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EU should first "see where the Money goes", in order to be able to consciously judge on 2011 Strategic Political issues in EU's MultiAnnual Financial Perspectives 2013-2020, comparing f.ex. Activities and Geography, replied the next EU Council's President in office, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, to "EuroFora"s question on hard choices which apparently must be made between funding f.ex. Cohesion, Agriculture and High-Tech. Investments (as GALILEO, etc) Policies, or Turkey's notoriously controversial and impopoular EU bid, etc., while unquestionably European and developed Countries as Ukraine, a.o. are still waiting on the pipeline with legitimate hopes for perspectives to join the EU in the forthcoming Decade, as he acknowledged without taking anything for granted. carefully...

Sikorski, who was visiting EU Parliament for the 1st time in order to prepare the forthcoming Polish EU Chairmanship, from July to December 2011, met with several key MEPs, including its President, Jerzy Buzek, a former Prime Minister in Poland, with which the young Minister had started to serve in Government, as he reminded. Meanwhile, Polish MEP Jacek Saryuz-Wolski, experienced former President of EU Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, who hosted Sikorski's 1st venue to Strasbourg, had already stressed to "EuroFora" the particular importance for a good and solid, in depth Preparation of the forthcoming Polish EU Presidency, inter alia, also, precisely, because of the need to carefully examine the particularly thorny and delicate issue of EU's Multi-Annual Financial Perspectives, which imply several Strategic Political choices...

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 - "As you said, you shall have very difficult, but also passionate and "Ambitious" Tasks, inter alia also the  Financial Perspectives of the EU, which is very Political also", noted "EuroFora" in the 1st of our 2 Questions during the Polish Foreign Minister's Press Conference at EU Parliament in Strasbourg.- "As you know, recently (12/2010) there was a Letter from British Prime Minister, Mr. Cameroon, which was agreed also by other (EU) Countries, such as France, Germany and Netherlands, etc., to try to have a Zero Growth" in EU's annual Budgets" in the foreseeable Future.

 - "But, you shall have the (EU) Cohesion (and Agricultural) policies to fund; which are very important, also the High-Tech investments as, f.ex. eventually GALILEO (Satellite Navigation System), etc., and you shall have also the Accession or Open-ended Negotiatons with Turkey, which take almost 1 Billion € each year, etc", we reminded.                                                                                                     

 => - "How do you think that you shall succeed to find Priorities to invest in what you think (that) it's best for EU's Development in Future ?", "EuroFora" asked Sikorski.  

    + "And (in) a 2nd, only partly related Question", we reminded him that : "You spoke about the Eastern Partnership, EU Enlargement Perspectives, etc, while "You have an interesting Country, close to Poland, but also for all Europe, which is Ukraine", "EuroFora" noted

- "Independently of the Governments which come and go, what are your views about the perspectives for Ukraine ? They have "Antonov" Technology (on Airplanes), they have Raw Materials, (f.ex. Wheat, Uranium, etc), and, Culturally and Geographically, they are unquestionably an European Country", we observed. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

- "'Do you think that there might be perspectives (to join the EU), in one way or another, in the Future ?", "EuroFora" asked Sikorski.
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    Forthcoming EU Chairman's replies to "EuroFora"s Questions were Sharp on both points :

     - "You said that the Brittish PM Letter proposed Zero Growth. (But) my recollection is that it proposed the Cutting Down of the Budget of the EU to 0,85% of EU GDP, so, it was much Stricter than even what you suggest...", Sikorski bitterly but accurately observed, as a matter of fact, (citting the initial Cameroon move, compared to which the deal brokered with Merkel, Sarkozy and the Dutch was an upgraded compromise).

    - "As the EU incoming Presidency, we (Poland) are Guardians of the Procedures. Therefore, we believe that the MultiAnnual Financial framework should be proceeded on according to the (EU) Treaties", he stressed, as a matter of principle.

    => - "Namely : 1st the proposal by the EU Commission. Then, Negotiations. Then, a Full Fight. Then, a Deal", Sikorski, characteristically described.

    - "I.e., "Not the other way round : Not pre-Judging the Outcome, before the whole procedure", he pointed out.

