French Prime Minister Fillon met EU Commission+MEPs: Priority on Science, Growth and Foreign Policy

EU's need to urgently invest in Science and Innovation for Growth in a Competitive Economy, and EU Foreign Policy's definition by EU Governments, monitored by MEPs, figured high at the exceptional meeting of all EU Commissioners chaired by President Barroso, together with French Prime Minister Fillon, who met also with EU Parliament's President Buzek from Poland, and out-going EU Council's Chairman, Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero, in EU Parliament at the eve of important MEPs' Votes on landmark issues, such as f.ex. the creation, for the 1st time, of an European External Actions' Service, i.e. EU's Diplomacy vis a vis the rest of the World , later this week in Strasbourg.                                                                                                                                

Speaking afterwards to Journalists, including "EuroFora", Barroso observed from the outset that "an important" encounter between the "Group of all EU Commissioners" and the Prime Minister of France "took place at EU Parliament's Headquarters in Strasbourg", and that this met a current need for "EU Institutions to work more efficiently", including "with EU Member Countries' Governments, particularly during the present situation" of Global Economic Crisis, "which needs to pool all positive Energies together".

-  "Hailing French Government's recent decision to start a Reform of the Retirement Pension's schema", EU Commission's President said that "such Reforms are Important not only for France, but also for the whole EU in its entirety, becausee they translate our stance on (the need to augment EU's) Competitivity : Europe must become more Competitive : When it faces very Strong Competitors, it's obvious that, if we want to ...safeguard  our Social Model, we must adapt it, and modernize it", as he said.

 - Now, "we (EU) are in a stage of Recovery, but it's still Fragile. That's why our common Aim is to consolidate this Recovery. After obtaining at the G20, at Toronto, what we (EU) wanted :  EU aims to relaunch Growth inside Europe and create Jobs, with the 2020 Strategy". But, "in order to create this Growth, we need to restore also Trust, by committing ourselves to Structural Reforms, favorable to a Financial Stabilty. That's what we defended at Toronto. It's not just about spending less, but, what counts above all, is to Spend Better", he pointed out.

- "To succeed, we need a better Coordination between (EU) Member States, linking together Budgets, MacroEconomic Policies and Structural Reforms. EU Commission is now working on ameliorating EU Economic Governance, whose Key stone remains the Respect of Common Rules and the Community method", EU Commission's Head ...auto-promoted his own organization... - "We presented, last week, a ToolBox for the implementation of our May (2010) Proposals, aiming at Stabilizing the Growth and Stability Pact, rectify the MacroEconomic Imbalances, and establish a Solid Framework for Crisis' Management. On the 2020 (Economic) Strategy, we (EU) are already entered a period of Concretisation,  and, during the Next Months, EU Commission will present new flagship Initiatives for Jobs, Innovation and Industrial Policy", he anounced.

- "We also thank France's strong support for an EU Economic Governance", on which "we (EU Commission) have presented some proposals, and hope to make progress during the forthcoming Months. We (EU) must advance both in Economic Coordination and in Financial Regulation, as well as into deepening the Internal Market", Barroso equilibrated. "We both believe, together with the French Prime Minister, that this is necessary in order to relaunch Growth and realise EU's Potential in the World". Because "the efficiency of our (EU's) relations with our main Economic Partners (fex. USA, Japan, China, Russia, Africa, etc) are a key element for a success, for which we (EU Commission) are working in cooperation with our Member States", Barroso concluded.

- Fillon thanked from the outset "EU Commission and its President for their invitation to discuss together, both the Financial Stabilisation and the Structural Reforms, as well as France's Priorities for the modernization of European policies on Research and Growth" :

- "It's a Symbolic Day, because, at the same moment that I was presenting to EU Commission France's efforts to reduce its Deficit, in particular on 2011, back in Paris the Budget's Minister was presented that plan to the National Assembly, which will have to vote, as well as the Senate", he observed.  It's "a very important effort to reduce for  -2% of GDP our Public Deficit, i.e. some 40 Billions € in 2011, half of it by lowering Public spending , and half with new revenues".

- "But, at the same time, I insisted on the absolute Necessity, in parallel, to continue to Invest in sectors able to produce Growth", stressed Fillon. "Because "nothing would be Worst than to treat all Public Spending in an uniform way, and to provoque another halt of Europe's Growth", Fillon warned.

- "That's why it's necessary to continue efforts for Growth, for the creation of an (EU) Economic Government", as well as" for a better coordinations of Budgetary policies inside EuroZone in order to ensure the Long-term Credibility of our Currency, and to deepen the Internal Market". "But, as Mario Monti proposed in his recent Report, this should be done in the framework of an effort to harmonize Fiscal and Social Policies, in order to reduce the differencies in Competitivity" among EuroZone Member Countries", he pointed out. (Comp. former EU Commission's vice President, Professor Monti's statements to "EuroFora" earlier, already sent to Subsrcibers/Donors)..

- "Moreover, we (France) insisted on the Priority to be given to (Scientific) Research, and into supporting (Technological) Innovation", because "this is one of Europe's weaknesses, due to the Dispersion of its policies" until now, so that "we (EU) have to do a greater effort to Invest rare financial resources on Strategic Priorities for European Economy's Future", Fillon concluded.

