EPP Head Daul to EF: a Top Political Trip throughout Europe, concludes at its Heartland: Zagreb ?

 

*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- At the Age that US President Trump just got a Medical Check by 12 Doctors to prepare himself for the 2020 Elections, suddenly, in Europe, the Head of the Biggest Party in the Continent : that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP, French Long-Time MEP of Strasbourg, Joseph Daul, in a brief but topical phone Interview with "Eurofora", at the eve of EPP's Congress this week in Zagreb, Croatia, (next EU rotating Chair from January 2020), while the Sudden News about his Departure from EPP's Top Job, where he's due to be succeeded by Donald Tusk, outgoing EU Council's President and former Polish Prime Minister, had just Started to Circulate among Medias, claimed, clearly and strongly, that he, Simply, decided, in a Free and UnImposed way, that, simply, he didn't want to Stay President at 76 Years of age or more, (as he would be obliged to do, if he seeked to be re-elected anew now at Zagreb)...

 - "If Everybody could and wanted to Work until 76 Years of Age, our (EU's) Economy would thrive !", Joked, on this occasion, Daul, who Leads during More than 6 Years the Biggest European Party (2013 - 2019), but had reportedly Started to Work since 14 Years of Age, at his Family Agricultural production unit, near Strasbourg, at the Franco-German Borders, which is always active, continued by his Son, with the Help of his Wife.

A quite "Spicy" observation Nowadays, when the Public Controversies about the Age for Pensioners have become too "Hot" in France, in view of a Reform prepared by the Young President Emmanuel Macron, (Comp., also, a relevant "Eurofora"s INTW, recently, with the French Government Spokeswoman, Sibeth Ndiaye, on that issue, at: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/frenchgovernmentspokeswomantoef.html, etc)...

- "In Fact, I've been Thinking about it, already during almost a whole Year, now", Daul told "Eurofora", i.e. pointing at a Date Before the Latest, May 2019, EU Elections and their "Bumpy" aftermath, as far as EU Parliament's role, in relation to Heads of State/Government's EU Council was concerned this time...

Daul, Elected MEP since 1999, (reportedly incited by Historic President Jacques Chirac), after a Long Career as Top Representative of the Agricultural World, in France and Europe, since his Young Age on 1976, Mayor, Head of Family SME independent Business, Member of France's National and Economic Council (1991-1999), etc, and former Chairman of EU Parliament's Committee on Agriculture, became Chairman of the ChristianDemocrat/EPP Political Group of MEPs at the European Parliament since 2007, (when "Eurofora"s co-Founder Published a 1st Interview that he gave us, then at "TCWeekly").

Meanwhile, inter alia, Daul had actively participated also in EU Parliament's Delegations to the WTO Global Ministerial Rounds at Seattle (1999), Doha (2001) and Cancun (2003), and engaged in the preparations at nearby Geneva, in Switzerland.

He Brillantly led the EPP at a Three-Fold, Landmark Victory in the 2009 EU Elections, Winning Both the 1st Place in his own Strasbourg's Region of Alsace, and at a National level in France, as well as throughout All European Union, (See main Facts at "Eurofora"s NewsReport, then : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/daulelections.html, etc).

On 2014 EU Elections, he managed to Kick-Start the so-called "Spitzen-Candidaten" Democratic Principle, due to Boost EU Parliament's role in the Choice of the influent New EU Commission's President, (Chief of EU's Executive Power), by strongly Electing the Experienced, Long-Time Prime Minister of Luxembourg, and former Chairman of €uroGroup, Jean-Claude Juncker, (a profoundly convinced ChristianDemocrat/Social, and Good-Tempered Top Politician, with a rare Sens of Fidelity but also of Humour), at the Top of EU Commission, after he Won the 1st Popular Vote among EU Parliament's MEPs.

Significantly, Juncker's pre-Electoral Campaign had practicaly Started at Daul's Agricultural SME Family Business, on a Beautiful Hill, at Pfetisheim Village, near Strasbourg, surrounded by Many Journalists, including "Eurofora", Back on 2014, (See f.ex. relevant Photo of Juncker and Daul in a tiny Agricultural Tractor, etc).

Later, on 2017, Daul praised Juncker for aiming to "place the European People at the Heart of his Vision for Europe’s Future", at the latter's "State of the Union" Annual Speech, and stressed that "there is No EU withOut its People :  It is high Time to Break the Image of Brussels’ "Ivory Tower". We Need ... to Address the main Concerns of our Citizens, and ... engage in direct Dialogue with them", (as he said then, obviously Approaching "Eurofora"s Project : Comp. also Juncke's relevant Statement, then, to "Eurofora", at : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/schaublejunckerandmerkel.html, etc).

Meanwhile, Daul had practicaly succeeded, (initialy on a provisionary base, covering an Urgency), to EPP's Long-Time President, and former Belgium's Prime Minister, Wilfried Martens, (with whom he used to already Cooperate closely Together on several Topical Issues throughout Europe), at his demand, when he Faced Health Problems, back on Autumn 2013, and Decided, after 2014, to Resign from the EU Parliament, in order to Focus to his New Responsibilities in Brussels, as New Head of the ChristianDemocrat/EPP Party, where he was initially Elected on 2015 in Madrid's EPP Congress, and Re-Elected, Later-on, (proving that Strasbourg's real Europeans can Work well also in Brussels)...

