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Home arrow newsitems arrow MEPs strive for EU logic while Libya Army action goes NATO +Monetary Stability Mechanism to €uroZone

MEPs strive for EU logic while Libya Army action goes NATO +Monetary Stability Mechanism to €uroZone

Pisac ACM
23. 03. 2011.

 

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 *Brussels/Angelo Marcopolo/- EU Parliament Rapporteurs and other EU personalities, replying to "EuroFora" and other Journalists' Questions, including on Gasperi's Historic premonitory observations, expressed both reserves that Military action to help revolted Libyan People against Military attacks by Colonel Kaddafi's regime might go towards NATO, instead of an EU's Defence and Security policy, and Hopes that a permanent Financial Stability Mechanism will not stay exclusively in a €uroZone Member States' InterGovernemental New structure, at nearby Luxembourg, but could also be linked with an EU framework, after a necessary impulse was successfully given by an initially Franco-German initiative spearheaded by President Sarkozy and Chancellor Merkel (Comp. "EuroFora"s NewsReports from 12/2010 Freiburg's and Brussels' Summits, as well as 2/2011 Brussels' Summit).


Both, almost parallel moves, timely challenged, in fact, on 2011, Historic European Politician Alcido de Gasperi's prioneer 1952-1954 views that European Political Integration could be achieved only with the "Driving power" of a Single Currency and/or a Common Defence policy, which both needed also a Values' driven, European Ideologic "Mentality", to be developed mainly by Democratic Political Debate, as reminded a Book recently published and presented at EU Parliament in Brussels by his Daughter, Maria Romana di Gasperi (See infra).
 
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Questioned today by "EuroFora" and other Journalists, during a Press Conference at EU Parliament in Brussels, at the eve of EU Heads of State/Government's Summit next Thursday and Friday, March 24 and 25, about the main substance of the outcome which appears to result this week from EU Parliament's decision, earlier in Strasbourg, to Postpone its Vote on the New, Permanent Financial Stability Mechanism for €uroZone Countries, until EU States' Governments accepted a stronger role for EU Commission and Parliament, its Co-Rapporteurs, German ChristianDemocrat MEP Elmar Brok, and Italian Socialdemocrat MEP Roberto Gualtieri, explained the main reasons for theri satisfaction from EU Council's positive reply in a Letter sent yesterday, March 22, by EU Commissioner Oli Rehn and €uroGroup's Chairman, Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Juncker :

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 -"EuroFora" asked EU Parliament's co-Rapporteurs on the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) to make it crystal-clear, whether, "to oversimplify things, if we understood well, the main Amendments that EU Parliament wishes are not so much about the Content, but rather about the Role that MEPs, as Representatives of EU Citizens, would play in the Decision Making Process, now and in the Future. (Apparently), that's (seems to be) the main thing. Is there anything else ? Or this is, indeed, the main focus ?", we asked them to confirm.

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- "Of course it's also important in terms of Inter-Institutional balance, the fact that EU Parliament, not withstanding that it had only to give a simple "Opinion" according to the Treaty, has exerted a Role, which is not only that of an Advisor, but has also contributed to define something which is under the (EU) Member States' competence : I.e. the terms of the Agreement under the 17 €uro Member States, on how the System will work. This is something important", agreed with "EuroFora" EU Parliament's co-Rapporteur Gualtieri.
 
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+ "Second, the Result is that, if we have a Regulation governing the Conditions to the Granting of an Aid, this means that, if, from one side, the decision will be taken by the Governors of the ESM, because it's Governments' Money", nevertheless, "the Conditions governing these Aids, (i.e.) the MacroFinancial Surveillance Program and the Economic Adjustment Program (of the Member State concerned), will be governed by a Procedure which will be defined by the (EU) Regulation, which is a Legal act of the (European) Union, co-decided by the (EU) Council and the (EU) Parliament", the Italian MEP added.


- "This means that we establish a Link between an InterGovernemental leg, I'd say, of the Mechanism, and a(n EU) Community leg of the Mechanism, linking together these two elements, and avoiding the Risk of creating a kind of "Parallel" InterGovernemental (European) Union Governance, outside of the EU Institutional framework, which was the bigger Risk , reinforced also by the fact that the Original Project of Competitivity Pact was a project which was also a Risk to  establish a kind of Parallel EU Governance", as the mainstream Socialist MEP found.