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- A question by a Journalist observed that "EU Parliament prepares to vote on the creation of EU's External Action Service", and asked "if there were some Limits which mustn't be bypassed, and, if, after 6 Months of existence, the new Institution of an EU Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, with (British Socialist) Mrs Ashton, did augment EU's visibilitty Worldwide, ensuring thet EU speaks with a Stronger Voice than before, or not ?"

 - For EU Commission's President, Barroso, "Baroness Ashton spend a lot of her Time to prepare the EEAS", and "this wasn't easy". But "She has all my trust, and deserves the same from all EU Member States", because "she took over 3 pre-existing jobs : She chairs EU Council's Foreign Miniters' meetings, which were previouly chaired by the rotating EU State's presidency, she is EU's High Representative as previously (the Spanish Socialist) Xavier Solana, and she's also EU Commission's vice-President, in addition to the current preparation of EEAS, which needed many Negotiations with EU Pariiament and Member States", Barroso tried to explain as far as Ashton's "Agenda overload" was concerned.

- Moreover, "we are just at an Initial Stage in the implementation of EU Lisbon Treaty", Barroso also observed. "It's too early yet to take stock about how EU Institutions will evolve", he estimated. At any case, "a Treaty, cannot, by itself, settle all the issues : Much depends on how it will be developed by the Men and Women who support this project. That's why I always insist on the need for Member States to support EU Institutions and EU High Representative, who needs it, in order for the EU to become really able to speak more and more with one voice in the World", Barroso advised. 

- "We (France) struggled for the existence of a Voice which represents Europe" in the World, reminded Fillon. "We agree with, and support the proposals made by the (EU) Commission" on the creation of EEAS (after a Compromise between EU Parliament, Commission and Council, due to be voted later this week in Strasbourg by MEPs).

-  In fact, "we wish that this (new, Foreign Policy EU) Service will not be just another Commission's service, but a real Innovation, an Added Value which should be supported. In other words, this (EEA) Service should progressively allow the Harmonization of all EU Member Countries' Foreign Policies", Fillon ambitiously observed.

- "EU Parliament's demand to be able to Monitor" the EEAS, "is something Natural, since in all Democracies the Parliament must check the activities of the Executive" power, he pointed out.

-  "And, at the same time, there shouldn't be any Confusion : There is an EU's Foreign Policy which is DEFINED in the framework of EU Council" (i.e. by EU Member Countriies' directly elected Governments), "and supported (embodied) by the (EU's) High Representative (i.e. now Ashton). We (France+) are obviously Vigilent for the(se) Rules to be respected, so that the "Red Line" that (the Question) evoked will not be crossed" over, he warned. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
    Fillon timely made that important point speaking at EU Parliament in Strasbourg, while MEPs were preparing their Final Votes on how EU's External Action Service will be created, shaped and monitored, just one or two Days later this week..

    EU Parliament's Spokesman and Press Director, the experienced Jaume Duch - Guillot from Spain, exceptionally opened this July 2010 Session by drawing the attention of all Journalists to the fact that Lisbon Treaty, which had notoriously created several New EU Institutional Tools, (fex. a permanent "EU President", an EU "Foreign Minister" and an "External Actions Service", stronger EU Parliament's "Co-Decision" Powers, Member States' '"Reinforced Cooperations", EU Citizens' "Initiative", etc), had not made it crystal clear how exactly these New EU Tools should work in real, everyday practice, from the point of view of the "Balance" of Powers between the main EU Actors : EU Parliament, EU Council and EU Commission, so that several compromises had to be hammered out among them in order to arrive at workable solutions.

    Democratic Balance and Legitimacy of EU Institutional changes emerging from EU Lisbon Treaty obviously needs, whenever there is a Concentration of Power and/or the creatiion of a New Body (as, f.ex. the EU External Action Service, EEAS, with a huge Budget, "20 times that of UK's Foreign Office", as a British MEP said, and many Thousands of Staff, etc), to equilibrate that step by another, parallel and synchronous move, developing closer Links to EU Citizens, via f.ex. more Transparency, Information, Participation, Popular Votes and Democratic Elections, etc.

Otherwise, the already dangerous Gap notoriously existing between EU Institutions and EU Citizens would inevitably reach risky proportions which would put into danger the entire European Project, instead of succeeding to stimulate People's active and enthousiastic support for Europe's democratic development.

All this naturally points towards the need to find innovative ways to augment the role of EU Parliament and EU Council, more closely cooperating together in the immediate Future, because Elected Governments and MEPs are the only Actors inside EU Decision-making mechanisms who are Directly linked to EU Citizens' Votes and Democratic Elections' accountability and legitimacy. EU Commission's input is obviously valuable, and even necessary when it really stimulates the emergence of a consciousness for real EU General Interests, but, as things stand, (i.e. without any Direct Election legiimacy) it cannot replace at all the crucial importance of EU Parliament and EU Council, both directly elected and democratically acciountable to EU Citizens.
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Surprisingly, the only 2 questions that a group of other French journalists wished to raise inside EU Parliament in Strasbourg, after an Exceptional Collective meeting between all EU Commissioners with the Prime Miniter of the country, were only about a obscur Franco-French so-called "affair" suddenly provoked this same day by a "Socialist" Media (astonishingly benefiting from Financial support by the current Center-Right Government !), recently specialized in Personal Aggressions, Harassment, Rumours, Accusations, Smear campaigns, etc., (even for supposed acts dating many Years ago or even a Decade in the Past) against some key Ministers, the President of the country, etc.

