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Home arrow newsitems arrow CoE:Democracy Status for Neighbouring States (Maghreb-ME, Kazakhstan+) spreads from MPs to Venice+..

CoE:Democracy Status for Neighbouring States (Maghreb-ME, Kazakhstan+) spreads from MPs to Venice+..

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Written by ACM
Wednesday, 02 September 2009
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In an Historic Geopolitical move, Strasbourg's PanEuropean organization's strategic decision to open "Partnerships for Democracy" with Neighbouring States from Maghreb, Middle East, up to Kazakhstan and other former URSS/CIS members, including several Energy producing big countries, after a landmark Report unanimously adopted by CoE's Parliamentary Assembly, and drafted by the President of its largest Group (ChristianDemocrats/EPP), Belgian Senator and former Head of Flander's Government, Luc van den Brande, started to spread also to other key CoE bodies  :

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The strategic U-turn stimulated a wave of various but converging concrete moves at the CoE, including from its "Political Schools'" network, as CoE's Director on Political affairs, Jean-Luis Llaurens told "EuroFora", to its "North-South Center", as its Director Denis Huber confirmed to "EuroFora", up to its prestigious "Venice" commission for "Democracy through Law", as its experienced Director, Gianni Buquicchio, just revealed to "EuroFora", while preparing a key plenary meeting for the beginning of October : The new ground breaking move, initiated by CoE's Parliamentary Assembly at the end of June 2009, started to be already applied by the Summer Democracy University of the PanEuropean Organization's Political Schools, organized in Strasbourg from 6 to 10 July 2009 :

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Replying to an "EuroFora" question,  CoE's Political Director, Jean-Louis Llaurens, made it clear that new prospects for more participants from such countries neighbouring Europe, goes as far as "from Morocco up to Kazakstan". Laurens, did not deny that prospects for participation of countries around Europe in CoE's Summer University for Political Schools went in a similar direction as the creation, by CoE's Assembly, of a new status of "Democracy Partnerships" for parliamentarians of neighbouring countries.- "Democracy is a Universal project, not only European. And CoE's Values are not only European : There are specific European mechanisms for the collective application of certain Rights, as f.ex. the European Court of Human Rights. But the Values themselves are also Universal. That's why the project of Democracy Summer University for Political Schols is not limited only into what might be percieved as Europe. That's why we (CoE) are currently developing this new kind of Partnerships" : Such projects go from Morocco to Kazakstan and beyond". 

- "Democracy is today Europe's best "export" item", added smiling, in reply to the same "EuroFora" question the young Strasbourg City's Director for European/International affairs,  Nawel Rafik-Elmrini, whose French family has links with 2 important Maghreb countries.


CoE's Assembly has just started to prepare to implement from July 2009 the unanimously supported Van Den Brande's proposal to create a "Democracy Partner" new Status for participation of Parliamentarians from big Energy-producing or transit Countries, in Strategic neighbouring locations, from Maghreb and the Midddle East up to Kazakstan, based on respect of Democratic Elections and International Law, as well as aspirations towards Human Rights.

- "We are very much interested into opening such perspectives", added later to "EuroFora" also the Head of CoE's "North-South" Center for "Global Interdependence", Denis Huber.

The parallel moves came shortly before Morocco's accession to CoE's North-South Center, on Summer 2009, Rabat is the 1st non-European but neighbouring and historically linked Country, who is also member of CoE's Venise Commission for Democracy through Law.

EU gave it, on December 2008, an "Advanced Status". French and Spanish-speaking Morocco was first to present its candidacy to the EU a long time before Ankara, but EU Commission had rejected it, contrary to what it did later on Turkey's controversial EU bid.

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- “CoE must project its Human Rights values beyond Europe’s borders, and a New Phase has begun with the creation of a new ‘Partner for Democracy’ Status with PACE, in order to strengthen co-operation with the countries of the southern Mediterranean, Central Asia and the Middle East,” stressed, meanwhile, at CoE's Summer Democracy University, CoE Assembly's President, the experienced Spanish Socialist MEP Luis de Puig.

EU Commission's recent decision to earmark more than 600 Million euros to boost Democratic structures, Rule of Law and Human Rights accross former CIS countries, naturally creates a new area of strategic cooperation with the CoE, who has already played an Historic role in re-integrating Central and Eastern European Countries in the recent past.

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    The experienced Director of Venice Commission for Democracy through Law, Gianni Buquicchio, speaking to "EuroFora" at the beginning of September 2009 in Strasbourg, acknowledged that CoE's Independent top Legal Experts may probably be consulted for modern Reforms, to bring neighbouring countries closer to European standards, eventually starting first with  Kazakhstan or Kirgistan, perhaps Turkmenistan, etc.