After the Deadly Incidents Provoked at Kiev, on February 2014, which led to a Conflict skiping a Peace Agreement earlier brokered under 3 EU Foreign Ministers' auspices, (from France, Germany and Poland), the Ukranian Problem with Russia Dividing anew the European Continent, Daul toured almost All European Countries Neighbouring Russia, meeting their Leaders, in order to both hear and alleviate their Concerns, but Also met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with whom "We (EU) Must Talk and hold a Dialogue", as he stressed, (withOut, however, backtracking on his Criticism, whenever necessary), in Reply to an "Eurofora"s relevant Question at Strasbourg's Press Club, (See: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/daulonukraineandrussia.html, etc).

When, during the 2015-2016's UnPrecedented Giant "Tsunami" of more than +1,5 Millions of Mass Asylum Seekers/Irregular Migrants Suddenly spread into Europe through Turkey, almost at the Same Time that ISIS Deadly Islamist Terrorists, Cowardly Targetting innocent Civilian People, had Started Horrible Massacres from Paris to Brussels, and elsewhere in Europe, (at least Some among them, having, even, entered the EU by coming from Turkey, via Greece, etc), Daul, in an Exceptional Conference at Strasbourg's University, was among the First to clearly Acknowledge and Denounce the Fact that "Turkey is Blackmailing Europe", concerning Ankara's notoriously Pressing Demands for More than 3 Billions € in full Grants each Year, "Free Visa" for 80 Millions of Turks, Boost Turkey's Controversial and UnPopular EU Accession bid, (etc : Comp. relevant "Eurofora"s NewsReport of March 2016, at : ..., etc).

In the MeanTime, while UK's Growing Anti-EU Scepticism, in general, even Before "BREXIT" Referendum, had, inter-alia, pushed Brittish MEPs to Leave the ChristianDemocrat/EPP Group in EU Parliament, shortly After Juncker had Warned, at a premonitory Speech in Strasbourg's University, about a "Risk for the UK to Become, step by step, an Only Partial EU Member" (sic !), Daul was Criticized by some UK MEPs for Not Speaking Fluenty English, (sic !). To which, he used to Reply that, in fact, "with the French and German Languages, I managed to practical Tour All Europe, from the South, up to the Northern, Scandinavian Coutries, withOut any Problem", as he Claimed...

As a man from Strasbourg's Region of Alsace, widely BuiLingual, at the Franco-German Borders of Rhine river, Daul had been provocatively Questioned, by someone, when he had been Elected EPP's President, whether he Prefered to Pronounce his Family Name in French or in German, (i.e. "DOL" or "DAOUL"), to which he had Calmly Replied, with a serene Smile : - "Feel Free to Call me as you like, IF you make it Clear that you are speaking about me !"...

This Basic, Franco-German Dimension, of Daul's character, (Often Balanced, inter alia, also by a much Wider, "Christian" Dimension), might, also, have been Behind what reportedly made the current EU Group of MEPs' Chairman, Manfred Weber's (former "Spitzen-Kandidate") allegedly Regret the Strasbourg-born Politician's Not as "Hot" as he would have liked Stance, Against recent Pressure to Skip him as EU Parliament's 1st Candidate to the Job of EU Commission's President, after the May 2019 EU Elections, when, French Liberal President Macron, had notoriously said to Prefer, (curiously, at the Last Minute), someone Else, alegedly with More Government Experience, Speaking also French, etc, (as, f.ex., the current, new EU Commission's President-Elect, former Defense Minister, Ursula von der Leyen):  In fact, whatever Daul might have thought about it, it seems almost Inevitable, for such a Franco-German Politician, to feel Embarassed, whenever, Exceptionaly, there was No Franco-German Agreement...

+ Last, but not least, Speaking Today to "Eurofora", Daul appeared Proud also for the landmark Victory, among 4 Strong Competitors, of Marija Buric, former vice-Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Croatia, at the Recent, June 2019 Election as New Secretary General at the PanEuropean, 47 Member States-strong (including Russia, etc), CoE, the Strasbourg-based Organisation for Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law, for the Period of 2019-2024 :

Indeed, it's the 1st Time, After 3 Previous SG from the Socialist Party, during 15 Years, that CoE, at last, has anew a ChristianDemocrat/EPP Leader !

- "I know her quite well : I Campaigned for her !", spontaneously reacts Today the EPP President, Joseph Daul, obviously considering that as the latest Important Electoral Victory for Europe's Biggest Party, on 2019...

=> "I really Hope that she will be a Good" new CoE's Leader, Daul wished, in conclusion, speaking to "Eurofora", for Marija Buric.                             

Last, but not least, the Experienced Top European Politician, who holds a Long Practice of Both Multilateral Policies in EU Parliament, and on relations with Key Heads of State/Government at EPP's Summits in Brussels and elsewhere, in Addition to Awards of "Knight of the National Order of Merit" and "Knight of the Legion of Honour", etc., Surprisingly, told us, Today, that, at least, as things stand for the moment, he might not intend to Share yet his Extensive and Rich European/Paneuropean, EU/CoE History, (since he was Regularly Following Both Organisations' main activities, also with Regular Visits in Strasbourg, etc), with numerous interested readers in a forthcoming Book !

Hopefully, President Daul should Change Views on this Key Point, the soonest possible, for the General Interest of all European a.o. People...                                                              

(../..)

("DraftNews")

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