newsitems EU Parliament Emergency Evacuation brings MEPs in front of Syrian Demonstrators Human Rights Urgency
EU Parliament Emergency Evacuation brings MEPs in front of Syrian Demonstrators Human Rights Urgency
An unprecedented Emergency Evacuation of EU Parliament, which suddenly interrupted the most massively attented event : Noon's Voting time, brought some 750 MEPs from allover Europe in front of an emotional Demonstration on the Urgency to stop a growing series of grave Human Rights Violations (Killings, Arrests, Torture, Censorship, etc) reportedly committed during last weeks in Syria, where even Military Tanks often attacked entire towns :
Despite EU Parliament President Jerzy Buzek's immediate calls to get out of the buildings by the nearest Emergency Exit Door, marked in Green, while most MEPs moved astonishingly fast, nevertheless, the Chairmen of the 3 bigger Political Groups, Joseph Daul, Head of the ChristianDemocrats/EPP, Martin Schultz, heading the Socialdemocrats, and Guy Verhofstadt, head of Liberals, were seen busy, as allways, to bravely discuss at the Hemicycle's center, until they were (by far) the last to abandon the ship..
After facing the River which surounds EU Parliament's superbe Tower, we all came in front of a Bridge arboring a huge .. Syrian Flag, where "EuroFora" went to take some overal Photos of the Exceptional Event, according to an excellent idea by experienced former Journalist and longtime MEP Berndt Posselt, crossing many other EU staff which had, in the meantimes, found a precarious refuge from a hot sun under the Trees of a linking Hill, waiting for a huge croud already gathered inside EU Parliament's entry yard for the "OK" to start returning inside the buildings.
The mostly Young Activists, dissidents opposed to the Syrian regime of Mr. Bashar Assad, with some women wearing the Muslim scarf, others without, were accompagnied by their Children, reminding last week-end's massive Demonstrations in Syria specially focused against Childrens' killings after the Tragic finding that an 8 Years old boy had been reportedly arrested, tortured and killed, amidst a growing number of children victims in the country. Calls to help the People against oppression by the Regime were visible side by side with many other Photographs picturing the Brutal Violence reportedly going on in Syria (making recently more than 1.000 Dead, according to a Human Rights Organization), People gravely wounded, Tortured or Killed.
Despite frequent Demontsrations and Protests out of EU Parliament's main entrance, this time it was really a strange feeling to see People passing by that Bridge look at the unprecedented spectacle of Hundreds of MEPs exceptionally gathered at the Riverside, themselves looking towards that Hill and Bridge full of Syrian Flags and Photographs denouncing grave Human Rights Violations in Syria, during an Emegency move due to test EU's readiness to timely and efficiently react in case of a Need to move fast act right and decisively in order to save Human Lives from imminent Dangers, (f.ex. Fires, Earthquakes, Terrorist Attacks, etc).
Back to EU Parliament's main building's central Yard, ChristianDemocrat MEP Wieland, from nearby Germany, observed that it was the 1st time that many MEPs realized that the Buildings were surrounded by a River, and revealed that they were calculating, together with Lech Walesa's son (a Polish MEP) how they could ..swim accross the water in case of real need, while experienced Brittish Liberal MEP, Andrew Duff, rightfully found that this was a good place to organize collective EU events, f.ex. Music recitals, etc., able to exceptionally bring all together more than 750 MEPs who are usually dispersed in various separate events, smaller rooms, offices, etc.
But things risked to become nasty, when two mainstream CDU/CSU German MEPs apparently disagreed about whether their National Government "Coalition" with Liberals was allowing to advance fast enough, (while, by a coincidence, at the same moment, the collective movement slowly but regularly returning back inside EU Parliament's buildings, was blocked and practicaly stopped by an unidentified cause)... But, a little Brittish "black" Humour closed this unusual event, when EuroSceptic MEP Nigel Farage, head of the EFD Group, one of the last to hesitate before returning back inside EU Parliament, confirmed to "EuroFora" that he personally felt .. "better out, than in (EU's buildings) !", as he said laughing... (before entering inside to find anew his air-conditioned, fully equiped office at the lift-served Crystal Tower which gives a superbe view over Strasbourg's city)...
He might have another chance to think twice on his moves during a 2nd Emergency Evacuation exceptionally planned for later this month in Brussels, at the eve of a crucial June 2011 EU Heads of State/Government Summit....
