its President, Joseph Daul of France, timely reminds now, particularly after the recent creation of EU's 6.000 Agents' strong External Action Service, with a vibrant tribute to Gasperi as "unanimously recognized as one of the Architects of European Integration", including as "a Community of Values", to develop together with concrete economico-social measures, such as the Historic "European Coal and Steel Community", that he co-created together with Schuman and Adenauer, and chaired himself "on May 1954", after being granted the Charlemagne Prize at Aachen (Germany) since 1952.

    That's precisely why de Gasperi "had in mind", since then (1951-1954), "the creation of an Elected European Assembly, .. to which an Executive body would be answerable", as he had said at the CoE in Strasbourg, proposing even to "award Constituent Powers", "as a kind of European Constituent Assembly, with the task of drawing up an overall federal proposal" , i.e. almost as Valery Giscard d'Estaing, former French President and EU Convention's Chairman, recently proposed in Strasbourg for EU Parliament, to meet together with representatives from National EU Member States' Parliaments, in a kind of "EU Congress", "f.ex. on 2015", (See relevant 2010 "EuroFora"s NewsReport)...  

    I.e. by finding innovative ways to create Vital and Ambitious, New Democratic, Political Links between EU Politicians and EU Citizens, shortly after the next EU Elections of 2014, and while "EU Political Parties" would have been previously given a chance to be developed, according also to a New Report drafted by experienced EPP Greek EuroMP Marietta Gianakou, former Minister, for the next EU Parliament's Plenary session in Strasbourg, at the beginning of April)..
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    Meanwhile, asked by "EuroFora" to comment on the fact that Financial Stability Mechanism goes to an "€uroZone"s new body in Luxembourg, while Military coordination of the Libyan operation seems, at least partially, to head towards NATO,  as if EU was left .. alone in the middle of two apparently contrary trends, (one towards Europe's core, another towards a Trans-Atlantic, larger scope), an experienced Official from EU President Van Rompot's Office, former long-time Brittish Socialist MEP, observed later that EU Council would be glad if it succeeded to lift any "Damocles' sword above our heads" for eventual Disagreements in EU's Summit :

    - As for the 1st point, it's normal for €uroZone Member States to have an InterGovernemental basically structure for their ESM's decisions, since they pay the Money concerned. While, on the 2nd point, "we (EU) didn't yet have developed a Security and Defence policy" prior to the Libyan 2011 Crisis, as he said. Therefore, we (Europan Council's Presidency) would be very glad if we succeed to have relevant Agreements, on both issues, by all the 27 EU Member States' leaders, he optimistically concluded.

    But, meanwhile, the fact that a Pamphlet already published earlier : on "Winter 2010/2011", about ESDP, contains an Article by a British Expert astonishingly predicting that "NATO could play a stronger role in Europe's Neighbourhood, (including North Africa and the Middle East), as a complement to EU efforts to encourage Political Reform", as it suggests even before EU Heads of State/Government decide, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow (Thursday and Friday, 24 and 25 March 2011), added to NATO Member Turkey's controversial stance on the Libyan affair, (particularly after the Colonel "Gadhafi's Prize for Human Rights" recently awarded to Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan, end of November 2010), might need at least some Clarifications or, at least, Safeguards in order to become able to guarantee a smooth and correct functioning of the delicate operation decided by Democratically Elected Leaders from the EU, USA, Arab Ligue and UNO, (comp. "EuroFora"s NewsReport from last Saturday's, March 19, Paris' International Summit)....