To "EuroFora"s suggestion to at least link any local issue with France's European policy, in order to hope to have some interesting News for EU-interested Media, the only 2 Journalists supposed to represent .. all (!) the National French Press (sic !), exclusively allowed to raise questions, refused, claiming that "EU issues" should be raised only by EU Commission related Brussels Press, i.e, droping Strasbourg (ARTE TV and EuroFora's HQ) or Lyon (EuroNews HQ) or Berlin or London or Rome or Warsaw or Prague or Madrid or Stockholm or Athens or Wien or Lisbon or Helsinki, or Riga or Budapest, a.o. headquartered Media, even those specialized for Decades to European News, to an obviously counter-productive and undemocratic waste basket...

Fortunately, another Journalist had, at least, the good idea to advance in the direction advised by "EuroFora" and other present EU Journalists, by raisining 2 EU-related Questions, which gave Prime Minister Fillon at least a chance to express France's stance on some Topical EU issues, (Comp. supra).
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- Meanwhile, to a question by a French Journalist asking about an eventual resignation oif a Minister, not because of his Policies, but just because a "Socialist" Media had again launched against him this Morning some new and unproven Personal Accusations on allegations going back to the Past, and if this had even .. "weakened the President" of the Country (sic !), who has notoriously won both 2007 Presidential and Legislative Elections as well as 2009 EU Elections, Fillon replied sharply :

- He observed from the outset, that this was part of "a Serial" made of various, successive Personal Accusations "started by a (Socialist) Media which made a .. Profession out of (personal) Attacks against (France's) President of the Republic", provoking legitimate "Doubts" about that Media's "Impartiality", as he observed.

 - But, "since the beginning of this "Serial", we have never found any proven Fact : Not even one !", Fillon denounced. - "So, we never had any reproach whatever to make against that Minister, and we didn't find any error, whatever, that might have been committed by him", he observed.

- "Thus, after those who initiated this Series of Slandering saw that they just can't stand, as an Official Report of the Financial Inspection is due to attest soon, therefore, they start now to try to re-orientate the focus on another, differend issue, which is that of the Funding of Political Parties !", Fillon pointed out.

- And that, "by abusing of a well known method : " F.ex., "an Anonymous individual, who is on conflict with her former Boss, who makes statements to the Police Yesterday Night (i.e. precisely at the eve of French Prime Minister's exceptional Meetings in EU Parliament in Strasbourg !), and immediately rushes to make also Public Statements to the Press, launching a long series of accusations without any proof,, which, according to the concerned Minister, are entirely baseless", he criticized.

- "We are facing Slander" and "Systematic attempts of Destabilization", the Prime Minister of France denounced. But "we shall not be Intimidated by such kind of methods !". On the contrary, "those who are abusing of such kind of a ManHunt, who launch such a series of Defamations, should wonder if they still have any kind of Conscience", he concluded.

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Such Time consuming, diverting questions probably were one of the reasons for which Fillon had to cancel another scheduled Press point after his subequent meeting with EU Parliament's President Jerzy Buzek, due to chair, immediately afterwards, an important Plenary Debate between MEPs, obliging him to leave from Strasbourg, but not wiithout saluting briefly with a smile "EuroFora" a.o. on his way to Pari.

 

    - "Last but not least, Europe seems rather doing well" in Global matters, "since, now, there are at least 3 out of 4 Chances for a European Team to win the 2010 World Football Championship", France's Prime Minister sportly had added earlier, winning large smiles around him, including by Barroso from Portugal, obviously pointing to the fact that Spain, Germany and the Netherlands had succeeded to qualify for the semi-Finals of the 2010 "Mundial" at South Africa...

    However, his earlier brief meeting with out-going EU chairman in office, Prime Minister of Spain, Zapatero, despite its friendly character, certainly didn't aim at all to pre-judge about the Spanish team's chances to win, or not, the 2010 trophy, before the 2014 Poland and 2016 UEFA championships in France..

    But Fillon could have even added : - "4 chances out of 4" for Europe, because the 4rth Team qualified : that of Uruguay from Latin America, has the particular character to be, in fact .. the most "European" in the World, since its Population is astonishingly composed by more than ... 96% by People originating from various European Countries, (such as, f.ex. Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Greece, Estonia, Poland, Lithuania, Bulgaria, etc. as well as Switzerland, Russia, Armenia, Ukraine, etc) ! An obviously interesting, unique situation also about EU Integration, since all these European origin people have been living together, marrying among them and giving birth to Children concentrating more and more ethnic Europeans united all together...

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