

CoE at 70yo to ByPass Orwell GeoPolitics by Values Uniting Big Europe in SG Handover Jagland-Buric ?
*Strasbourg/Historic Town Hall-CoE Ceremony/Angelo Marcopolo/- Now Aged 70 y.o. (1949-2019), on Today's Handover between Experienced Jagland (2009-2019), and Brand New Buric at its Head as Secretary General for 2019-2024, with Russia fully Back (since June), the UK inside, and reNewed Vows for Peace and Human Rights, the Oldest and Larger European Organisation, CoE, ready to Welcome voluntarist French President Macron in Strasbourg on October, at a High point of the current 2019 Chairmanship by France, near Rhein River's Franco-German Borders, just Before a ReUnified Germany takes over its rotating Chair on 2020, at First Sight, it appears Well Equiped in order to Avoid the Risk of Orwell's Book "1984" dreadful GeoPolitics, (with Russia and the UK at Opposit Exits of a Divided Europe, surounded by Conflicts provoking Massive Refugee Flows at its Neighbbourhood, Hypocritical "DoubleTalk" and Oppressive "Big Brother" inside), if it Succeeds to revive the Dream of a Great Europe Unified around Core Values.
To put it Briefly, it seems that an Historic Dillema in Nowadays Globalisation, GeoPoliticaly was to Either become "Big Brother", or "Big Europe" !
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"Eurofora"s exchanges with UK's and Russia's Ambassadors/Permanent Representatives to the CoE, (See Infra), on the sidelines of a Symbolic Ceremony ReConstituting the Historic 1st Session of CoE's Highest body : its Committee of Ministers, on 1949, at the Superb Ancient Town Hall of Strasbourg, with the participation of 47 Ambassadors/PR from all Member Countries now, gave some Interesting indications, in this regard.
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The Context of that Moment couldn't be Better Chosen : EU Parliament in Strasbourg was holding Today a crucial Plenary Debate and Vote on BREXIT, shortly Before the Decisive Forthcoming EU Summit in Brussels at the Eve of the October 31 Deadline, (Comp. inter alia, also relevant EU Parliament BREXIT Coordinator Verhofstadt's Reply to "Eurofora"s Question at: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/ukparlimentcritcizedbyeu.html, etc), while Russia has just Returned fully Back into the CoE, since the Latest CoE Assembly's plenary of Summer 2019, and its Ambassador/PR Ivan Soltanovsky just Signed one More CoE's Treaty these days...(Comp. Ambassador Soltanovsky's replies to "Eurofora"s Questions at: ..., etc).
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While 47 Ambassadors/Permanent Representatives to the CoE, together with the outgoing and incoming Secretary Generals, etc., were watching here Today the 1st Release of an Original Video on CoE's 70th Anniversary, the main Contrast obviously was between the Enthousiastic People loudly applauding Winston Churchill at Strasbourg's Central Square "Kleber", Back on 1949, when this Organisation was Created, and the Sympathetic Calm inside Strasbourg's City Hall, where Now the Official Invitees were citting with serious tact : - "There were, indeed, Many People, and a lot of Hope, that European ReConciliation will chasse away War for ever : I've never seen again, during the European History, such a Popular Enthousiasm for European Integration !", stressed from the outset, Birte Wassenberg, Professor in the Institute of European Studies (Strasbourg)...
Rapidly reminding that the Famous co-Winner of the 2nd World War, in Alliance with USA and f. USSR, Conservative Leader Winston Churchill had Highlighted, in the Specific Circumstances of 1946 at nearby Zurich, the Idea of "United States of Europe", with a "Council of Europe", as well as, on 1948, "no less than a Union of Europe as a whole", as he said at Hague's Congress, which Ambitiously asked to create also a European Parliament, a Common Currency, to put an End to Customs' Taxes, etc, this Video (made by the French Presidency of the CoE on 2019),
Also recalls that Labor Party's Foreign Minister Ernest Bevine, Later-on, while a "Cold War" era of Division was spreading in Europe too, if he accepted Strasbourg as CoE's Headquarters on mid-1949, it was, in fact, part of a Reserved Stance, mezzo vocce Wishing to Limit the Area, Scope and Impact of such a Organisation, as his Brittish Socialist Government did Not Want, then, a Politically Strong European Body, as Experienced Professor of Modern History, Sylvain Schirmann, f. Director of Political Science Institute and SG of Schuman Foundation, critically points out...
