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Home arrow newsitems arrow Cold War wind threatens to chill CoE's Winter Assembly : Turkey to replace Russia ?...

Cold War wind threatens to chill CoE's Winter Assembly : Turkey to replace Russia ?...

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Written by ACM
Friday, 23 January 2015
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*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- Paradoxically, at the same time that Extremist Islamist Terrorism's Deadly Aggressions notoriously threaten all Europe and beyond, making at least all Chrisians' Unity a must, and at the Eve of the Liberation from Auschwitz NAZI Concentration Death Camp, achieved mainly thanks to Historic Sacrifices by the Russian People's victorious Army, then allied to the West, while now COE's PanEuropean Assembly had scheduled to, at last, debate and vote on a long-awaited Report denouncing the Catastrophic "Humanitarian situation" of many Millions of Russian-speaking Civilian Population at the Autonomist Regions of Donetsk/Luhansk in Eastern Ukraine, after more than 8 Months of Deadly and Destructive Military Attacks by Kiev's Army with Heavy Weapons, (Tanks, Military Helicopters, Shelling, Rockets, Bombing Airplanes, etc), at the very moment that the scheduled Return of Russian MEPs to Strasbourg since last April 2014's controversial PACE vote which, pushed by a Minority of MEPs, had imposed more Sanctions to them than initialy expected, (See f.ex. : ....), provoking their Departure and many Months of Violent Deadly Conflict in Ukraine, that Russian Duma's President Naryshkin wanted to Mark now with his personal presence now in Strasbourg, inter alia, also in order to animate a Workshop around his recent offer to search Political Solutions to the Ukranian and other Conflicts between EU, COE and OSCE Parliamentarians, (etc), that some seem to push Turkey to practically take the place of Russia in the CoE !


    Indeed, while Moscow is Threatened by some's reported attempts to challenge the Credentials of Russian MEPs at CoE's PanEuropean Assembly (PACE), again on pretext of the Ukranian conflict, on the contrary, Ankara searches, at the same time, to Augment the Number of Turkisn MEPs inside PACE from 12 to 18, aiming to reach the Maximum possible, i.e. the same Number as Russia, which not only is an Historically and Culturally European and developed Country, but  has, nevertheless, more than the DOUBLE of Population : around 150 instead of about 70 Millions only...


    To achieve that, Turkey reportedly offers to the COE to become what is called "Big Contributor" to the Organisation's Budget, as Russia, Germany, etc., i.e. to pay approximately + 10 Millions € more than the 10 that it already pays until now. Such parallel and almost simultaneous moves, would practically result in a kind of ... "Buying" 1 more MEP at CoE's Assembly by Turkey at the Price of almost 1,5 Million each...


    In fact, however, it would be even Cheaper than that for Ankara , because, according to CoE's internal rules, whoever becomes "Great Payer", gets also a Right to have much more among its Nationals appointed at various Posts and Jobs inside the CoE, (who are obviously Paid, quite important Salaries by Strasbourg's Organisation, and get a non-negligeable part of the PanEuropean Body's Decision-making Power) !


    The Magnitude of the projected move results also from the Fact that the Number of Turkish MEPs hadn't been changed since 1977, despite CoE's Enlargement to Central and Eastern European Countries recently, up to and including Russia on 1996, which had Marked the End of the Cold War, the Fall of Berlin's Wall and Europe's ReUnification.


    Notoriously, even the Participation of Turkey to the PanEuropean CoE, an Organization normaly destinated to include only European Countries, by Geography, History and Culture, in addition to some basic Democracy/Human Rights Standards, was due to Ankara's role inside NATO during the Cold war era...


    Moreover, Ankara's notoriously Bad profile vis a vis Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law, (which had even motivated a former Human Rights' Director to ask Turkey's expulsion from the CoE during the 1960ies, after the Brutal Killing of a Turkish Prime Minister by a Putchist Mob), inevitably pushed away, instead of attracting, whoever might be interested  to develop mutually useful Cooperations with the CoE in Strasbourg.

    However, despite more than 5.400 People already Killed, and 10.500 seriously Wounded, including many Civilians, mainly in the Autonomist Regions of Lugansk/Luhansk during more than 8 Months of Kiev's Army Military Attacks with Heavy Weapons, (Tanks, Military Helicopters, Shelling, Rockets, Bombing Airplanes, etc), it's only now, pretexting of a Tragedy which killed some 30 People at Mariupol, (City of the Russian-speaking Minority at the Donetsk Region, but controlled by Kiev's Military), that some, suddenly appear to Risk to push towards a  new Cold War which would Divide anew Europe, by openly asking to "Isolate Russia", (as outgoing US President Barack Obama reportedly did now), and threatening to officially ask for even More Sanctions by CoE's Assembly, next week in Strasbourg. Something which provokes a Danger for an even Longer, and perhaps éHeavier Departure of Russian MEPs from the CoE, or even worse...


