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Home arrow newsitems arrow Double leap forward: EuroZone celebrates twice its 10th Anniversary. Strasbourg adding to Frankfurt

Double leap forward: EuroZone celebrates twice its 10th Anniversary. Strasbourg adding to Frankfurt

Pisac ACM
14. 01. 2009.

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Double leap forward when EuroZone celebrates twice its 10th Anniversary :
 
 
- Strasbourg 2009 adds Political dimension to Frankfurt 2008.



    EuroZone's rare privilege to celebrate ..twice its 10 Years Anniversary, first at Central European Bank's Headquarters at nearby Frankfurt on 2008, and now at EU Parliament in Strasbourg on 2009, saw a big Change :  From classic Monetary Stability to innovative Economic Policy...

    Nobody among the Chiefs of State or Goverment or Senior Experts who had attended the CEB's Summit, could have imagine what followed :

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    - Back on June 2008, the accent was placed, indeed, mainly into stressing the fact that a strict Monetary Policy was also "Social", because it protected the People from risks of abrupt Devaluation, of which they had suffered in the Past, as German Chancelor Merkel had reminded then.

    The image of People suddenly losing their jobs, Businesses desinvesting, Factories closing, Banks stoping to lend money, Stock Markets going astray, Funds going bankrupt, Hundreds of Millions disappearing like thin air, in brief : The Global Financial and Economic Crisis which followed since September 2008, seemed still unthinkable...

    And EuroZone's President, Luxembourg's Prime Minister, Jean-Claude Juncker's attitude to "EuroFora"s question on eventual perspectives for "EuroGroup" to acquire also a "Political" dimension, had been surprisingly moderate and low-key, as if he didn't really think that it might be desirable.

    At least that was the frustrating impression he gave us when we raised such questions with President Juncker also at EU Parliament or when he got a Honoris Causa Doctoral diploma" at Strasbourg's University.. This had surprised us, because it was in complete contrast with his, otherwise, voluntary, combative personality, fond of big challenges and great vision..

    However, even back in Frankfurt, at CEB's Headquarters, during its 10 Years' Anniversary, IMF's Senior Expert on Europe, Allessandro Leipold, presenting the conclusions of a check-up by the austere Washington DC Global Financial body, had already started to surprise :

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    IMF's diagnostics, while praising EuroZone's succes in achieving price Stability and building Confidence, at the same time, warned that Contradictions were growing and a Deceleration of Growth was possible : Therefore, FMI advised EuroZone to look after its own Cohesion and Economic Development.

    Joining the dots together, "EuroFora" had asked IMF's Senior Expert if this meant that EuroZone' countries should make "common European replies" to Global Market upheavels, (such as Oil or Food price sharp rises at that moment).

    Leipold's reply, even if it looked more like a "Yes !", was carefully covered by a typical Washington DC IMF's "diplomatic" foggy language, which left things rather vague and foggy. Wisely, he also postponed a definite appraisal for after the 2008 Summer...

    (A more detailed overview is available for EuroFora's subscribers).

    But now, January 2009, the change revealed at EU Parliament's special event for Euro's 10th Anniversary, organized in Strasbourg, compared its Frankfurt twin, was astonishing :

    The tone was given from the outset, when EU Parliament's President, German ChristianDemocrat MEP Hans Gert Poettering, described the succesful October 2008 1st EuroZone Summit, convened in Paris at the initiative of French President Nicolas Sarkozy :

    - " It wasn't merely a matter of Economy : The common European Decision proved that a Political Europe can exist !".

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    And here is "another", differend Juncker; now :  

    - "During its 50 Years, Europe often astonished by its capacity to formulate Great Ambitions, and also to develop the necessary mentality and Determination to apply, in a consequent way, the ambition it nourishes", he started.

    -  "Anniversaries have value only when they serve as Bridges for the Future" : "The Economic and Monetary Union is, certainly, an Economic project, but, above all, it's a Political project. In consequence, we must use the 2nd Decade of the Euro to finalise the Economic and Monetary Union by reinforcing its Political instances at the internal and external field", Juncker concluded.
    
    - " What matters most today is our responsibility for the Future. If New Challenges ..are faced with utmost Lucidity and Audacity, they can generate ..Powerful Ideas", concluded even the traditionaly auster CEB's President Jean-Claude Truchet..

