European People's Party debates in Marseille Franco-German proposals to boost €urozone at EU Summit

*Marseille/EPP Congress/Angelo Marcopolo/- The Historic, but renovated and future European Cultural Capital city of Marseille, chosen by the biggest EU Parliament's Political Group, that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP, together with their Inter-Governemental Party of EPP itself, for its Bi-Annual Statutory Congress in 2011, (after that of Bonn, Germany, held on 2009 : See "EuroFora"s NewsReports from the spot), is due to gather mainly tomorrow, Thursday Noon, a Majority of some 17 EU Member Countries Heads of State/Government, (extended recently after a series of Electoral Wins also in Ireland, Finland, Spain, etc., which has been growing since the 2009 EU Elections), and many Leaders of Political Parties throughout the EU, offering a 1st European test and informal discussion place for the latest Franco-German proposals to boost €urozone by introducing strong Structural Changes, as a European Solution out of the Global Financial Crisis, due to be officially debated and decided at the forthcoming EU Summit, from Thursday Night up to all Friday in Brussels, (See "EuroFora"s NewsReports from Paris' Summit between German Chancellor Merkel and French President Sarkozy, at Elysee palace on Monday afternoon).

- "Marseiile's 2011 Top Political gathering will certainly provide the 1st good opportunity for a Majority of EU Leaders to freely meet, interact, exchange views and prepare (Brussels') decisions including, naturally, on the Franco-German proposals for €urozone", acknowledged, speaking to "EuroFora", the Spokesman of EU Parliament's biggest Group President Daul, Antoine Ripol, whose origin is from this region.

- "Indeed, even if our initial Agenda here (i.e. at the coast of the Mediterranean Sea) naturally was also about the current prospects of Economic and Democratic Development in the Union for the Mediterranean, nevertheless, I made it clear that it's obviously important also for the 3rd Mediterranean Countries that EU, and in particular its €urozone core, manage to succesfully face the challenge of the Global Financial Crisis, in order to be really able to help developments in the entire area", said to "EuroFora" EU Parliament's 1st vice-President, experienced Greek MEP Mrs Rodi Kratsa - Tsagaropoulou, who was Chairing this Morning's EPP Session on "Supporting the Arab Spring" by "responding to the populations' aspiration for .. Growth" and by "developing Financial Investments".

(I.e. the Economic aspect of Today's EPP's overall item, which focused on the "Democratic Awakening in the Mediterranean", starting earlier, at first, with its Politico-Institutional aspects, concerning mainly EU's Neighborhood policy and UfM : Comp. previous "EuroFora"s NewsReport).

But, at the same time, the Mediterranean naturally is an important EU Partner on Industrial, Energy and Agricultural Raw Materials, whose Price Volatility and Security, as well as enormous production Potential, have to become well managed, in a mutually useful way, able to boost Growth needed in both sides of the Sea, Rodi Kratsa agreed with "EuroFora", concerning also Tomorrow, Thursday morning's EPP session on these issues, which were notorioiusly tackle, for the 1st time, by the G20 Summit at nearby Cannes, (See "EuroFora"s NewsReport from Cannes, as well as before and after that exceptionally important event). This includes f.ex. the Germany-led project "Desertec", joined together with the French-led project "Transgreen", to produce and transport Electric power from the Sun, the EU Parliament's 1st vice-President agreed with "EuroFora".

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Meanwhile, Union for the Mediterranean's Secretary General, Youssef Amrani, speaking earlier to "EuroFora", stressed the fact that, in his view, "Solar Energy projects" were very Important for the UfM. Asked whether he meant  DESERTEC + TRANSGREEN : - Amrani was crystal-clear :

- "Absolutely Yes !" he replied.  - "There is a work going on, it needs some Time for serious preparation, etc. But, Today, we can't just do without RES : That's tomorrow's Future", he stressed. + "And many Coutries are (already) interested by that MSP project"

Questioned by "EuroFora" on what he believes to have now and in the foreseeable future the most Strategic impoortance, in concrete terms, UfM's Head replied by chosing : -  "The (EU's) Help to the Democratization process (See EUC's recent Decisions) and to the Economy, Creation of Jobs for Young People, etc., as well as projects for Businesses, namely for Infrastructures, so that they can become able to search funding", etc.             

