[Cannes 2009 1st prize: White Ribbon links a France-Germany-Austria-Italy film on 1913's EU People's values, before WW's divisions]

Cannes 2009 1st prize: White Ribbon links a France-Germany-Austria-Italy film on 1913's  EU People's values, before WW's divisions

A beautiful, Human and strong film, on simple but profound European People's lives and values on 1913, at the eve of the Wars which devastated and divided Europe, took the 1st prize at the International Cannes' 2009 Festival.

Symbolically, it's a Franco-German cooperation, with Austria and Italy, linked by the "white ribbon" of the story of young boy who refuses to accept that persons may die, even at an early age. This goes also for a small bird, whose life he tries to save, and a fortiori for his mother, friends and fellow citizens.

It certainly must be fully checked before final appraisal, but it certainly deserves to be checked...

Well done the conclusion of French Prime Minister Fillon's speech, where the need to create a "European consciousness", based on EU's history, culture, values of human rights/democracy, and identity, clearly contradicts US chiefs Clinton-Bush-Obama's pressure to impose Turkey inside the EU.

Something that would obviously nullify European Citizen's potential to build a strong, democratic and well developed common future.

....    The substantial reasons for that, were  made crystal-clear by France's Prime Minister Francois FILLON :

- "These (2009) EU Elections are not like others. To overcome the current Crisis we need a Political Europe with a strong Will, able to act, innovate and change things.. A main question is  : Shall we let EU go into a slow routine, or will we give her the guiding tools that will make her able to succesfully face the Global competition"?

- "That's why, vis-a-vis the other side of the Ocean (i.e. USA, which always pushes to impose Turkey into the EU, from Clinton to Bush and Obama) we (Europeans) must defend our vision for a Europe which has a substance" :

- "We have a Culture. We have a Cultural Heritage. We have a Civilisation shared with all European countries. Europe has a common Cultural Heritage, a common Culture", Fillon stressed.

- "Europe claims also Moral Values, (i.e. Human Rights, Democracy) which forge our Identity, and outline the limits of this Europe. Humanism, Freedom of Thought, Rule of Law, are European Values. And these Rights are more advanced today in Europe than in the rest of the World, away from EU's borders. The Individual Person is better protected, more recognized in Europe than in other areas of the World."

- "Europe has a Soul, and  must have an Identity. That's why Enlargement must respect some clear Rules about its Borders. Europe cannot enlarge endlessly. .. Europe must be organized around these Countries which share its Cultural Heritage, share its History, and share its Values" (i.e. Human Rights).

 - "That's why our refusal to admit Turkey in Europe, is not a mark of hostility vis a vis this big country, .. But this refusal expresses our need to make a European Consciousness emerge inside clearly defined borders. And a European Consciousness will never exist if Turkey is inside the EU !", he concluded, largely applauded.

See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/ludresump.html 

Thanks Candide, for all those EU political parties' links !

Useful work, but insufficient :

A) I think that your links should be better classified, re-grouped in another way, avoiding any risk to give the impression that a few grass-roots superficial small groups which mushroomed recently, would be placed at a similar level as old and recognized political EU parties.

B) Most important : What citizens need is much more IDEAS to debate on, i.e. the EU political parties' Manifestos and a comparative critical analysis of their respective positions on the main issues affecting People's lives and future.

What's the "1997-2008" period for ? Is it a reference to an identical, similar, or substantially different initial project since "1997" ?

Just curious to find out..

Turkey's controversial EU bid, ......at the focus of EU Parliament's session next week in Strasbourg. ...

You omitted to mention also : "EU - Brazil and Mexico strategic partnerships", which seem more important. As well as EU - South Africa additional protocol, EU - Israel and EU - Armenia agreements etc., which seem closer to Europe's history and culture.

... at the same time as EU Citizens' initiatives (Referenda ?) and EU Elections' anniversary 1979-2009, .....
What a coincidence...

Can you guess American Citizens' views if anyone asks them to enlarge the U.S. to Mexico, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Colombia ?

(At least, Colombia is symbolically linked with Colombo's history)...