EPP party + MEPs' President Daul to EuroFora: 2014 EUElection linked to EU Values + common Identity

*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- The forthcoming EU Elections of May 2014 are Crucial not only for the European Economy, but also for Europe's Values and Identity, said in substance the experienced President of both EU Parliament's biggest Group of MEPs and of the biggest European Party, that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP, Joseph Daul from France (Strasbourg), speaking to "EuroFora", after a landmark Address to a Topically Symbolic Exhibition for the New "Humanistc Library" of Scientist Rhenanus (founded near Strasbourg, at Selestat's "Latin School of the Rhine", on 1450), friend of World-Famous Philosopher Erasmus, a unique collection of Manuscripts from the core-area of the Historic Franco-German Humanist movement around the Superior Rhine river ("OberRhein"),  since the 7th Century up to some among the 1st Books Printed at Gutenberg's era, around 1500, registered at UNESCO's "Memory of the World", which was exceptionally "Twinned" Today with a parallel Exhibition of the National Library of Sofia, Bulgaria's Capital, focusing on its European Cilivisation roots, from Ancient Greece (who gave "Sofia" even its Name : meaning "Wisdom"), through Rome and the Byzantine Empire to Christianism, etc., at the eve of an important EU Parliament's Debate on "EU Citizens' Freedom of Movement and Fundamental Rights", scheduled for Tomorrow, Wednesday, i.e. the  same Day for the Official Opening of the 2014 Greek EU Presidency, during which Prime Minister Samaras, accompagnied by many important Ministers, is due to discuss with MEPs from 28 EU Member Countries and the Presidents of EU Parliament and EU Commission, Schulz and Barroso, at a Plenary debate on Europe's prospects for the New Year.      

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- "This Year (2014), is, indeed, of Key-Importance for the Future of Europe", stressed Daul from the outset, on this occasion.

    - "Because, while "Different Options are offered to EU Citizens", in the forthcoming May 2014 EU Elections, "various Demagogues attempt to Mislead them", and "we must try to give them certain Perspectives", as he said.

    - In particular, "it's more than Necessary to ascertain our Values", because "what is at stake is Europe's Meaning", Daul warned, while also adding to "EuroFora" that he is in favor of organizing certain Public Debates between each European Party's leading candidate to the Top Job of New EU Commission's President, (according to a 1st time innovation, since the EU Lisbon Treaty's entry into force,
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    + As he reminded earlier, in his Speech at the Exhibition for the "European Dimension of Humanism", "after the 2nd World War, Europe was Cut into two" parts. "It's only 25 Years that Berlin's Wall has fallen", and another "Europe re-Unites" itself. "But Borders have not only a Physical existence : They are also in the Mentalities, and there, they haven't yet fallen" all...

    - "On the contrary,  as we have seen, back on 2004"'s previous EU Enlargement Eastwards, "mainly with the infamous .. "Polish plumber in France" (imaginary symbol of unfounded Fears of Harsh Competition in Jobs between EU Citizens) - that I'm still searching to find him in vain !... "And those who provoked such Fears, are now attempting, 10 Years later, to make us the same trick, this time with the Bulgarian and Romanian Workers", he topically pointed out.

    - "That's why", Today, *the joint presence of Sofia and Selestat's Libraries are a very Strong Symbol", and "I'm very glad for our meeting", "because it reminds us that the Europe which goes from the Atlantic ocean, crossing through the Rhine and Danube Rivers, up to the Black Sea, is not a New idea" :

    - "Already, during the 16th Century, the Humanists were very Conscious of the very Strong Links which crossed through our Continent", as "the Documents exposed here today prove", with "a (Cultural) Richness which is not only a Heritage" of the Past, "but also a Source of Inspiration" for the Future.

    => "I call upon Young People to visit these Exhibitions, these Libraries : They will see how much these are influenced by the Exchanges of Ideas, of knowledge. F.ex. Selestat's Library keeps even Letters to/from the Philosopher Erasmus, which also support the idea of a European Identity", Daul observed.

    >>> Thus, "I'm convinced that our Children, at every School in Europe, learn about their History, and it's Time to learn also that of all Europe : Not only that of the European Edification (with the CoE, EU, etc), but also the History of our Continent" : From Ancient Greece, "the Roman Empire, the Humanists, through Charlemagne,  etc., it's Our History of all of us", he underlined with voluntarism.