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- "Now, our (EU Parliament's) efforts have been to link the InterGovernemental side with the (EU) Community side, and I think that this element is very important, (i.e.) a Strong Link between the two Dimensions", Gualtieri underlined.

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- "So, we had a Role of the (EU) Parliament which is both "Procedural", (i.e.) on how MEPs can influence an outcome, and which is also about the Content : Because the Regulation means involvment of the (EU) Parliament in the definition of the procedure governing the Conditions" of ESM's future Aides, he concluded.
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    As for German ChristianDemocrat MEP, Elmar Brok, he had already stressed, earlier in this same Press Conference, the fact that, several times in Europe's History, "an InterGovernemental Initiative always started something (New), because it was impossible to do it under the standard EU competences, since the (EU) Treaty didn't allow that. But afterwards we put it into a Framework of a Community Method, so that the Unity of an EU approach is kept", as he had said from the outset.

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    Therefore, now, after EU Council accepted most EU Parliament's last minute demands for Changes to an initial Draft Text on ESM,  "nothing can be done without proposals, without assessment, without checking by EU Commission", and the framework conditions have to be done under a Regulation", where both EU Commission and EU Parliament play a full role, Brok had observed.


    Indeed, even if ESM's decision to grant, or not, an Aide to an €uroZone Member State, and under what concrete conditions, is to be taken by an InterGovernemental Board of Governors, due to be headquartered in Luxembourg, according to EU Council's Draft, due to be endorsed by EU Heads of State/Government's Summit here during the next 2 Days, nevertheless, EU Commission plays useful role at various stages of the procedure (See supra), while the Regulation which will define the General Conditions for the granting of such Financial Aides, has to be co-decided together by EU Governments, Commission and Parliament, which will, moreover, be "regurlarly informed" on how the New €uroZone's Mechanism functions in practice, according to the Compromise Draft.
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    But, according to another Journalist, from "Radio Radicale" (Italy), EU Council's replies to EU Parliament's such requests weren't always as positive as expected, and "this is the 1st time it happened", while recently we saw something like that also for the Budget. So, aren't you astonished of what is happening, including asking for a Treaty Change ?, the collegue's question apparently criticized about the InterGovernemental initiatives.


    - However, Brok was anew adamant : - "First of all, this (ESM) concerns the Crisis of the €uro : Not the Crisis of certain €uroZone Countries. Second, politically, it was absolutely clear, that this question could find an answer only in a Simplified (decision-making) procedure, which makes it possible not to have certain Countries' Referenda : We don't want that", he explained realistically.

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    - "And we have done it several times" : I.e. Start Moving Forward, with an InterGovernemental Lead. But, making sure that EU Institutions are Part of it, and make it, later, (EU) Community Policy. F.ex. in Shengen's case, of Justice and Home Affairs", etc., Brok reminded.


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    This was apparently endorsed by an overwhelming Majority of MEPs who adopted, later this afternoon, at EU Parliament  Plenary's votes in Brussels, the Compromise Amendments to the ESM agreed by Brok and Gualtieri with Rehn and Juncker (See supra).
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    Meanwhile, the Dialectic tensions between InterGovernemental Initiatives and EU or narrower Groups' moves to start realizing a new European policy, emerged also at another crucial field for EU Integration this week, on the occasion of Topical developments on the Libyan issue, where Brussels' growing rumours about a possible coordination of Military actions by NATO went on, at the same moment that, after expressing strong regrets for the absence yet of an immediately active "EU Defence and Security policy", with "all necessary instruments", already since the start of the Libyan crisis,  experienced MEPs as EPP's 1st vice-President Vito Bonsignore, (See his statements to "EuroFora" in earlier NewsReport), timely added a Press Conference on a recent Book about Alcide de Gasperi from Italy, generally considered, together with Schuman (France) and Adenauer (Germany), one of the spiritual fathers of Modern Europe :

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   An interesting Link between delays in the development of an EU's own Defense and Security policy, as some felt anew, in view of rumours that NATO might  take over the "Technical" coordination of the International Operation in Libya, after its succesful launch at the Paris' EU/USA/Arab Ligue/UNO Summit to "help the Libyan People", (See "EuroFora"'s NewsReport from Elysée palace, dated 19/3/2011) and the spirit in which EU, and in particular its most "People-Friendly" body : EU Parliament traditionally communicates with EU Citizens through classic Media, was made, indirectly but surely, by the Daughter of Gasperi herself, Maria Romana de Gasperi :
 