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- But, in general, it's the Regional Integration of the Economy which is a Priority issue", the careful but ambitious UfM's Secretary General concluded in reply to our question.
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However, in order to be fully able to lead such developments, EU has first to urgently "meet the Challenge" launched to Europe by the Financial Markets and some Rating Agencies, as "Standard's and Poor's" controversial threats to downgrade the currently excellent, "AAA" Rating of 17 EU Countries, even France and Germany, as Prime Minister François Fillon stressed in replyu, speaking to Journalists in Marseille's EPP Congress, including to "EuroFora" :

- "I think that it's also a challenge for us, which should stimulate our will to prove that we are able to reply with energy, imagination and real efficiency", declared in substance on that topical issue, Prime Minister Fillon, after his speech in EPP's plenary session.

Speaking earlier to MEPs and National Political Leaders, the French Prime Minister reminded that what he had warned, back on 2009, to the previous EPP Congress in Bonn, (Germany : Comp. "EuroFora"s NewsReports from Bonn), about EU's "Responsibility" into facing the Global Crisis, had now (at the 2011 EPP's Congress in Marseille), become really urgent :


- "In front of extreme Threats, We have a Duty to Succeed", and the forthcoming "EU Summit must prove that we all accelerate our Speed" of action, Fillon stressed from the outset.
   
- "This time of upheavals .. touches upon EU project's legitimacy, its very credibility", vis a vis our Citizens and the whole World, Fillon warned. That's why "Europe needs a New federative Momentum", and the EPP political Family must become "Europe's (protective) Castle" as well as "the (political) Force which relaunches the European project" in a New way", which "thinks anew the Political Organization of Europe, which must evolve", the French Prime Minister incited.

- "With more Rigour (discipline) and more Solidarity,  Europe must also become more Democratic", Fillon added, stressing a wish for main European "Decisions to be taken by Political leaders, Elected democractically", i.e. in Direct contact with the People :

 -"In the  New (EU) Governance that we (France and Germany) propose, it's crystal-clear that €urozone Heads of State/Government's Summits will be the InterGovernemental Cornerstone of the whole" EU political mechanism, he pointed out. (Comp. "EuroFora"s earlier NewsReports).

+ "But EU Parliament and National Parliaments must also fully play their Monitoring role", because "today, there is no more any EU Institution which might, alone, be credible enough to represent EU's General Interest", he observed. - "It's all together that we work for the General Interest, in Brussels, in Strasbourg, in Luxembourg, but also inside each one among our (EU's) Member States, inside each one of our National Parliaments".

Together with a "strengthened (Financial) Stability, and more Rules", (See "Eurofora"s NewsReport on the Franco-German proposals), "EU must also help renew Growth", f.ex. with a better targetted aid to Scientific Research, by a regulation favorable to the development of Digital Economy, etc", etc. the French President concluded, calling anew the EPP to be aware that the (Global) Crisis has considerably elevated our Responsibilities", as he warned.

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 - "Unlike a (remote) Past, when France and Germany had been opposed, on the contrary, now we are strongly united, facing another kind of War" through Global Financial Markets, stressed together French MEP Joseph Daul, EPP Group''s President, and experienced mainstream German  MEP Doris Pack.                                                                                                                                                             

Speaking to Journalists, including "EuroFora", both Daul and Pack stressed the concern and sens of duty of German Chancellor Angie Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, to, first of all, care for EU Citizens' need to be protected from any risks of brutal upheavals which might, otherwise, be provoked to the man on the street and his Family and/or Job or Business by the Global Financial Crisis.