    - For countries like Kazakhstan, etc., who are candidates to a special status at CoE's Parliamentary Assembly, PACE may ask a Legal expertise from the Venice Commission. But for all other neighbouring countries, they have to demand that themselves, Buquicchio explained to "EuroFora". Developments in this direction were not excluded even as early as the next Plenary meeting of Venice's Commission, scheduled for October 9 and 10 he added.

    The GeoPolitical concentric cercles extending now on culturally related, Energy-producing neighbouring countries, after CoE  unanimously endorsd Van Den Brande's Report, (See supra), are due to focus on simplified mechanisms, initially between Parliamentarians, based on elementary mutual acceptance of basic Democratic, Human Rights and Rule of Law' values, (including by adhering to various CoE's International Conventions, fex, on Judicial structures, Parliamentary Elections, Environment, BioEthics, against Terrorism or Cybercrime, etc), able to bring them closer to Europe and smooth cooperation.

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    Already, CoE Assembly's Political affairs Committee, is due to examine, on September 10 and 11 in Paris, Kazakhstan's demand for a special Status in Strasbourg's paneuropean organization, according to a Report tabled by Polish Socialis MEP Tadeusz Iwinski, who has already visited the country recently.

    At the same moment, a landmark Report on "CoE''s Future", drafted by the Head of the French Delegation to the CoE, ChristianDemocrat MEP Jean-Claude Mignon, is expected to deal also with the issue of CoE Values' role in the neighbouring countries and the World, which is also included in an important CoE Conference on the Future of Human Rights, organized in parallel in Paris, in cooperation also with the experienced new Russian Ambassador Alexander Orlov, who had worked in Strasbourg during the Historic 1st Russian Chairmanship of the CoE. Topically, the Conference will be opened by the Swedish President of CoE's Political affairs committee, Lars Lindbland, while Sweden chairs also the EU and the issue of the Future of EU - Russia,  Turkey, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and various other important countries around the EU or CoE has been recently raised by top political European actors.

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    But, Mignon's move might even be larger : The active top MEP has already proposed, at an earlier Report adopted by the CoE in Strasbourg on 2008, to even consider another special Status for ..China itself  : The only UNO Security Council's Permanent Member which is not yet officially represented at the CoE, (after USA's accession to a special CoE Status since 1995 and Russia's full membership since 1996) ...

(See "EuroFora"s earlier publication : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/irish/china.html ).

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Sarkozy and Merkel : June 2009 solution to May 2005 "NO" ?

 - Will French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angie Merkel live up from June 2009 to their obvious Historic European mission to revitalize, and re-launch the "European Dream", after the series of 3 "NO" since May 2005 in France, the Netherlands and Ireland, by renewing, and changing the EU with fresh stimulus, big horizons, and values attractive for EU Citizens ?

Whatever views anyone might have, it's a Fact that, recently, EU's political spectrum didn't produce other more charismatic and popular EU leaders than Merkel and Sarkozy, starting from September 2005 and May 2007, respectively.

This trend was confirmed, in one way or another, both during the German EU presidency in 2007 (shared by Merkel with the SPD), and mainly during the French EU Presidency in 2008, (with Sarkozy "free" to move).


The positive 2009 EU Polls are a natural consequence :

- Both with 72% Sarkozy and Merkel are considered by EU Citizens to be "the most Influential" leaders in Europe, by far.

- They are the only EU political leaders to attract a Majority of "Positive" views by EU Citizens, (Merkel over 60%, Sarkozy over 50%, particularly in the continent).

- 60% of EU Citizens find the 2008 French EU Presidency "Good", (and the satisfaction grows up to 67,5% in continental Europe).

The Poll was made by "OpinionWay" in big EU countries as Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, (with the only exception of France), from 26 to 28 May 2009.

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But the most important is that both Franco-German leaders seem willing to, at last, really start serious business on EU's indispensable renovation and Renaissance from 2009 : Year of crucial EU and German Elections.

Therefore, this time, the joint European move by Sarkozy and Merkel, which just published a common Franco-German Manifesto, aims to stimulate aspirations and action not only in their respective countries, but also in many other EU "partners", as they say.

Both on EU economy, social values and scientifico-technologic research, as well as on Turkey's controversial EU bid, obviously incompatible with a popular Political Europe, whose Citizens can find a collective Identity and popular Values, they have already started to magnetize various growing voices accross the European landscape :

"Today, more than ever, it' time for action", they stress from the outset.