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Sarkozy and Merkel want deals with Obama on European Security at Strasbourg's NATO 2009 Summit
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In parallel but concording moves, EU Chair, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angie Merkel both invited this week US-President elect, Barack Obama, to discuss important deals breaking new ground on European Security during the NATO's 60 Years Anniversary Summit of Heads of State in Strasbourg, where Obama is expected to make his 1st visit to Europe as a President on April 2009.
Merkel focused mainly on smoother NATO - EU Defence and Security policy cooperation, while Sarkozy spoke about PanEuropean Security, associating both Russia and the USA, proposing to freeze missile and shields' deployement until an agreement is reached.
But both tackled some hard nuts to crack : Turkey's VETO against the participation of EU Member Cyprus to EU-NATO cooperation, and Russia's anouncement on deployment of missiles up to Kaliningrad, at EU's belly, in reply to USA's wish to set up missile shields in EU States such as Poland or Czech Republic, etc.
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- "Certainly...one of the points that we'll dicuss with the New US President", Barak OBAMA, "who will come f'or the 1st time in Europe as president, at the NATO Summit", co-hosted by France and Germany in Strasbourg, ""concerns, above all, the European Security and Defence Policy" (ESDP), and "the relations between NATO and its partners", with whom it should "work together", anounced earlier this week Merkel.
We must find "a reasonable and adequate concept to articulate NATO and European Security and Defense policy", because of a "series of practical issues, sometimes difficult to understand", but that "we must discuss".
- "An example" of that is "the issue of Cyprus and Turkey", said Merkel, where Ankara raises problems "from Kosovo up to Afghanistan", as also CoE's chair, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt recently observed in Strasbourg replying to EuroFora's questions.
- "We must do something to smoothen this problem for good, and not only on a case-by-case basis, laboriously negotiated each time". Here, we must find "a reasonable and adequate concept to articulate NATO and European Security and Defense policy", Merkel stressed.
- "With good will from all sides, it could and should be posible. Germany wants also to help on that". Otherwise, "the coming generations will not understand why it took Decades to do so". But, if we "don't even achieve that for Decades, this would be an Historic Failure !", the German Chancellor warned
- "I think that our American partners are increasingly realizing that", Merkel said, pleading for "a stronger European Security and Defence policy, with which, I believe, the Atlantic Security Partnership can also strengthen and solidify".
Meanwhile, USA is also due to take in 2009 a special status inside EU-led EUROCORPS, the European Army HeadQuarters, based in Strasbourg.
Merkel said that after meeting in Berlin with NATO's Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, earlier this week, precisely in order to "prepare NATO's Summit", scheduled for the beginning of April 2009 in Strasbourg.
Scheffe, knows well Strasbourg, since he chaired the CoE, as Holland's Foreign Minister, when he brokered a controversial deal precisely on Turkey and Cyprus about the implementation of ECHR judgements on Greek Cypriot displaced persons' houses and properties in 2003. He returned later at least once, for a WEO meeting at the CoE, where he precisely had highlighted such EU - NATO issues.
EU Commission's 2008 Report on Turkey has just observed that, on European Defense - Security policy, "Turkey continues to object to EU-NATO Cooperation which would involve all EU Member States". "This created Problems for EU-NATO co-operation in the context of Civilian ESDP missions, in particular in Kosovo and Afghanistan".
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French EU Chair, President Sarkozy and Merkel are visiting Washington on Friday and Saturday for a Global G-20 Summit with current US President George Bush, on the sidelines of which are expected preparatory contacts with US President-elect Obama's entourage, even if himself might stay in Chicago until he takes over on January 21.
Before going to Washington, Sarkozy concluded today an UE - Russia Summit with Dmitry Medvedev, where they "spoke in length on PanEuropean Security" :
- As EU President, I proposed that we meet on mid-2009 in a framework such as OSCE's in order to set the foundations of a Future Pan-European Security, which would associate Russia and USA, and that, meanwhile, nobody speaks about deploying missiles or shields, which complicate the situation".
- NATO's Summit in Strasbourg-Kehl, on April 2009 is a perfect occasion to discuss with our American friends and to prepare a possible OSCE Summit for these issues f.ex. for June or July", Sarkozy concluded.
- We must all abstain from Unilateral measures" dangerous for Europe's security. "Russia only reacted to decisions taken by some other countries. But if they are ready to cooperate, we are ready to discuss. EU could be an intermediary", added Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, before going himself too at the Washington G-20 Economic Summit.