     >>>"And, it's particularly important, because it's only on the basis of the Commission's proposals that we'll actually see where the Money would go, in terms of Areas of expenditure, and areas Geographically", he explained, obviously in relation to "EuroFora"s concrete examples (See supra).

    - "So, it's only on the basis of the (EU) Commission's proposals (that) we'll be able to see whether there is . Ambitious Project, or an Economy Budget. And (it is) in that Light that (EU) Countries will be able to make their Judgements"; he concluded.

 

    I.e. Sikorski spoke as if he didn't exclude a possibility for Funds to be re-allocated according to better choices focused on the main EU Priorities, so that, even if comparatively Secondary issues might be reduced, revised or droped somehow, at least during this period of financial Global Crisis, on the contrary, the most Important, key matters of Vital significance to EU's Future, are not only saveguarded, but, perhaps, even more Strengthened and developed, f.ex. by concentrating EU Funds on what is more substantial for the kind of Europe.which is politically desirable.

    - "So, it's in this sense, that "we (forthcoming Polish EU Presidency) will be Friends of the Community method, as I've already mentioned" earlier, he added, trying to get also EU Commission on his side.
    
    - This goes"particularly on such a Political issue as Money" for the next 1O Years, Sikorski undelined in fine, Smiling, in an obvious hint at "EuroFora"s introductory remarks on the "Political" importance of the choices to be made on the MultiAnnual EU's Financial Perspectives (See supra).
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    + Meanwhile, "as regards Ukraine, well, Poland is a Founding Member of "Friends of Ukraine Group", he reminded in reply to "EuroFora"s 2nd question (See supra).

       -  Therefore, "we'd be delighted if we were able to Sign the "Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with Ukraine, on our watch, including the Comprehendsive Free Trade Zone", i.e. between July and December 2011, he anounced.

    - "'But, it takes 2 to tangoe", Sikorski observed carefully...

    - "So, it needs to be Flexibility on both sides, both (EU) Commission and Ukraine, for it to happen", he warned.
 
    - "'I've personally been to Kiev several times, including together with my German collegue, my Swedish collegue (Foreign Ministers Westerwelle and Bildt), etc., the President of EU Commission (Barroso) has just been to Kiev, (and) we are Neighbours and have a close and intense relationship with Ukraine", he reminded.

    - So, "we are Aware of Ukraine's Strengths, and also of some of its Vulnerabilities", but "the relationship has to be a Legal one" , Sikorski pointed out smiling, in relation to "EuroFora"s earlier concrete remarks, (See supra).

    -" As regards Ukraine's European perspective, ... I know that the Ukranian Government would very much like to have that in the Partnership Agreement", he observed.

    - But, "I'm afraid (that) it's not in the mandate" given to Poland, he regretted, at least for the moment.

    - However, "let me remind you, that, when we (Poland) were a Candidate, we didn't have it either : We had only an one-sided Polish Declaration, that we have an "Aspiration" to join the EU. Yet, we are (EU) Members today !", Sikorski reminded, in an obviously Encouraging way.

     - "So, I think that the Lesson is that "You have to make it a National Obsession for a Decade" to join the EU, and, so, perhaps, you can eventually do it", he advised Ukraine and other interested European Countries, symbolically speaking the same day in Strasbourg that EU Parliament's Plenary voted with an exceptionally Strong Majority of 548 MEPs in favor, against 43 and 52 abstentions only, following the visit in Strasbourg also of the Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor.

    - "But nobody is going to guarantee you anything in advance", he warned everybody, (adding in the balance also his personal experience as former Journalist and husband of a Journalist).

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Concrete work on Economic Governance, (including Competitivity), and Immigration are the main EU "priorities", responding to present challenges, including on Food Prices, Democratic and Social Reforms currently desired by the People of several Neighbouring Mediterranean Countries, which can strenghen "de facto" the emergence of a European conscience among EU Citizens, even before starting, afterwards, to explicitly deal with other important EU matters, hierarchised the President of EU Parliament's biggest political Group, that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP, French MEP Joseph Daul  to "EuroFora".          

- "We must work on the (Economic) Governance"     of the EU, "I've been saying that since several years, but today it's obvious that it's not possible to do otherwise", he reiterated, speaking to "EuroFora" just after his Press Conference in Strasbourg..