It's also in a Similar Mood, that, Later on 1949's End, suddenly, the Flag that a European Assembly had Initially Chosen and Proposed for the CoE : Blue with Golden Stars, Around a Heart with a Christian Red Cross, (inspired by Richard Coudenhove-Kallergis' famous "PanEuropa" movement), was Droped, and Replaced by the Same, But Striped of the Cross,
almost at the Same Time that, notoriously, a brief Instability in Greece, (just hit by a Civil War, and Flanked by 3 Land Borders to "Communist" Countries then : Yugoslavia, Albania and Bulgaria), served, in fact, as Pretext for the UnExpected entry of Neighbouring, but 95% Asian, Turkey, (seen as a Militarist stronghold by the meanwhile created NATO), together with Athens, inside that CoE, (shortly After its Creation, as it was Reminded Today). A Controversial Addition which, However, Remained even After the End of the Cold War, (and Despite some Disagreements, mainly by the Democracy/Human Rights' side in the CoE, particularly when even the Elected Prime Minister Menderes was Hung alive by the Military on 1960)...
But, the Main Point pleading for Strasbourg, was Clearly Stressed by Experienced, former Minister, Senate's vice-President, and f. President of Mayors' Union, etc, from a traditional Protestant Family with Deep Roots at the Heart of Europe, Daniel Hoeffel, in the above-mentioned Video : - ReConciliation and Peace was Essential : So, it's there where Destructive Wars had Started, that Peaceful Reconciliation and Cooperation should also Start, he strongly stressed.
+ In a Similar Logic, Human Rights Followed, Soon after, with CoE's Convention for Human Rights, almost at the Same Time (1950), which was, reportedly, due to Apply in Europe the Basic Principles and Values proclaimed since 1948 by UNO's Universal Declaration on Human Rights, with the Important Addition of 2 Key Monitoring Mecanisms for its Implementation in real practice : the ECHR and CoE's Committee of Ministers' duty to "Supervise the Execution" of Strasbourg's Court's Judgements, (i.e. something that doesN't yet exist elsewhere in the World), that Video Topically reminds.
But it's also a Fact that, ECHR did Not Yet really Started to Exist, before a ChristianDemocrat Government of Luxembourg added the 10th CoE's Member Country to have Ratified that Human Rights Convention, by a Timely Coincidence, the Same Year of 1953, that "DNA" Genetic Code's Discovery was made Public Worldwide, notoriously Opening New Hopes, but also Dangers concerning Humanity's own Future, (which Boosted what was Called "Bio-Ethics", a Nowadays very Important sector of Modern CoE's activities).
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However, a Real Boost to ECHR's work for Human Rights wasn't yet given, in Practice, but Mainly After Berlin Wall's Fall, as late as on 1989, and the Spectacular Beginning of a PanEuropean ReUnification, Starting with Germany since October 1990, Followed by CoE's Enlargement also to Other Central-Eastern European Countries, (formerly "Socialists" and/or Varsovie Pact's Members), and Concluding with even Russia's Historic Accession into a fully PanEuropean CoE since 1996 :
- It's, Indeed, among others, f.ex., on 1992 that the Conclusions on an Initial Inter-State Application of "Cyprus v. Turkey", (notoriously concerning the Manifold Violations of Human Rights of Refugees/Displaced People, "Missing" Persons and heir Famiiies, added to the illegal Military Invasion/Occupation of Part of Cyprus' Land by Foreign Troops send by Ankara), after having been curiously "Blocked" in the Dark of an Obscure "Commission"'s Drawers, Suddenly, were, at last, Authorized by CoE's Committee of Ministers to be, at least, Published and, for the 1st Time, exposed to the Public's Eyes ! And it's at an Exceptionally Important CoE's Press Conference, held in Strasbourg on 1995, that its Competent Senior Officers openly Denounced to the Press (including "Eurofora"s co-Founder, then Publishing at "TCWeekly"), that, in Fact, a Rapidly Growing Amount of very Serious Cases with Violations of Human Rights inside