Facing "an unprecedented Global financial and economic Crisis", "Europeans must get resolutely involved if they want for the World which is being built to meet their Values of Liberty, Solidarity and Justice".

"That's what we want" and "propose to our Partners" :

* "A strong Europe, able to protect us" :

- "We refuse a Bureaucratic EU, which mecanically applies burdensome rules and is afraid of change. We want a European Union which listens what Citizens have to say, which innovates, stimulates".

- "We want a strong and united EU in the World, while also respecting its Member States' Diversity", which "brings Courageous Replies to the Questions of our Times, ensuring our Prosperity :  

This implies to "favor Research and Innovation", "Economic Coordination", to "develop real Policies on Immigrationn, Energy, Defence, and modernise  common policies, particularly Agriculture".

*  "EU must bring immediate replies to the Global Crisis".

- "Lawless liberalism failed". "The Model we want is that of a Responsible Market Economy, which favors Enterpreneurs and Workers, above Speculators ;  Long-term Investment, over immediate profiits".

- "We appeal upon the EU to take, from June, the first decisions to ensure a real European Regulation of Financial Markets, based on coordination and cooperation". "On speculative funds, on fiscal heavens, CEO's and financial operators' earnings, EU must give the example".

- "We call to change the rules of accounts, which are important for our Economy's revival : The competent normative authorities must take action". "The issue of a sufficient Credit offer is of central importance for our Economy". "We don't accept that, during this Financial Crisis, the European Banks' capacity to lend money might be unjustly reduced by Capital's requirements and accountant's rules

* "During the German and French Presidencies, EU has resoçlutely prepared itself for the fight against Global Warming... EU is the 1st and only area in the World to have adopted a package of ambitious and legally binding rules to comply with International Aims"

- "We have now to convince our Friends and Partners, to get involved, in order to atteint, next December at Copenhagen, a Global Agreement worthy of whay is at stake. Our closer ally, the US, but also other big industrial countries, must commit themselves with the same force as the Europeans".

"Green Growth is a Chance ... and an opportunity to create jobs turned towards the Future. Europe must be a leader".

- But, at the same time, we must ensure that our companies remain competitive in the World. The ambitious European involvements on Climat must not lead into a position where EU industry might become a Victim of Unfair Competition. Climat protection and Competitvity must go together. If our International partners refuse to associate themselves to our efforts, we are determined to take measures to protect European Industry"

* "Europe must be more ambitious for its Industry" : "It must favor the emergence of strong European enterprises at a Global level".

- "As long as an International mechanism" to "monitor Public Aids at WTO level, and hinder 3rd Countries to give abusive subsidies to their enterprises, provoking unfair competition", is "not yet set up, we must consider Transitory European Solutions".

* "The current Public Debt is too heavy... We must head anew towards sound public finance, as soon as we'd have passed the crucial stage in this crisis".
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* Last, but not least :  "Europe must play a top-level role in the World"

- "For that purpose,  it needs efficient Institutions. That's why we need Lisbon Treaty". "The 27 Member States decided, last December (2008) that the Treaty should enter into force before the end of this year (2009)". To obtain that, June EU Council must agree "on the Guarantees for Ireland".

- But, "to be able to act, EU needs Borders. An Enlargment without Limits is not possible", Sarkozy and Merkel stressed in an obvious reference to Turkey, etc.

- "In order to be strong, Europe must assume its Values and its Identity". "Human Rights .. are at the basis of our commitment for a Peaceful Development accross the World".

- "For that purpose, we shall strengthen our common Defence and Security policy".
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* "We are ready to contribute to activate the EU towards the realisation of these aims, with our EU Partners".

"In order to succeed", Europe  "needs the active involvment of all, starting by Citizens themselves. That's why the June 7 rendez-vous is important", and "we are calling all Europeans to vote".

"We are convinced that, if Europe wants, Europe can", they conclude.
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Precisely : - What can better forge "Europe's Will" than a "European Consciousness" emerging from political, democratic struggles to face Global Challenges, and open big New Horizons, including by crystal-clear Public Debates, with active EU Citizens' involvement, before the most important EU Decisions affecting People's lives ?

Precisely what "EuroFora"s project warns since 1997-2007, and unprecedented Majority Abstentions, since 1999-2004, added to 3 "NO" to EU Referenda in 2005 and 2007, proved meanwhile..

Let's hope that the Time wasted by some scandalous anti-European and anti-Democratic obstacles of the Past, will stimulate faster, simplified but substantial and persistent, efficient action.-

Polls

2009 EU Elections were won by Parties against Technocracy and Turkey's controversial EU bid, while the 1999-2004 Majority Abstention trend decelerated. What should be done in 2009-2014 ?

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