    - "The symbol of integration which is Euro's success, must incite to advance further in the European construction... To the fatality of failure, let's oppose the Dynamics of Succes, called, here and now, Euro", added former French President, and Coordinator of the EU Constitution, Valery Giscard d'Estaing.

    But he also warned to avoid to give Euro "a Global dimension" : "Its a European Money and must express its specific Culture of reason and stability in the concert of other world money".

    Co-Rapporteurs German MEP Verner Langen and French MEP Francine Beres, added in the debate their main proposals, endorsed by EU Parliament earlier in Strasbourg, to "strengthen the Political dimension of the EuroGroup, both internaly and externally".

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    In vain, Brittish Nationalist MEP Nigel Farad, speaking for the IND/DEM Group recalled the "old Soviet times"' facticious "plans", expressing "doubts" if the Euro will survive another 10 Years, and accusing the EU to "stuck" national Governments "inside Euro straitjacket", which will be "tested for the first time" during this Global crisis, as he said...

    He was contradicted by Greek Communist Kostas Droutsas, who blamed Euro to be, on the contrary, one of "Capital's tools to intensify the exploitation of the working class".

    The fact is that, during this first Month of 2009, EuroZone penetrated inside the first former "Socialist" country to adopt it willingly ; Slovakia. This incited the Czech Republic, currently chairing the EU, to move : Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek anounced this same week in Strasbourg that his country intends to adopt the Euro currency asap, preparing another change at Prague...

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    As for EU Citizens, they are obviously glad to be able to move accross 16 EU Member States without being obliged, no more, to change money at each border, wasting time and paying exchange percentages, as in the Past.. But they's certainly like for EuroZone to become able to protect them also from Financial and Economic Crisis..

    Finally, this "big change" was nothing new for Strasbourg :

    - It's as soon as 1995, during a visionary "State of the Union" debate at EU Parliament here, that MEPs were told that the adoption of the Euro would "pave the way" for the emergence of a Political Europe :

    By tranferring to a European level the national States' traditional capacity to stimulate Economy by augmenting the mass of Money put into circulation, the creation of EuroZone would inevitably create the need to transfet to a European level also a responsibility for Economic Policy, the 1995 visionary debate had concluded.

    - "Vote for the Euro, and afterwards we shall have e Political Europe. Because if a Political Europe does not emerge to monitor the Monetary Europe, the People will never accept it, never", as former EU Commission's President, Jacques Delors had said earlier, Prof. Alain Lipietz, spokesman of the Green Group in EU Parliament, reminded.

    But Strasbourg's Mayor, Senator Roland Ries, in a special anouncement, after receiving President Poetterings' invitees at Rohan Palace, reminded also that "it was since 1989" that former French President Francois Mitterand had launched a call in Strasbourg, joined by German Chancelor Helmut Kohl and others, to boost a European Economic and Monetary Union..

    1995 - 2009, or even 1989 - 2009 : In fact, it's not only Ten, but ..almost 15 or even 20 Years !

- Isn't it late enough ? Will History give to Europe more Time to waste ?

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    Before the end of 2009, France and Germany will take strong initiatives to open "new Horizons" needed by Europe and the World, going well beyond the current Crisis' management, anounced French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angie Merkel, reassuring that both a judgement on Lisbon Treaty by nearby Karlsruhe German Federal Court, and the forthcoming National Elections in Germany would confirm their capacity to act.    

They were replying to Press questions in Berlin, after key-regional elections on Sunday, where Merkel's ChristianDemocratic party kept everywhere a strong 1st and won the possibility to forge a New Majority with Liberals at the largest of 3 Landers : Saxony (4 millions inhabitants), while its main competitor, the Socialdemocrat party fell to unprecedented lows : Tackled by the small "Linke" (left) party in Saarland (1 million inhabitants), it became even smaller than it in Saxony and Thuringen (3 million inhabitants), where SPD arrived only third. While its usual partners, the "Greens" also fell down, contrary to CDU's new partners, the FDP Liberals, who go up.

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    - "At any case, at the end of the year (2009), if things go as scheduled, we shall take strong initiatives, showing that Europe needs a Franco-German axis, as well as the World, even if it never excludes other" countries to join, replied Sarkozy to a question if France and Germany will revive the "European dream", by "relauncing the EU motor" for the Future, with actions going further than the mere management of the global crisis, (as it was done fex. in the Past with the creation of the "Euro" Monetary zone, etc).