+ "When I see all that Money just floating on line instead of being Invested in Productive projects, and those (mainly USA) Rating Agencies, particularly if they don't even take into account Europe's real efforts to decisively ameliorate the situation and end up to the top, while they practically say nothing critical for others (as. f.ex. the USA itself) who are in a much Worse situation on Debt, Deficits, etc., I'd really like to start applying those EU Parliament's Resolutions which have alreasdy called for more and stronger Regulation of (Global) Financial Markets, just to make sure that they don't simply react to superficial rumours, nor on  suspicious self-fullfilling prophecies, etc., but that they rather do a really serious job, focusing on Economic fundamentals, at least in he Future, warned the Chairman of the Biggest EU Parliament's political Group. Meanwhile, in his official addrress to EPP's 2011 Congress, Daul focused also on launching a vibrant Appeal to safeguard EU's "Cohesion" :

- "If we succeed to really bring our Countries closer, and make their Economies converge, without exclusions, then, EU will finally get out of the (Global) Crisis, Faster then expected, and from the Top. On the contrary, if Egoistic Divisions push towards excluding some, adding more Divergences, then the Crisis will likely remain longer, losing a chance to boost a united and harmoniously developed €urozone, Daul warned.

Speaking later-on to "EuroFora", Chairman Daul agreed that, if the Franco-German proposals are accepted, then, New Institutional and political tools as f.ex. that of €urozone's Head of States/Governmentgs' Monthly Summits, (tSee earlier "EuroFora"s
NewsReports), then, this might facilitate further common work between EU Governments and MEPs in the foreseeable Future.

+ That move was also welcomed by experienced, mainstrream long-time German Top MEP Elmar Brok, EPP's coordinator on Constitutional issues, speaking to "EuroFora", who also observed that both EU Parliament and EU Commission already work with a Monthly Agenda.

- Even if apparently more Thoughtful at the beginning, Slovakia's vice-Prime Minister, and Super-Minister in charge of Transports Construction and Communication, experienced former EU Commissioner on Culture and Education, Jan Figel, speaking also to "EuroFora", rather changed soon an initially reserved attitude, (of the kind : - "It's not more Summits that we (EU) need", etc), into a Positive one, indicating his Interest, particularly when he realized the fact that, (as German Chancellor Merkel had already noted, when she presented the Franco-German proposals together with French President Sarkozy, had clearly anounced that such €urozone Monthly Summits would focus on concrete, specific issues, practically useful for their overall declared Aim to enhance €urozone's "Competitiveness and Growth", including, f.ex. "Transports' Infrastructures", etc..

Optimist (and/or Voluntartist) despite extreme difficulties provoked by Past Errors of others, the leader of Greece's biggest party (according to the latest Pölls), Antonis Samaras of New Democracy, speaking to "EuroFora", confirmed his firm belief that his party can and will do much better, if it wins f.ex. the forthcoming Elections scheduled for February 2012, particularly in order to "develop Production" and preserve "Social Cohesion", while also advancing in resolute Structural Reforms, mainly of the Public Sector, contrary to the Recession and Popular Revolts provoked recently by the former PASOK Government, eager to mainly keep paying Salaries and Retirement to its numerous cushy job holders and/or political lackeys that it has notoriously appointed, in a counter-productive or even abusive way, since the 1980ies, provoking a growing Debt, (See "EuroFora"s analysis since 12/2009).

Significantly, Samaras was replying to an "EuroFora"'s Question on the "Cannes' Formula", as can be called our exchange of views with a Sarkozy's counsellor on the possibility, or not, for the then main Opposition Party in Greece to respect the Financial outline, the Timing, etc., of the October 26 Deal negotiated by former Prime Minister Giorgos Papandreou alone with the EU, but to keep a Freedom on the concrete way to obtain the required Financial Result with Different Economic Policies).

Meanwhile, on the first question raised by the Franco-German proposals: that of the number of EU Countries which are already willing and able to join immediately the move, EPP Group's Spokesman, the experienced Robert Fitzhenry from Ireland, (one of the recent examples of a series of Electoral Wins by ChristianDemocrat/EPP political parties which is growing accross Europe since 2007-2009, after Finland and before Spain, etc, with Edda  Kenny, as well as Rachoy, etc.), appeared adamant, as far as it concerns at least the 17 €urozone Member Countries : - "Normally, they should all join, and right away ! This concerns €uro and is done for €urozone, added the Press Director of the biggest Political Party in EU Parliament, speaking to "EuroFora".