Turkey itself, including against Life, Freedom, Expression, etc;, added to Torture/Inhuman-Degrading Treatments, etc, had been, meanwhile, Accumulated in Strasbourg's CoE Drawers, withOut yet Any really Tangible Move by Ankara's Government to at least Try to, a posteriori, Alleviate such a Dreadful situation. Meanwhile, on 1994, ECHR had hold, for the 1st Time in History, a Public Hearing on a new "Cyprus v. Turkey" InterState Application (Comp. Supra), while Also Publishing a Judgment clearly Condemning, for the 1st Time, Ankara's Government, at a Symbolic Individual Case, for the Persisting Prohibition of a Greek Cypriot Woman not only to Return Back at her Ancestral Land, where she was Born, but Even to find any Access to her Home and/or Other Private Properties, (the World-Famous "Loizidou" Case, which Became Soon a Global Reference also by UNO's Human Rights bodies, at nearby Geneva). Follows also the Publication, on December 1995, of 2 Landmark Rulings, which, for the 1st Time so Openly, clearly Condemn the Turkish Authorities for Torture and/or Inhuman/Degrading Treatments, in the landmark Cases of "Aksoy" and "Akdivar", (a Young Man who Lost the use of his Right Hand after alleged Torture in Turkish Prisons, and was Murdered, with a Bullet at his Head, when he Refused to Withdraw his Application to the ECHR, followed by the Parallel Story of a Kurdish Family of Peasants whose Home, Fields and Livelihood, were Burned and Destroyed by the Turkish Army, themselves being Brutaly Thrown Out of their Land and Village, Obliged to Walk, exhausted, many Hundreds of Kms, until they reached Izmir [Historic Smyrne] Poor Suburbs, Struggling to Survive in Horrible, Inhuman Conditions of Extreme Poverty provoked by Violent Aggressions): These were the 1st so Hard Cases of ECHR's Findings on Turkey to be thoroughly Published in Strasbourg, (even at the Eve of a Crucial EU Parliament's Vote on Controversial EU - Turkey Customs Union, then in Strasbourg : The Fact that they didn't manage to Keep a thin Majority of MEPs from Accepting Trade Interests to bypass Human Rights, was Blamed, by some, for the Fact that, Shortly Afterwards, on January 1996, even a Peaceful Youngster who attended a Funeral of a Dead Political Prisoner, was Brutally Killed, with his Head Crushed by a Turkish Policeman, who remained essentially UnPunished, until then : "Goktepe" case). To all this, was Added even an Important Reform of ECHR's system, due to Boost the Court's powers, which had been Prepared since 1992-1993, but Entered into Force on 1998.
>>> It's during that, Exceptional Historic Period in the 1990ies, of CoE's Enlargement to All Central-Eastern Former "Socialist" European Countries, including Russia, as well as of a Parallel Activation and Strengthening of its Human Rights' Protection Mechanisms, (to which, once Again, [Comp. Supra] was Added also an Important and Topical Development on "BioEthics", with the Adoption of CoE's "Oviedo" Convention on "Bio-Medicine and Human Rights", added to its "Anti-Cloning" Protocol on 1998 as "Dolly the Sheep"'s Tragedy and Death was Rocking the Medias, and which Includes a Ban of "voluntary" Heritable Genetic Manipulations, Transmissible to the GermLine of Future Generations, obviously Useful Nowadays : See http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/heritablegenemaniptrumpxihumanity.html, etc),
that the Ambassador/Permanent Representative of Finland, who was holding, then, the rotating Presidency of the CoE, in an Exclusive Interview to "Eurofora"s co-Founder (then Publishing at "TCWeekly", etc), Explicitly underlined, that, in Fact, all those Ameliorations of Human Rights' Mechanisms, then (Comp. Supra), were, in Real Practice, Motivated mainly by "Real-Politics", and, Particularly, CoE's Historic Enlargement which ReUnified all Europe by Building "1 Common Legal Space" on Key Issues, Practically Useful Both to Citizens and Economic Businesses' Investments Eastwards, (f.ex., Courts, Rule of Law, Private Property, Fight against Corruption, Basic Liberties, including Free Enterprise, etc).