- On the series of Priorities,  "I think that we'd better settle, at first, the problem of Immigration, stabilize the Economy, really deal with all these issues", Daul stressed.

- "Apparently we shall have a lot to do on that, considering also what is currently going on around us, at the EU Countries of the Mediterranean region", he topically observed.

- "Afterwards, we can open (contribute to) all other files (matters)", he concluded, looking ahead, f.ex. on pre-anounced debates on EU's Future, etc. 

    In particular, we "hadn't anticipated what happened in several neighbouring Mediterranean Countries. We must help Democratic Reforms desired by their People, (as he said for regimes like Ben Alis and Mubarak's in Tunisia and Egypt, which "were members of the International Socialist"), and an efficient Economy able to have also a Social Dimension". And this is also for our (EU's) own sake, when we see what happens f.ex. in Lambadusa (Italy)", where Thousands of Immigrants started to arrive mainly from Tunisia, Daul said earlier. They are not so much fleeing a political regime as extremely difficult economic situations, considering, in particular the recent excessive augmentation of Food prices : As I warned several times in the Past, Food Prices risk to augment sharply, even provoking mass immigration and Popular revolts, and this is probably just starting, so that we must also help Social Cohesion and Middle Classes also in this area, he observed. Meanwhile, as far as it concerns the Shengen system, Romania and Bulgaria appear rather ready to fullfil soon the conditions, "even if Bulgaria has still to make progress particularly in its borders with Turkey".

    On the Economic Competitivity Pact (See "EuroFora"s NewsReports from EU Brussels Summit, 4/2/2011), I salute the frank talk of the Franco-German couple, about what I've been saying since the beginning of the (Global) crisis : We (EU) can't have "Tabou" (untouchable) issues. F. ex. we can't talk about Pensions when one EU Country sticks to 60 Years of age while another Country moves up to 67, (See recent Daul's replies to "EuroFora"s Questions on 12/2010), etc. We (€uroZone) can't have enormous differences, if we live inside one and the same Monetary system. At any case, I believe in the force of proposal of the Frano-German couple, it's often necessary to have new ideas and advance forward, but we must also pay attention to the way in which we do it, preferably for all 27 EU Countries and in a Community method, Daul added earlier, exceptionaly reading his notes at this specific point.

EU Parliament's Plenary is also due to debate and vote on most of these issues during this week's EU Parliament's Plenary in Strasbourg, which topically convenes just before the 1st G8-G20 Financial Ministers meeting from Thursday to Saturday in Paris, topically at the eve of the opening of the 2011 Agricultural salon, with the participation of French President Sarkozy.

The move came in reaction to French Press News, earlier today, that Sarkozy reportedly proposed to start opening socio-political debates on multiculturalism- communautarism and integration from March 2011 and later-on, surfing on Merkel's and Cameroon's parallel statements in the 3 biggest EU Countries, particularly after his earlier public statements surprisingly found en unexpected echo even among some Leftist Intellectuals and Human Rights Defenders honored by UNESCO, CoE, etc, (See relevant recent "EuroFora"s NewsRepot).

- "Cameroon made a speech, you know, against MultiCulturalism (in fact : Communautarism : See infra), it was hard to mention, but it was the 1st time he said that MultiCulturalism failed, because we have particularly come out on People obliged to live in Suburbs-Prisons (Ghettos), in Separate Development, not integrating into the Mainstream, some of them even breaching Laws and respect for our own Country, our own Values, our own (Cultural) Concepts, etc".

- "That, clearly, is not acceptable for the Future !", the experieh MEP stressed.

- "If we don't do anything about it, (then) the Extreme Right will try to exploit that and start gaining more votes", he warned.

- In consequence, "Yes, there has to be a(n EU) Debate. The  British People know that we are on their side. Already, too many People are voting for Extremist Parties. (But) we don't want Extreme Parties to become succesful" in their attempts to exploit that.

=> - "(So, it's) the Mainstream (who) has to take ownership of these issues", he concluded.

- On EU level "I think that we (EU Parliament) should have a very full and frank debate about how to go on Immigration, particularly on the MultiCulturalism (more precisely : Communautarism : see supra), and the need for better Integration".