    But, meanwhile, the Experience of the April 2014 PACE's earlier decision, (in fact imposed by a Minority of its Members : See....), to not only deprive Russian MEPs from their Right to Vote, but even Exclude them from CoE Assembly's Leading bodies, by provoking their Departure, didn't achieve  nothing else, in fact, than to Divide politically anew Europe, and also started to adversely affect the European Economy,  as even OECD's Chief, the experienced Angel Guria, recently told "EuroFora" : ....),


    As for CoE itself, it practically Lost, until now,  a big Chance to play its normal prominent Political and/or Legal standards' role, which was partially taken over by the OSCE from Vienna,  etc.    

And, instead of Peace, since April 2014, when the Russian MEPs were pushed Out of PACE, until recently, an unprecedented Deadly and Destructive Conflict emerged in Eastern Ukraine, where Kiev Army's systematic Military Attacks against the Autonomist Regions of Donetsk/Luhansk made more than 5.400 Dead and 10.500 Wounded People, including many Civilians, according to the latest UNO Data.


    So that neither the recent recrudescence of Kiev's Heavy Military Attacks which re-started to kill even Civilian People, particularly at Donetsk and nearby Gorlova, etc., as even Russian President Vladomir Putin felt necessary to denounce himself recenty, nor the 30 People reportedly killed now in Mariupol, (a Russian-speaking Majority city in the Donetsk Region, but conquered by Kiev's Army which still Holds it), when a Missile reportedly fell less than 400 m from an Ukranian Military site Shelling the Autonomists, unfortunately aren't a surprise for anyone, despite some's attempts, Today, to .. discover for the 1st Time on January 2015 such Horrors, which, in fact, have been going on since April 2014...  


    In addition, regular Kiev Army's Attacks by Heavy Military Weapons, (such as Tanks, Helicopters, Shelling, Rockets, Bombing Airplanes, etc.), even against Civilian areas, have notoriously Damaged or Destroyed many Family Homes and Vital Infrastructures, (f.ex. Water, Electricity, Phone, Internet, Train, Hospitals, Schools, etc), Cutting too often the supplies needed by many Hundreds of Thousands of People, amidst a Population of 4,5 Millions there, provoking too many Sufferings, that a recent PACE's Report on the Humanitarian situaton at Eastern Ukraine, due to be debated and voted next week in Strasbourg,describes and denounces more or less accurately.


    Obviously now Time has come to Stop all that awful Waste and Inhuman/Degrading Treatments, as well as Kilings even of innocent People who have already sufffered a lot, and this naturally requires a CoE able to boost real  Dialogue for Peace among all main Actors, Ukraine and Russia included, instead of provoking even more Divisions in the European Continent, by perpetuating and aggravating Exclusions which risk to undermine CoE's Historic role for Europe's reUnification.



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("NDLR" : Partly Updated)

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3 EU Parliament votes to boost EuroGroup !

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After EuroZone Paris Summit's succes, Sarkozy calls to "think anew how to re-construct Europe !

"EuroZone and EU Institutional debates pave the way to 2009 discussions on EU Future, including Enlargment, Turkey etc. ?


23 October 2008

After EU Parliament strongly suppported in 3 successive Votes this week in Strasbourg French EU Chairmanship's move to boost Euro-Group at EU's core, while ideas on EU Institutional problems are awaited on December, "it's an open Question now" if this may lead to a debate on EU's Future, or not, told us French President, Nicolas Sarkozy''s Spokesman, Pierre-Jerome Henin.

MEPs voted on Thursday fresh Funds to support EuroGroup, after adopting on Wednesday a Resolution asking a "further Evolution" to "the 1st ever meeting of Heads of State and of Government of the Euro-Zone, taking decisions in that capacity", while earlier this week a Report asked "a stronger Institutional setting" for "EuroGroup", extended from "competitiveness/industry" to "environment, employment and education", with "increased powers for Political decision-making", according to a text drafted by French MEP Francoise Beres and German MEP Werner Langen, "10 Years after the creation of Euro" (1999 - 2009).

- Brussels' subsequent "EU Council ..(simply)..ratified the measures decided by EuroGroup on October 12" in Paris, which "were necessary to contain the current Financial Crisis", Resolution observes, expressing also support to the new process succesfully initiated by Sarkozy and due to be completed by agreements with USA and other countries at a Global level.