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=> Such Key Facts on CoE's History, show even More Clearly, Nowadays, the particular Importance that has for the foreseable Future of Both the PanEuropean CoE and Europe in General, the Handover between the out-going SG Jagland, and the in-coming New SG Buric, which, Symbolically, took place Today, Timely Mixing History and Actuality :
Jagland, a Socialist Norwegian Man of the North, who arrived at the CoE amidst a "Hot" Row on SG's Electoral Procedure, and in Hard moments Seeking Restrictions (of Staff, of ECHR's overload in Pending Cases, etc., followed even by Russian and Turkish Annual Financial Contributions' unprecedented "Freeze" or Cuts, etc), and Buric, a ChristianDemocrat Croat Lady from Mittel-Europa's Heartland, arriving "Smoothly" at the CoE's Top Job, in a moment of relative Equilibrium, (while Russia just Returned fully Back, ECHR has Reduced most InComing Cases and Backlog, etc), might seem, at First Sight, as the ... exact Opposite, one to another !
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But, in Fact, they Cooperated Together Positively, during a Recent Period of 6 Months or so, when Croatia was holding the Rotating Presidency of CoE's Committee of Ministers, (May - November 2018), at least in order to Contribute to Prepare the Crucial Return of Russian MEPs in CoE's Parliamentary Assembly, (also With the Help of Finland : November 2018-May 2019, until the Decisive Current French Presidency : May - November 2019), as well as since Buric's Election, last June 2019, and they look Both strongly Committed to Strasbourg Organisation's PanEuropean Dimension.
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Indeed, the Twice Re-Elected Jagland (2009-2019), to whom Stasbourg's City paid Homage Today, as a Norwegian, (i.e. coming from a Non-EU Western European area, Member of the EFTA, as also Switzerland, Iceland, etc), was Naturaly in favour of CoE's PanEuropean dimension, i.e. Including also Russia and various Other Non-EU Countries, as he had clearly Stressed, in Reply to "Eurofora"s Questions, in Both Press Conferences which Marked the Beginning of his 2 Terms in Office, on 2009 and 2014, (See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/jaglandagg1.html + http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/coesgonpaneuropeanspacefuture.html, etc), as well as he Reiterated on 2017, together with New French President Macron, current CoE's Chair on 2019, (See: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/coesgandnewfrenchpresidentonrussia.html).
It's true, However, that the Controversy on the Ukranian Conflict since 2014, which Divided Europe and gave a Pretext for a Noisy Minority of MEPs to Provoke Russian MEPs' exceptional Departure from CoE's Assembly, while, on the Contrary, the 95% Asian Turkey was Augmenting the Number of its MEPs up to the Ceiling reserved for "Big Payer" Countries, (even if Ankara, Later-on, Brought Back Down its Financial Contribution to its Precedent, Lower Level, But paradoxically Kept its supplementary MEPs !), almost at the same time thet Even the UK Government (including, particularly Theresa May, then a Key Minister), was Brandishing a threat to Curtail or Leave the CoE, mainly Because of Disagreements with ECHR's case-law on Condemned Criminals, inevitably Risked to give the Impression that the CoE was Falling into a Slipery Slope which Threatened to make it look Less "European" than it was Before...
Nevertheless, Finaly Jagland Succeeded, (with the Help also of the incoming, New CoE's SG, Marija Buric, Earlier in charge of Croatia's Rotating Presidency of the CoE, and currently Thanks to a Decisive Push by French President Macron who Chairs the CoE Nowadays), to Bring the Russian MEPs Back to CoE's Assembly, on June 2019 : Just on Time in order to Prevent also an otherwise imminent, related Danger against the PanEuropean Organisation's Budget, (if Russia had not Returned Back Timely).
=> Now it's up to the incoming, New CoE's Secretary General, Marija Pejcinovic - Buric, to Consolidate and Develop, during the next 5 Years (2019-2024) PanEuropean CoE area's "Unity", particularly through "Dialogue", Both between States, and vis a vis Citizens, (as she has Already Stressed from the outset, since her Brillant Election on June 2019, in Reply to an "Eurofora" Question, See: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/newcoechiefburicondialoguestatescitizens.html, etc), while also Ensuring "Peace", to allow "Prosperity" throughout the Huge Area of the Organisation's 47 Member States, (according to her own Wording).