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    - Asked to comment on the fact that the Book "Alcide de Gasperi : Christian, Democrat, European", that she presented, together with Bonsignore, at the aftermath of the 50th Anniversary since the death of the European Politician, almost ends with the Past reject of an initial attempt to create a European Defence (1954), she observed that, indeed, at that period,  - "My Father was ill and wasn't able to go to Paris (before the Vote) on EDC. Some Days afterwards, he was shocked when he heard about the results (of the Referendum) that he considered as a "Calamity". He firmly believed that the European Defence Policy played a key role for a Political integration of Europe. At that moment, he almost thought that the European project was blocked. But later he hoped that such obstacles would be lifted "in a Few Years" time. "He didn't foresee such a long period", until today, de Gasperi's daughter regretted now, almost Half a Century later (1954-2011, i.e. obviously implying that Gasperi was more right, on the crucial importance of EU Defence policy, than he thought)...

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    + But, almost immediately afterwards, replying to another question, De Gasperi's daughter also gave another (and apparently linked) Critical view on EU's development through History :  - "I don't know what's going on, but in the EU Parliament, almost everything is done in a so distant, Cold way, that you can't imagine that it could raise the Enthousiasm, particularly of Young People !", she regretted.


    Obviously this  is linked with the importance given in the Book on Alcide de Gasperi about the Political dimension, Identity and Values of Europe, pointing at the need to stimulate a Motivating Speech able and willing to raise EU Citizens' interest, accession and Involvement : - "I want more to speak about the the Common European Heritage, that Single Morality that exalts the Human Person and his ad, .. that Culture of Law, inherited from the Classical World, .. and that desire for Truth and Justice, sharpened by a Thousand of Years of Experience", Gasperi had stressed then (4/1954), explaining why, "together with (Historian and Philosopher) Toynbee, I affirm that Christiantity is at the Root of our European Civilisation".


     - Pointing at the importance of forging a conscious Ideology among EU Citizens and Officials, Gasperi had stressed, indeed, that "a European Mentality had to be created : .. SupraNational Institutions will not be enough, and may well become no more than a Playing Field in which particular interests compete, if the men assigned to them don't feel that they represent Higher and European Interests. Without this European Mentality, any formula uponwhich we decide, may be no more than empty legal abstraction", the Book published recently by EU Parliament's EPP Group with a preface from its President, Joseph Daul of France, timely reminds now, particularly after the recent creation of EU's 6.000 Agents' strong External Action Service, with a vibrant tribute to Gasperi as "unanimously recognized as one of the Architects of European Integration", including as "a Community of Values", to develop together with concrete economico-social measures, such as the Historic "European Coal and Steel Community", that he co-created together with Schuman and Adenauer, and chaired himself "on May 1954", after being granted the Charlemagne Prize at Aachen (Germany) since 1952.


    That's precisely why de Gasperi "had in mind", since then (1951-1954), "the creation of an Elected European Assembly, .. to which an Executive body would be answerable", as he had said at the CoE in Strasbourg, proposing even to "award Constituent Powers", "as a kind of European Constituent Assembly, with the task of drawing up an overall federal proposal" , i.e. almost as Valery Giscard d'Estaing, former French President and EU Convention's Chairman, recently proposed in Strasbourg for EU Parliament, to meet together with representatives from National EU Member States' Parliaments, in a kind of "EU Congress", "f.ex. on 2015", (See relevant 2010 "EuroFora"s NewsReport)...  


    I.e. by finding innovative ways to create Vital and Ambitious, New Democratic, Political Links between EU Politicians and EU Citizens, shortly after the next EU Elections of 2014, and while "EU Political Parties" would have been previously given a chance to be developed, according also to a New Report drafted by experienced EPP Greek EuroMP Marietta Gianakou, former Minister, for the next EU Parliament's Plenary session in Strasbourg, at the beginning of April)..
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    Meanwhile, asked by "EuroFora" to comment on the fact that Financial Stability Mechanism goes to an "€uroZone"s new body in Luxembourg, while Military coordination of the Libyan operation seems, at least partially, to head towards NATO,  as if EU was left .. alone in the middle of two apparently contrary trends, (one towards Europe's core, another towards a Trans-Atlantic, larger scope), an experienced Official from EU President Van Rompot's Office, former long-time Brittish Socialist MEP, observed later that EU Council would be glad if it succeeded to lift any "Damocles' sword above our heads" for eventual Disagreements in EU's Summit :


    - As for the 1st point, it's normal for €uroZone Member States to have an InterGovernemental basically structure for their ESM's decisions, since they pay the Money concerned. While, on the 2nd point, "we (EU) didn't yet have developed a Security and Defence policy" prior to the Libyan 2011 Crisis, as he said. Therefore, we (Europan Council's Presidency) would be very glad if we succeed to have relevant Agreements, on both issues, by all the 27 EU Member States' leaders, he optimistically concluded.