    - Naturally "including also the Philosopher Erasmus, as well as the Modern EU Program "Erasme+", that EU Parliament defended and promoted further, which should be Enlarged not only to Students, but also to the movements of Social partners and of Workers". Already, this helped raise a Generation allowing mutually enriching encounters between Young European Students, as well as to Meet eachother, and, most of all, to Unite together. I am a firm Believer for TransBorder Exchanges, which favor the circulation of Ideas, of links and, particularly, of Persons, supporting our Prosperity and Unity as Europeans", he said (at the eve of the launch of +15 Billions € worth new EU program"Erasmus+" in Athens, by EU Education Commissioner Androula Vassiliou).

    - "This is also what we are trying to do also with the (Strasbourg-based) European Parliamentarian Union, that I chair, which, even without having a lot of money, nevertheless, supports such Students and works for a Better Europe, Daul added modestly.

    - " As for Sofia, whose Mayor I salute, I had the opportunity to visit it several times, and was impressed by the Positive Changes that you introduced with Dynamism : If you go to Sofia, don't forget to vist its Subway : It's there that I met Sofia's Men and Women, particularly Old ones, who were very Glad and Proud of the Measures that you've taken for the Transport of Aged People, he pointed out.

    - "But also, naturally, Sofia's Library, which is at Europe's image, full of ideas beyond Borders". Thus, "I find extraordinary, the fact that even two Libraries which are located more than 2000 Kms away from each other, nevertheless, contain Books of the same origins, and Share also similar Themas", so that "I'm glad for this Partneship between Selestat's and Sofia's Libraries", and will always "stand by those many Projects that I know that you have on Cultural a.o. links between Strasbourg's region and Bulgaria, Daul promissed in conclusion.

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    To the various European Civilisation and Historic links between the Franco-German and the Bulgarian Crossroad Areas, to which, the well-informed Mayor of Selestat, Marcel Bauer, added also the Examples of a former Student of Rhine's Latin School, Ringmann, who "went to Italy to bring a Greek Manuscript of the Cosmography of Ptolemeus", while "Rhenanus himself used a Network of Scientists in order to get a Text from the collection of Hungarian King Mathias", and "the Printer Schürer, who studied at Cracow", in Poland, (etc), showing the astonishing fact that, "during that period of time, Individual Persons and Books used to move through Europe so easily, that it's almost unthinkable for those People of the 21st Century that WE are !"...

    Some concrete Human aspects of succesful European Integration inside the E.U. were not only symbolically but also actively present in this exceptional Cultural Event in EU Parliament, particularly in the very Persons of a Young Couple formed by Bulgarian-origin MEP Gabriel, (speaking both a fluent French and Bulgarian, after Studies of Political Science at the University of Bordeau, as she told "EuroFora"), with a French Politician from Strasbourg of the main opposition party UMP (ChristianDemocrats/EPP) who works recently for President Daul, well known to "EuroFora"s co-founder since many years.

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    + Meanwhile, the experienced President of EU Parliament's Committee of Culture, German MEP Doris Pack, of the Governing CDU Party, who said that she had visited Sofia and its National Museum, stressed in substance that Europe is open to an harmonious coexistence of various National Cultural identities, while also offering in addition a common one. Naturally both various National and a common European Cultural Idebtity can co-exist inside any conscious EU Citizen, Pack clarified to "EuroFora" with a smile.

    - Prefering to focus mainly on the common European Identity, Bernd Posselt, one among the most active German ChritianDemocrat/EPP MEPs said to "EuroFora" that, this year (2014) he co-organizes an important collective meeting of the European/International Movement "PanEuropa Union", (the prestigious Federalist movement created since the 1920ies by the Greco-Austrian origin Coudenhove-Kalergi, of which Posselt is the President for Germany), just before the May 25 EU Parliament Elections, at the Beginning of the Month of May 2014, right at the famous "Altötting" Church in Bavaria, which had been honored  by Pope emeritus Benedict's 1st visit in his Homeland, and is known also as an Historic, almost Mythic "Shrine of Europe".

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