Indeed, Buric, who comes from Croatia, a Central "Mittel-Europa" Country, Strategicaly and Symbolicaly located Between Eastern and Western Europe, as well as Between North and South, a GeoPolitical Crossroads, Linked Both to Adriatic Sea, (i.e. to the Mediterranean space of the Historic Greco-Roman Civilisations' roots of Europe), as well as to Danube River, (i.e. from the Black Sea until the Northerb Sea, through the recent Rhine-Danube extension, adding Links from Russia and Central-Eastern Europe up to the Franco-German core, until the UK and Scandinavia), seems to "know well" how to Build "Bridges" between People, as it results also from what she had Already Stressed Previously, in Reply to a relevant "Eurofora"s Question, when she had Chaired CoE's Committee of Ministers, (See: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/coeminoritiesprotection20yearsafter.html, etc).
+ Being the 2nd Lady to Head the CoE in 70 Years, after France's Catherine Lalumiere (with whom "Eurofora"'s co-Founder Started to Work here as European Press Correspondent), during whose Mandate CoE Enlarged to most Central-Eastern European Countries and Negotiated Russia's Accession (1989-1994), Finalized during the 1st Lady President of CoE's Assembly, Leni Fischer from Germany (1996-1999), with whom Also "Eurofora"'s co-Founder worked closely together (Publishing, then, to "TCWeekly", etc), Marija Buric can certainly Add Ladies' famous "Soft Power", in order to Strengthen and Deepen CoE's PanEuropean area's much Needed Cohesion.
In this regard, Buric, as a consistent, Long-Time ChristianDemocrat/EPP Politician of the Center-Right in Croatia, a Traditionaly Christian-Catholic Country, as well as Author of, particularly, 2 Earlier Published Articles in the Past, which, apparently, reply to People's Concerns about Preserving their National "Identity", and/or their Popular Beliefs in "God", Despite going "Westwards" (as the Headings Imply), Might, Perhaps, also have Something to Fill the Void about, at least, if not an Identity, at least a Common Feeling among European Peoples and Nations, that Unites them Together inside the CoE, (as well as, eventually, to ReVive BioEthics, which have been notoriously Neglected after 2 Socialist SGs, already since Terry Davis' times, an otherwise quite Good SG, while Recent Technological Developments obviously reveal an Urgent Need of adequate Rules and Principles Nowadays).
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However, Cohesion Obviously Includes not only Attractiveness, withOut Discrimination/Double Standards, but Also the Binding Force of CoE's Best Values, at the Core of which are Human Rights : I.e., Practically speaking, mainly a Revigorated "Monitoring", which "lies at the Heart of the CoE", according to the Expression earlier used by the Director of Buric's Private Office, experienced and serious former Ambassador/Permanent Representative Miroslav Papa, (See also : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/coeminoritiesprotection20yearsafter.html, etc), who told Today "Eurofora" that he Prefered, instead of Working in the forthcoming EU's rotating Presidency by Croatia, as Initially Scheduled, to Better Advance further in his CoE's Work with New SG Buric, and appeared to Find Interesting to Speak particularly with the Experienced CoE's Director General for Legal affairs and Human Rights, Christos Giakoumopoulos, as "Eurofora" saw this Morning...

At any case, it's a Fact that, during the Same Time that EU Parliament's Plenary was holding Today a "Hot" Debate on "BREXIT" at the Other Side of Strasbourg, here, UK's Ambassador/Permanent Representative to the CoE, Christopher Yvon, looked Glad and at Ease to exchange with his PanEuropean Organisation's collegues a.o. here, (and particularly with his inseparable friend, Emil Ruffer from Czechia, a Key Country from the Important "Visegrad" Group, at the Heart of Europe),
and Smiled Kindly when "Eurofora" described him the Recently Surprizing "Zealous" and Helpfull Attitude of Many Brittish-origin Officers at the CoE, where even the notorious so-called "Anti-European" Political Leader Nigel Farage (former UKIP, Now "BREXIT" Party President), had Told "Eurofora", during an EU Summit in Brussels, that, if and when he would be Elected at the House of Commons, he will be Happy to Join also the UK Delegation to CoE's Assembly in Strasbourg, (considering the PanEuropean Organisation as a "Good" Idea of Winston Churchill) !