    But, meanwhile, the fact that a Pamphlet already published earlier : on "Winter 2010/2011", about ESDP, contains an Article by a British Expert astonishingly predicting that "NATO could play a stronger role in Europe's Neighbourhood, (including North Africa and the Middle East), as a complement to EU efforts to encourage Political Reform", as it suggests even before EU Heads of State/Government decide, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow (Thursday and Friday, 24 and 25 March 2011), added to NATO Member Turkey's controversial stance on the Libyan affair, (particularly after the Colonel "Gadhafi's Prize for Human Rights" recently awarded to Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan, end of November 2010), might need at least some Clarifications or, at least, Safeguards in order to become able to guarantee a smooth and correct functioning of the delicate operation decided by Democratically Elected Leaders from the EU, USA, Arab Ligue and UNO, (comp. "EuroFora"s NewsReport from last Saturday's, March 19, Paris' International Summit)....

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    Scientific innovation joined to Faith for Human Rights, Eastern Partnership and fight against the Crisis, but above all, the need to overcome the "Crisis of Trust" from EU Citizens, are the main priorities for new EU Parliament's President, Polish Jerzy Buzek, that a 555-votes-strong majority of MEPs on July 14,  Strasbourg made a living symbol of the fact that, 20 years after the fall of Berlin Wall (1989 - 2009) there is no more an Eastern or Western Europe, but only one Europe, as the head of the largest group of MEPs, ChristianDemocrats/EPP, Joseph Daul, stressed after the event.

    Speaking later to a group of Strasbourg's Journalists, including "EuroFora", the new EU Parliament's President clarified his stance on concrete topical issues, as f.ex. that of Turkey's controversial EU bid, which was one of the main issues of the June 2009 Electoral campain, clearly won by his party of ChristianDemocrats/EPP :  - "At present, Turkey does not fullfil none of EU conditions", he stressed, (See infra).

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    Buzek is well known in Strasbourg and to "EuroFora" as EU Rapporteur for the Framework Program of Scientific Research and Development of Technologies. A Natural Science Professor from the Historic and Religious landmark Polish City of Częstochowa, active in the famous Solidarnosk grass-roots social movement, he served 4 years as Prime Minister (1997-2001), before being elected as MEP in 2004 and 2009, after he brillantly won the latest EU Election at the head of his party (EPP) almost doubling the number of its MEPs from 15 to 28 !

    - "Innovation" and "Energy safety", as well as fight against the "Cimat change", but also "Eastern Partnership", the "Mediterranean", "Strategic partnerships" with Russia, the USA, etc, and the search for "solutions to the Economic Crisis" that EU Citizens "expect" from us, will be his "priorities", announced from the outset the new EU Parliament's President, reminding also that the quest for "Human and Civic Rights" played an important role in his experience with the Solidarnosc grass-roots social movement in Poland's History

    But, the most important of all, is the urgent need to overcome the "Crisis of Trust" between EU Institutions and the People he stressed : - EU "Citizens often don't understand us", denounced Buzek, launcing a call to "do anything for EU Citizens to understand our work" in EU Parliament : "We (MEPs) need to make EU Citizens involved" in "what we are doing every week, in Strasbourg and Brussels", he proposed. Pointing f.ex. to the hot "Debates" with "strong arguments" exchanged between MEPs during the preparation of their Legislative Decisions, in Committees, delivering often hard struggles between initially opposed points of view, long before forging a majority at the final vote, sometimes more than a year..

    Therefore, EU Parliament will be "open to your criticism, for discussion and exchange of views", he promissed to Journalists in Strasbourg.