    - "I am convinced that the Franco-German friendship must be constantly nourished by New Projects", he added."There are many areas of cooperation where we intend to take, very soon, some Franco-German initiatives, which will allow to open more Horizons" to the EU, Sarkozy stressed.

    But if "we don't speak about that now, it's only in order to avoid interfering in important elections coming in Germany", he observed. However, "we have already started to consider the Future with the (German) Chancellor, and what we can do in order to honour our predecessors". "We are already speaking about that, and we are preparing things". "I am working very well together with Mrs Merkel, and I wish that it goes on", Sarkozy concluded.

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    - "It's important for EU's credibility that France and Germany advance forward together", stressed Merkel from the outset. "Don't worry about Germany's capacity to undertake initiatives" with France, she added. "France and Germany will be perfectly able to make proposals" for the EU.

    -  "After-crisis" plans must be prepared, meanwhile, with measures "advancing progressively", Merkel anounced. And, for the short term, we must deal also with EU Citizens' dismay since they feel that it's a Scandal for some in the Financial Markets to be paid with excessive "Bonuses", etc, she agreed with Sarkozy.

    - "Abuses in financial markets must stop", stressed also Sarkozy. Backing Merkel's announcement that France and Germany call for an EU meeting to forge "a crystal-clear European position" in view of the G-14 Summit at Pittsburg, he warned that "everyone will have to undertake his responsibilities, in front of World's Public Opinion. particularly those who don't want to make the same effort of regulation as France and Germany".

    Moreover, "Global Trade cannot be correctly dealt, without taking into account also Environmental and Social rules", Sarkozy added, referring to recently expressed positions against Unfair Competition via Environmental and/or Social Dumping, (See earlier "EuroFora"'s publications).

    Such moves are obviously linked to the need to ensure at least an elementary respect for Human Rights by Third Countries, (f.ex. exploitation of Children's work, etc) in order to avoid, precisely, any such Social Dumping.

    - "EU has Values, protecting Human Rights and Human Dignity", and "it cannot close its eyes" in front of grave violations, particularly "Torture and/or killings", added, indeed, Sarkozy.

    Thus, "the time comes, where decisions must be taken". But, in case of "Sanctions", "all International opinion should be convinced of the need to take action", he observed.

    Expressed on the occasion of recent developments in Iran, the same principles should logically apply also to other similar cases, including fex. that of Hundreds of ECHR judgements' condemning f;ex. Turkey for grave crimes, (as Torture, brutal Killings, Enforced "Disappearances", Destruction of Family Homes, harassments and oppressive violations of Freedom of Speech, etc).

    Meanwhile, questioned on (EU Commission's chair)  Barroso's bid to succeed himself for a second mandate, they both expressed a "wish" or a "feeling" that "EU Parliament"'s various political Groups might fix a date for decisions "during September". However, is he is endorsed before the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, it will be legally necessary to re-vote anew for a full term of office afterwards, according to EU Legal Experts, revealed recently in Strasbourg the experienced former President of EU Parliament's Constitutional Committee, German Socialist MEP Jo Leinen. And Germany will not vote for Lisbon Treaty's ratification but only "on September 8 and 18", revealed Merkel, ( i.e. after EU Parliament's plenary session in Strasbourg).

    - Therefore, "for EU Commissioners' appointment, it's too early yet, because we must wait for the ratification of Lisbon Treaty" by all 27 EU Member countries, including naturally Ireland's Referendum on early October, said to "EuroFora" the influential President of EU Parliament's largest group of MEPs, Joseph Daul, expressing, however, the hope that a controversial deal with the head of the Socialist Group of MEPs, Martin Schultz of Germany, might hold for Barroso alone, at a forthcoming vote due to fix the Strasbourg plenary's Agenda.

    But MEPs reportedly just "postponed" for 1 week all their previously scheduled group meetings (See : http://www.euractiv.com/en/future-eu/barroso-unveil-summer-homework-week/article-184825 );

    However, while the choice of a new EU Commission's President by EU Parliament is supposed, according to many MEPs' wish, take place according to EU policy issues, paradoxically, this would mean that Barroso's bid would pass before even the anouncement of France and Germany's "initiatives" for EU's "new Horizons"...

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