- "I also saw Farage (BREXIT Party's Leader), Yesterday in EU Parliament, to be in very Good Terms with Jean-Claude Juncker (EU Commission's President) !", Joked with "Eurofora" the UK Ambassador, speaking about a Real Fact, (that we had personaly Witnessed, already, since ...2014)...
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>>> But the Most Intriguing, was to observe the current Feelings of Russia's Ambassador/Permanent Representative to the CoE, Ivan Soltanovsky, an Experienced Diplomat :
- Naturally Glad that Recent Developments had, at last, Managed to Help Russian MEPs Find anew their Seats at CoE's Parliamentary Assembly, last June 2019, Soltanovsky, who Spend some Time, Earlier Today, to Write a quite Long Comment, in CoE's "Golden" Book, on the occasion of its 70th Anniversary, as most of his Collegues, (Comp. Supra, and relevant Photo),
told "Eurofora" that he had Also Followed, with special Attention, the Recent Bilateral Franco-Russian Summit, between CoE's current Chairman, French President Emmanuel Macron, and the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, in Bregancon Fortress, at the Eve of the Latest "G7" Summit in Biarritz, last August, (See: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/g7coefrancerussia.html, + http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/flopsatbiarritzg7summit.html , etc): Critical on Accusations versus Russia, to have Dispersed some Demonstrations, with, allegedly, "DisProportional" use of Force, he pointed at "Yellow Jackets" Demonstrations in France, where several People, including even Photographers and/or Journalists, have reportedly Lost a Hand or an Eye, etc., recently. On the Contrary, Soltanovsky appeared naturally Interested in Macron's Idea to create a "New Space for Security and Trust" throughout all Europe, including Russia. To "Eurofora"s Question whether he thought that it should be Created at the CoE, or the OSCE, perhaps by a New Organisation, he Replied - "In Both !" (CoE + OSCE), Reminding that Russia had Already proposed, several Times in the Past, to use the OSCE for a PanEuropean Security Mecanism, even if Trans-Atlantic USA ("and Canada") were included inside.
+ For the rest, however, the Russian Ambassador appeared Still Careful, about the CoE and EU, prefering to "See How things Evolve" from now on, as he told "Eurofora" : F.ex., "will they (EU/CoE) manage to Create a European Identity withOut Russia ?", he Wondered, (indirectly but surely Refering to Macron's and/or Others' notorious Affirmations that Russia is Historically Part of the European Culture/Civilisation), etc.
=> "Otherwise", (i.e. if Russia is Discriminated and/or Pushed Aside), "then, We (Moscow) May think at our ...Eur-Asian side", Warned Ivan Soltanovsky, with a Malicious Smile, pointing, f.ex., at his "Curiosity to see how it works, in China's Sanghai, that Very High-Speed Train, which reportedly, Runs at about 500 or 600 Km. per Hour", as he told us...
- Naturally, "Eurofora" immediately Dismissed such moves, Reminding that a European Company from France (apparently Alsthom)had Already shown, Years Ago in Strasbourg's Franco-German "2 Shores" Garden at Rhine River, a Project for a Very-High Speed Train, reportedly Able to Run about 650+ Kms/Hour, and Adding that, at any case, De Gaulle's "Greater Europe" Must Not be Divided into a "UK-USA" Part, and an "Eur-Asian" Part, since that was, precisely, the Worse "Hell" Danger, Against which has Warned the notorious Book "1984" of Orwell, (which has Predicted a Chain of Various Conflicts Surrounding Europe, ând Provoking Big Flows of Mass Asylum Seekers/Irregular Migrants, while the Rest of the World Collapses in Wars, Revolts, Earthquakes, etc., and Inside what Rests of Europe, Hypocritical "Double-Talk", "Thought-Police", and Oppressive Spying by "Big Brother" crash all Dissidents, Brutally Imposing a Global Hierarchical Dictatorship)...