From now on, it's between two differend but parallel moves : EU's delay, and EuroZone's acceleration, that Enlargement and particularly Turkey's controversial EU bid, will have to search its way :

Indeed, EU's 27 expect a "Roadmap on how to deal with the Irish problem" on Lisbon Treaty ratification after December, risking to pass even 2009 Elections and next Commission with the old Nice Treaty of 2000, out-dated and unfit even for 2004's Enlargement...

On the contrary, EU's core launches a real "Economic Governance for EuroZone at the highest level of Heads of State/Government" of the 15, which started in Paris on October 12 and was strongly supported this week in Strasbourg by Sarkozy and EU Parliament.
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- "It's a good idea, to launch such a debate ("on EU's Future") in EU Parliament in view of 2009 Euro-Election : Perhaps some MEPs will seize an opportunity", told us mainstream French MEP Alain Lamassoure, former EU Minister and EU Spokesman for France's governing party UMP.

- "All MEPs' debates on such EU Councils are also part of the larger debate on Europe's future : Now with EuroZone, and even more when, on December, Irish Prime Minister is due to table proposals in Strasbourg on how to deal with EU Treaty's ratification", replied earlier to our question EU Parliament's Press Director and Spokesman, Jaume Duch.
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Sarkozy has formally anounced his intention to open EU Debates on Economy, Identity/Enlargement (i.e. mainly Turkey), etc. both linked to a popular Political view of Europe, since his Historic speeches on EU in Strasbourg, on February and July 2007, when he stressed that "Europe needs a New Renaissance". At the beginning of the French EU Presidency, on July 2008, replying to a MEP, he suggested that EU Parliament takes an active part in Debates on EU's Future.

- Now, in 2008, "Crisis are an opportunity to re-think how to re-construct Europe", Sarkozy stressed. At any case, the Historic 1st EuroZone Summit of Heads of State/Government, which started replying to the Financial crisis,"is a Turning Point : After that, Europe cannot be governed as before, but differently" : People "like a Europe with Strong Will".

- "We must make the System move !", "Europe needs Innovation" and free political debates. EU "Elections are in a few Months", Sarkozy warned.

He invited EU Parliament to fully play its role as "the Democratic Heart of the Europe we want : United, Independent and Voluntarist, because the World needs Europe's voice".

- "It's no more possible for Euro-Zone to continue without an Economic Government" at the Highest Level of Heads of State/Government, who provide "Democratic Legitimity" and can take important decisions, he announced, strongly supported by EU Parliament's Economic Committee which just voted to boost the "Institutional" aspects of "EuroGroup".

Plasticity offered by the current absence of a special Treaty on EuroZone's Institutions "made it easy to adapt the organization of the 1st Summit with imagination, to efficiently meet urgent needs", he observed, on the occasion of Brittish Prime Minister's exceptionnal presence at the greatest part of EuroGroup's Paris Summit.

- "In EuroZone we have the same Bank, the same Money, and, thus, a same duty for Unity" : "By bringing together EuroGroup's 15 members States we suceeded to find a solution and prepare a Giant Plan of 1.800 Billion euros", Sarkozy reminded of Paris' 1st Historic EuroZone's Summit.

Afterwards, Brussels' EU Council followed the move, and USA's Paulson II Plan was inspired from that. "Europe must promote the idea of Global Economy's Refoundation", he stressed.

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- "I was frankly astonished when I found, at the EU, a rigid system, where any New Idea was seen from the outset as a sacrilege, while, on the contrary, Europe needs Innovation !", he described.

F.ex. ,"'When we first spoke about the "Union for the Mediterranean", it was misunderstood as something extraordinary.. When later we had the Russia -Georgia crisis, it seemed against EU's custom to act "in the middle of August", instead of staying a passive spectator ! And when, in front of the Financial ciris, we gathered the 1st EuroZone Summit of the "15", some thought of it as a lese-majesté", he denounced.
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On Geo-Political Principles :
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- But, by moving resolutely, "EU obtained the ...withdrawal of Occupation Troops in 2 Months !", reminded Sarkozy, observing that Russia "fulfilled its commitments", in the Georgian crisis, where a "disroportionate reaction" from Moscow followed a "totally inappropriate action" from Tbilisi's troops. "It would be crazy to reply by military means : EU should not become accomplice of another Cold War, imposed by lack of cool heads".. as he said.

In future, "the creation of a common European Economic Area with EU and Russia, would also obtain a raprochment on our Human Rights and Democratic Values", added Sarkozy, in a statement which should logically be applied, a fortiori, to controversial EU "candidate" Turkey..