- Because otherwise it's playing the game of Extremist parties, and it's also provoking "huge problems on Social Cohesion in some of our (EU Member) Countries", he observed.

Experienced observers noted that this might be coordinated with, or at least pave the way towards an earlier promissed, and long overdew, Democratic EU Debate on Europe's Future, which includes EU Identity and values, etc.

On the contrary, some "Socialist" and other opposition politicians, f.ex. in France, started at the same time to ask for "Non-EU Foreign Immigrants' Vote in Local Elections", as if they might be feeling that they risk to lose the trust of EU Citizens. (Something that even the long-time former Socialist French President Mitterand never adopted, reportedly judging it unpopular among EU Citizens and/or risking to open dangerous doors against Socio-Cultural Cohesion and for risks of Foreign Interferences in EU Countries' internal affairs by some Foreign Governments notoriously organizing and exploiting their immigrants' separate communautarism, massively closing them into Cultural Ghettos).

   

    Astonishingly, it's probably the 1st time that even Leftist pro-Muslim MEPs, as Mrs Ernst and Vergiat, from Germany and France, respectively, replying to "EuroFora"s questions, warned about recently growing Executions of imprisoned People, includng Political Dissidents, but also about risks of Nuclear Proliferation f.ex. to Neighbouring Turkey's Military lobby, etc., both already dangerously linked with their common neighbour, Pakistan, which is notoriously blocking UNO's Disarmament Conference precisely on Proliferation issues.

                                                                             
    The Leftist MEP agreed with "EuroFora" that a risk cannot be excluded that, in such a situation, even f.ex. the Military lobby in Turkey, eventually exploits Iran's delicate situation, in one way or another, in order to get itself enriched Uranium and Fissile Materials augmenting dangers for Nuclear Proliferation in this delicate region, particularly since their neighbour Pakistan notoriously blocks UNO's efforts to negotiate an Interational Treaty on Fissile Materials cut-off in the Disarmament Conference at nearby Geneva, (See earlier "EuroFora"s NewsReport from Geneva).

 - "Yes, yes. Of course. We can't say that such Risks don't exist.... For the moment, we are just observing the situation, but we don't know what may come afterwards", she warned carefully, adding more observations to "EuroFora" after the Press Conference

 "EuroFora" reminded that Vergiat and her Group had earlier pushed what she called "objectivity vis a vis Muslim Populations" to the point to even abstain in the vote of a Resolution condemning the recent Massacres of Christian People in Iraq, Egypt and elsewhere, (See NewsDrafts send earlier to "EuroFora"s Donors/Subscribers), even if, in fact, she agreed with it, just because she didn't want to give the impression that it criticized only States the majority of the population of which was Muslim.

- "How come then, that even you criticize, now, the Government of Iran ?", we asked her.

- "Because Muslim People are exploited by Integrists : That's exactly what is happening at Iran !", Leftist MEP Vergiat sharply replied.

- "We (EU Parliament) shouldn't give the impression that we are only worried about the Human Rights of Christians", she reiterated. "I abstained on Christians, because that text implied that only Christians were victims of violence. Or, it's not true : Because "the Main Victim are Muslim People facing Integrists : That's what happens at Iran !"- "We Europeans shouldn't give the impression that we are only helping about the Human Rights of Christians", she reiterated. We can defend Democracy and Human Rights, on condition to do that everywhere and for everybody.

- So, we are denouncing what is happening at Iran, taking into consideration the present situation : Nobody should forget what is going on at Iran, if the oppression is so strict : They speak about Thousands  in just a few days ! That's why we must be more critical than usually", she concluded.

Marie Christine Vergiat replied to "EuroFora"s questions together with German MEP Cornelia Ernst, mainly during a Press Conference at EU Parliament with Pascal Deschamps, Member of the International Committee against Executions.

They denounced a massive acceleration of Death Executions at Iran, reportedly aiming to "terrorise" Political Dissidents", some of whom where included among those killed since the start of 2011, reaching often the macabrius number of "2 Executions each Day"...

Ernst pointed out, inter alia, that efforts to create "potentially useful" links between EU Parliament's Delegation and Irani MPs were "blocked", reportedly by the regime.