=> So, Instead of Dividing and Abandoning Europe's Vital Parts to be eventually "Attracted" by China and/or Others, in a Chaos, Europeans Must, on the Contrary, Safeguard and Develop their Unity in a Greater Europe, while Also Attracting China and/or Others Towards Europe, (f.ex. by a HIgh Speed Train Network, Linking Madrid, Paris, Berlin and Moscow, up to Vladivistok, i.e. where Beijing, Sanghai, Korea Peninsula, Japan, etc., could Find a Safe and Efficient, brand New "Silk Road" towards Europe, Straight through Russian Siberia, (WithOut the manifold Risks, which, Otherwise, would obviously EnDanger a Different Pathway Southwards, condemned to cross, f.ex., Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey, etc.)... For the Rest, EU, in Cooperation with the COE, has Already Initiated, Recently a Strategy intended to progressively "Go Global", particularly Through various Legal Conventions of the PanEuropean CoE, which can be "Open" also to Any Other Country in the World, on several Key Topical Issues, such as, f.ex., the Fight against Cyber-Crime, Terrorism, Human Traficking, etc., as well as "Venice" Committee's expertise on Constitution/Democracy/Rule of Law/Human Rights' Building, Protection of Personal Data, Natural BioDiversity and Biotopes, Bio-Ethics, (with "Hot" New Issues, currently Booming around the World), etc.
=> Ambassador Saltinovsky appeared genuinely Interested by such Perspectives, and Pointed, f.ex., to the Fact that even Mexico has SIgned CoE's Convention on the Protection of Personal Data, etc., (while also Argentina Followed, Later-on, PARTLY UPDATED).
+ New CoE's Secretary General, Marija Buric, apparently was Inspired by a Similar Trend, and made an impomptu Visit to a New CoE's Committee on "Artificial Intelligence" Rules-Making, for the Protection of Human Rights, as a 1st Move in her Mandate of 2019-2024, closely Followed by Freedom of Expression and CoE's Member States to organize Independent, Impartial and Efficient Investigations on Journalists' Murders, with adequate Transparency and Victims' Families Access, in order to Find and Punish all those Responsible for such Killings, according to ECHR's well established Case-Law, (PARTLY UPDATED).
>>> It's in such a particular Context that the Officially Announced Venue of French President Emmanuel Macron, current Chairman of the CoE, in Strasbourg, in order to Debate with MEPs and Address in a Speech CoE's Parliamentary Assembly, at its forthcoming Autumn 2019 Plenary Session, right at the Beginning of October 2019.
Certainly, his Recent Proposal to create a PanEuropean Space of Security and Trust, including Russia, and Replies to above-mentioned Queries, will be an Important part of the Debates, in Addition to the Celebration of CoE's 70th Anniversary, as well as Reports on "Whistle-Blowers" Protection, (as Snowden, Assange, etc), Protection and Support to Victims of Terrorism, Monitoring Democracy in certain CoE's Member Countries, etc.
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- Speaking to "Eurofora", Strasbourg EuroMetropole's Director for European and International Relations, the Young Lawyer Nawel Rafik-Elmrini, a Beautiful Example of succesfull French Cultural Integration, stressed, inter alia, that Emmanuel Macron's Official Visit "is an Important moment for CoE's 70th Anniversary, under the (current) Presidency by France. The Presence of the President of the Republic marks the Interest and the Importance that he gives to this (PanEuropean) Institution, which was Created in Srasbourg on 1949, in order to SafeGuard Peace and Guarantee key Values (of Human Rights, throughout all Europe), as well as his attachment to this Institution, for which we are, here in Strasbourg, very Proud".
In exchange, he can Find, here, also a PanEuropean Parliamentary and Ministerial Forum, composed by Envoys from 47 Member Countries, representing about 850 Millions of European People.
(../..)
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Facing a 70% Abstention threat in 2009 Election, EU endorses EuroFora's idea for Citizens' debates on crucial EU decisions !
- Different views on "Europe's Future", should be debated among Citizens at June 2009 EU Elections, thanks to political Parties' "Manifestos", says EU Parliament's Report
A main idea, initiated and promoted by EuroFora's founders since 1997: the vital need to develop European Citizens' democratic right to actively participate in multilingual debates on EU decisions, is formally endorsed by the EU from 2009 !