Particularly when, the same week that EU Parliament voted 2009 EU Funds for Turkey's controversial EU bid, ECHR took a series of judgements condemning Turkey for grave Violations of Human Rights, such as : Torture, death of a political prisoner in unclear circumstances followed by failure to conduct a proper Investigation, "enforced Disappearance" of a youngster aged 17, Killing of a sepherd with Tank Shells, persecuting Journalists for articles on "Missing" People, even a former President of Human Rights' Association, (etc)

- "We (EU) can defend our ideas on respect of Sovereignity and territorial Integrity, on Human Rights and other differences ... without confrontation", Sarkozy stressed, on the occasion of Russian/Georgian conflict, reminding that : "we were only 2 steps from catastroph", when a Peace agreement brokered in Moscow prevented, at the last minute, Russian troops' advance towards Tbilisi.

An EU Parliament Resolution adopted Wednesday in Strasbourg on the occasion of Russia - Georgia conflict, outlines a set of Principle which apply elsewhere too, (particularly when EU Rapporteur for Russia and Turkey is one and same person ; Dutch MEP Ria Oomen-Ruijtanen !)

Clearly rejecting any "military solution to the conflicts", MEPs "condemn ..all those who resorted to force and violence". They denounce a "disproportionate military action", "as well as (an) unilateral decision to recognise the independence" of brekaway regions, "calling.. to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity" of the concerned country, "and the inviolability of its borders recognised by all EU Member States". They warn that "EU must review its policy towards" a 3rd Country, "should .(it)...not comply with its commitments", and "stress that the withdrawal of.... troops from the areas ....is an essential additional step".

EU Parliament "calls for the safe and quick return of refugees, (accepted by Russian President Medvedev) accompanied by the deployment of EU observers on the ground", and "regrets ...that ..EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM) is not allowed to enter the ...breakaway regions". Moreover, "It's important to ensure that persons and NGOs ..engaged in defending human and civil rights can operate". "Until ...all remaining issues (are) resolved..., and notably the continuing ...Military presence", "relations with the EU ..cannot be fully normalised", MEPS warned.

As nobody likes to be accused to practice "Double Standards", this should be regarded as "Principles" applicable to any Third Country at EU's Neighborhood.. No ?

-------------------

On Economy :

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- "When Financial crisis shook US and EU's Banks, without result from the 1st (American) Paulsen plan, it was the common reply of the 1st EuroZone's Summit, involving some 1800 Billion euros, which started a positive move in the markets, soon strengthened by the follow-up of the US Paulson 2 Plan, noted Sarkozy.

- "Europe should not be only on the defensive, but, if necessary, know also how to take an offensive", he said, brushing away hesitationsto act on Economy: - "I'm for a refondation of Capitaliism, but against Speculators, who betray its values" : "Lack of Rules was profitable to speculators, Not to businessmen !" We must make sure to prevent any such crisis in future". "We, the rest of the World, cannot continue to bear the deficits of the 1st World power without saying anything !", the French President said, applauded by EU Parliament. All this needs "a New Global Governance", on which EU Parliament must debate. That's why "we proposed together with USA, several Summits from mid-November", to which G-8, enlarged to China, India a.o. countries, should participate. UNO's SG; Ban Ki Moon, the IMF, etc.

Financial crisis lowered shares' prices even for healthy companies, sometimes to 1/3 of their initial price, so that strangers might buy EU industries for only a portion of their real value, and Europeans may wake up one day with their main industries sold out to foreigners !

That's one of the reasons for which EU should debate about creating "Golden Shares" for States to jointly take Strategic participations to help European Industries until the end of the Crisis, particularly against distording competition, he suggested, pointing at USA's 35 billion $ plan for American Car Industry."We shall struggle for Europe to be able to build Airplanes, Ships, Trains, Cars, because we need a strong Industry", he concluded.

"F.ex. as we did back in 2004, when as Finance Minister, we bought Alsthom's shares for 800.000 euros, and, after restructuring, we sold them for 2 Millions : Help a company and make money is not so bad"...

As for the UK, "when Ireland announced that it would guarantee only Irish Banks, London City emptied from liquidities in 24 hours : It's the EU which helped to restore the situation, Not the UK alone !", reminded Sarkozy to nationalist British MEP Nigel Farage.

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On the contrary, in a last-minute attempt for the EU to catch-up with its Institutional delay "before the European Elections" of June 2009, MEPs simply voted a call for a "set of proposals" to be made for the "Irish public opinion" at the end of the year...

- "As long as Lisbon Treaty is not ratified by all 27 EU Member States, there is an unanimous decision to stop Enlargement, reminded Wednesday in Strasbourg the French Minister for EU affairs, Jean-Pierre Jouyet..

Added to an indirect but clear warning that, without Lisbon Treaty, all 27 EU Member Countries may not have a Commissioner in the 2009 resuffle, MEPS in the Constitutional/Foreign affairs Committees applauded hoping that this might motivate their Irish friends..

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