    In this way, Buzek, in fact, highlighted "EuroFora"s main idea, that we strongly advocate since 1997-2007, to systematicaly and actively involve EU Citizens in public debates during the decision-making process of important EU measures, which affect their lives and the society in which they live, (and not only just a few weeks each 4 or 5 Years at the eve of EU Elections)...
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    This is related also to the symbolic gift that Buzek chose to give to the out-going former EU Parliament's President, Hans Gert Poettering, (2007-2009), his collegue in the ChristianDemocrats/EPP, who brillantly won 2009 EU Elections in Germany : A genuine statute of sainte Barbara crafted in Silesia's black Coal by Polish Miners : Those simple but strong people who fought for social change against some technocrats and bureaucrats disguissed into so-called "real-socialists" of old times. (PHOTO).

    It's enough to have seen a popular open air mass, at Warsaw's center, with many thousands of people, old and young, simple workers and intellectuals mixed together, with references to Poland's history and struggles for survival and liberty, through various ages, (as fex. that organized at the eve of CoE's 2005 panEuropean Heads of State and Government for the beatification of late Pope John-Paul II), in order to understand what such symbols mean..

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    But, overcoming the "Crisis of Trust" with EU Citizens obviously implies also to rectify any errors done in the past, fex. on Turkey's controversial EU bid, with controversial decisions taken in 1999 and 2004 to give a "candidate" status and to start EU negotiations, provoking an unprecedented series of 3 "No" to EuroReferenda and 3 Majoriy Abstentions in EU Parliament Elections : 1999, 2005 and 2009, (even if the latest one succeeded to decelerate and almost stop the drop of participation rates, opening hopes for vote's revival after an electoral campaign clearly critical to Turkey's claims in several mainstream EU countries)
    
    Therefore, Buzek was faced with manifold critical Questions on EU Enlargement, most of them citting concrete examples of certain political problems  :  But his replies were almost always given as a matter of general principle :

    F.ex. Questioned on the suspension of EU - Croatia talks because of a Border conflict with EU Member Slovenia, Buzek prefered to speak about principles :

- "We know that during Enlargement, the process can be blocked by failure to resolve this kind of issues",  This concerns also other enlargments' cases", and "these rules are always in force" he warned.


But Buzek avoided to directly reply to a queston on "French and German EPP' calls to define the Borders of Europe", as a German journalist asked him by making a reference to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and German Chancellor Angie Merkel's, critical statements on Turkey at the June 2009 Electoral campain.    

- "Concerning Enlargement, there's always the same rules : There have to be Criteria, which have to be respected if a Country wants to join the EU", he started to simply reply.

- "For my country (Poland) it took us 15 Years to fullfil these Criteria", Buzek reminded, indicating, if proportions are kept, that Turkey, fex. would have to spend some 25 years before eventually joining the EU..

- "Countries wishing to join the EU need to Change their Systems", as we (Poland and other former Eastern European Countries) did, he stressed.

- "'For me, meeting the condition of Human Rights is one of the Key conditions for membership in the EU", preferring again to speak from the point of view of General Principles, on the occasion of an untimely question on Serbia (which is not even a candidate yet)...

- "Turkey" has, "first of all", to fullfil (EU) Copenhagen criteria". Bevause, currently, none of them is fullfiled by Turkey", New EU Parliament's President, denounced, speaking later to a group of Journalists, including "EuroFora".

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In particular, on Human Rights :  - "We (EU) can never forget Human Rights", because "this is at the very Foundations of the EU", Buzek added.

On the contrary, when he referred to EU Enlargment for the  "Western Balkans Countries ", Buzek appeared upbeat, finding "promising situations", despite "difficulties" in the Past, since "Countries are queuing to become EU members", and this "generated changes", as he said.

As for Russia, Buzek observed that it was a "very important" country, located "in the same Continent", Europe,  "close to our borders", and "we need eachother". "But Russia' has 'differend poblems : "They claim that their system is Democratic, but rules are differend", and we must be "aware of such differencies", fex. "on Human Rights", that we can't ignore, as he said;

Concerning China, where a journalist observed that the recipient of EU Parliament's latest "Sakharov prize" for freedom of thought is "still in prison", Buzek found that since the 1999 events in Tien Amin square, "we see differencies on Human Rights still today", and expressed his "support" for those who try to ameliorate the situation.

On the contrary, speaking recently to "EuroFora" he strongly supported the idea for an EU - Ukraine cooperation, fex. between Airbus and Antonov, in order to build a  less costly but more performant than the old and problematic A400M, new Military Transport Airplane : - "They (Ukranian Antonov Company) can certainly do it. I'm sure they can. It's a good Idea, and I'd be glad if it was done", he told us. (See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/airbusantonov.html )


(../..)

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