The move is a key attempt to overcome "catastrophic" Polls which warn that only ...30% of Citizens are ready to vote in the forthcoming June 2009 EU Election ! This was revealed by EU Commission's vice-president, in charge of Communication policy, Margot Wallstrom, during a "hot" meeting of EU Parliament's Committee on Culture and Education, during the December 2008 Strasbourg session.
Wallstrom faced criticism, but also suggestions from various MEPs, naturally worried by Abstention threats which herself found even "worse" than in 1999 or 2004...
A Report on "Active Dialogue with Citizens",examined at the same time, presented some useful practical tips, on "facilitating Interviews"; etc., but also a potentialy important call to "incorporate the conclusions of ...debates...into (EU) policies, and take into consideration the expectations that Citizens have of the EU when deciding". An amendment even implies that Citizens' participation in debates on EU decisions is a democratic "Right".
More importantly, it finds that a Debate "on the Future of Europe", (as French President Nicolas Sarkozy has asked since 2007), would be a good idea " for the 2009 European parliamentary Elections", because "clarifying the political differences between the EU political parties would help citizens to identify themselves with, and choose between various concepts", for which "all parties (should) present their Manifesto".
A "Joint political declaration on Communicating Europe in Partnership", co-signed by "the European Parliament, Council and ... Commission", confirms that they "attach the utmost importance to improving communication on EU issues", by "enabling European citizens to exercise their right to participate in the democratic life of the Union, in which decisions are taken as openly as possible and as closely as possible to the citizens, observing the principles of pluralism, participation, openness and transparency".
This should "enable Citizens to exercise their right to express their views and to participate actively in the public Debate on European Union issues", while also "promoting the respect of multilingualism". In this regard, EU confirms its "wish to develop synergies with national, regional and local authorities as well as with representatives of Civil Society".
It's since 1997 that a group of EuroFora's founders have officially presented a pioneer Project (then called "EIW", for "Europe in the World"), which aimed to develop Strasbourg's "Polyphonic music", by providing "Interactive information", on "main issues ... during the Decision-making process of European Organizations which engage in Transparent and Public Democratic Debates"
This should be done, inter alia, by "exploring the potential of New Communication Tools (mainly Internet)", as well as classic-form debates, the 1997 EIW pioneer project's anounced in its "Synopsis". It was formally "accepted for evaluation" by EU Commission in Brussels in order to be examined for a grant in the framework of the "Research/Technology/Development (RTD) Programme in the field of Information Technologies", then called "ESPRIT", as a "Best Practice Pilot Project".

But the vital, urgent Political need for EU to search new, efficient ways to reach the People and interact with European Citizens, was really felt in Brussels and elsewhere only after the unprecedented in History 1999 and 2004 Majority Abstention in EU Elections, followed by 3 "NO" in Referenda in France, the Netherlands and Ireland, on 2005 and 2008...
In this New Political Landscape, we prepared a new, actualised and more developed version of our initial idea, in a simplified and more efficient form, thanks also to a large Experience accumulated during many years of EU/CoE/UNO Press work and Multi-lingual debates, with the New project "EuroFora" :
On 2006 we presented in Public its main lines during Questions/Replies that we raised at two Press Conferences by EU Commission President, Jose Baroso, and mainly EU Commission's vice-President, in charge of Communication policy, Margot Wallstrom, together with EU Parliament's vice-president, Alejo Vidal-Quadras, in Strasbourg, (Videos available), and we reminded it at various brief contacts with Commissioner Wallstrom in 2007 and 2008.
Meanwhile, a new Text was also presented for "EuroFora" Project mainly to certain Political and other personalities, at European, National or Regional/Local level, mainly in 2007, but also in 2008..
Now, after the unexpected 2008 Irish "NO", and before the 2009 EU Elections, which are due to be of exceptionally crucial importance for Europe's Future, the moment has obviously come to launch that project, progressively, but in real practice.
Whoever really cares for Europe and its Citizens is welcome to join, in one way or another. Only anti-European, anti-democratic, obscure or ignorant groups might oppose or attempt to "steal" and deviate the main idea.
But European Citizens, incited by enlightened political leaders, are those who will finally write the real History.