French Prime-Minister Philippe: Don't Weaken EU, but Change the System (as Italy reveals Gov. Plan)

*Strasbourg/ENA/Angelo Marcopolo/- Via a Series of Timely Symbols, Both in what he said to accredited Journalists, including "Eurofora", (See Infra), and, mainly, by Choosing to Speak Today in France's most European City:  Strasbourg, (Host of CoE, ECHR, and EU Parliament's weekly Plenary Sessions, Shengen and EU Citizens' Defensor/Ombudsman, etc), the Same Day that in Italy was revealed the Final Version of a New Government Plan, with much Debated Key Points on core European Issues, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, invited, in Substance, to be Careful Not to Weaken Europe, but to make necessary Profound Changes to the System, including National, as new French President Emmanuel Macron, is notoriously supporting, mutatis-mutandis, also in this Country, (See further Infra).

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Already, just one Day Earlier (on May 17), during EU Leaders' Summit in Sofia, various Explicit Comments were reportedly made on the much awaited "Draft" Plan for a New Government in Italy, agreed by the 2 main Anti-Establishment Parties of "5 Stars' Movement" and "Lega", headed by Di Maio and Salvini, respectively.  

And, indeed, the full Final Version of that Key Text, Published only Today, on May 18, as "Contract for the Government of Change", containing 30 Main Points, in 57 Pages, (in Advance of its Ultimate Endorsement also by "Lega"s supporters, later during the Week-End), was, Meanwhile, reportedly, Polished up on certain "Hot" Issues, (apparently including some Erased Notes on €uroArea, which might have, eventually, given way to MisUnderstandings or MisInterpretations, etc), Resulting in a somewhat "more pro-European" version, according to several informed observers, (including by urging for the creation of a European "Economic Union").

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- Shortly Afterwards, speaking at a fully Packed huge Amphitheater of ENA, the French Prime Minister announced, with a Smile, his Decision to Drop a Draft Speech prepared by his "Matignon" Office, because it was "too Technical", and, Later-on Criticized those who, All the Time, "at the Morning, Noon or Night", deal only with "Technical" aspects (instead of Focusing on the Substance of what was really at Stake), as he characteristicaly said...

 

 

 - He even seized an Opportunity given by ENA's new Director, Patrick Gerard, when he observed, from the outset, that Edouard Philippe was Both a Former Student of ENA, (as several other French Top Politicians), and "the 2nd Prime Minister to pay an Official Visit to ENA's Headquarters in Strasbourg, after that of (his Predecessor in 2006) Dominique de Villepin", (See "Eurofora"' co-Founder's relevant Publication then at "TCWeekly", etc), in order to Remind the Fact that, when he had been in Strasbourg as a Student at ENA, he had strived to Convince his Classmates to Adopt (according to a Traditional Custom) as the Top Emblematic Figure for their Group, that of University Professor in History, jailed, tortured ad executed Anti-NAZI Resistant, Marc Bloch, (who represented both an "intellectual" and a "Humanist", as he noted), after whom is also Named Strasbourg's Faculty of Human and Social Sciences,  instead of  (the famous Controversial Politician in Medieval Italy) ... "Machiavelli" !

- However, it was just "with a Tight Majority" that this Choice of Marc Bloch versus Nicollo Machiavelli was finaly made, then, by his ENA Classmates, Philippe reminded, - perhaps because of a still on-going Controversy about whether Nicollo was, indeed, what is commonly Criticized Nowadays as "Machavellian", (i.e. Cynical, full of Deceipt, even Brutal, etc), mainly Based on his Book "Prince", or, on the Contrary, a ..."Progressive" Avant-Guardist of Democratic "Enlightenment" Century, favored by Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Diderot, etc, (as "Wikipedia" a.o. remind, particularly Based on his following Book : "Discourses" )...

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- At any case, Nowadays, everybody should be Careful, "Not to Take for Granted", Benefits such as "Democracy, Rule of Law, Human Rights, Ethics, Peace, Europe, etc", just since "they are here During a Long period of Time".

- In Fact, we must all "pay Attention, Not to Weaken them", Because, "even what pre-exists, might suddenly Collapse" and "impload, after an External Impact !", sternly but calmly, Philippe Warned.

- Significantly, this point was made just After having Described, earlier, Marc Bloch's own traumatic Experiences during the 1st and 2nd World Wars, the NAZI Occupation, etc (Comp. Supra), that the Historian had  Resumed in his "Book : <<Strange Defeat>>", which Denounced the fact that some among "those who Had Governed in the Past", "Beared certain Responsibilities", for what had Happened afterwards, so that this was a kind of "Prepared Defeat", by "the Absence of - and/or Bad-  Decisions".

+ Mutatis-Mutandis, it's also true that "the Meaning of the main Decisions" f.ex. of the Present, New French Government, as earlier conceived basically "by President Macron", Elected on Mid-2017, stems from "the Observation" that, in Fact, several things here are "Not Helpful" and "do Not Offer the same Opportunities, as in Other, Comparable Countries", often Because "a System pushed towards Too Many Compromises", the New French Prime Minister criticized.

=> Therefore, "we have to Profoundly Change such a System !", Philippe stressed, as a matter of Principle.

- That's why, the New President of  France, Emmanuel Macron, "Proposed to Re-Build anew" the way that the Country was Governed, and Succeeded to "Gather a Majority" of Voters, even well Beyond the Traditional "Left/Right" Borderlines, "in order to Transform" the overall situation, with the "Aim to Review certain Key Issues", (including, f.ex., even the "Education and acquisition of Competences", as here, in the ENA, etc).

- In fact, this is a Long-Term process, whose "Final Effects might Not Yet become fully Visible during this 1st Term of Government" (2017-2022), but is necessary, will advance, and, sooner or later, bring Results, he vowed.

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- Citting, Selectively, certain Concrete Examples, Prime Minister Philippe stressed, in particular, the "Need to put in Order the Public (Financial) Accounts", and "Fufill our Commitments", particularly on "Controlling the Public Expenditure", (i.e., as also in several Other EU Member Countries, after the Latest Global Economic/Financial Crisis, including f.ex. Italy, etc).

>>> Because, Otherwise, there is a "Risk to Loose Control", and "Loose a Key Part of our Sovereignity", "as in the case of Greece, which has already Lost a part its own Sovereignity", Philippe Warned.

- But, concerning the core Topical Issue of "Security/Defense", the French Government has allocated "much More Funds in the Budget", since, recent events warned that we must be "Ready" to Face a Dangerous World" nowadays, he pointed out, (after a Series of many Islamist Terrorist Deadly Attacks cowardly Targetting peaceful and innocent Civilian People).

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+ Moreover, speaking earlier to Journalists, including "Eurofora", the French Prime Minister, (in another, officially UnRelated, but Symbolic Coincidence with well-known Debates about EU Solidarity and/or Cohesion),  strongly supported a controversial Measure (Limiting Cars' Speed to prevent accidents), which basically  boils down into saying, in substance, that those who Run too Fast, should Contribute Financially to the Care due to eventual Victims, (even if they didn't provoke directly an accident, the point being that overall Fast-Track System as such)...

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=> In Fact, even withOut citting Explicitly not even once the Name of "Italy",  - probably in order to avoid any risk for a Friendly Advice (between Neighbouring Countries, Both Sharing the Common Responsibilities of being among the 4  [soon 3 after the BREXIT] Biggest EU Members, and having a Long History closely often interwoven Together) to be eventually Misunderstood or MisRepresented by some as a so-called "attempt to Interfere", etc, - the French Prime Minister, nevertheless, pursued Consistently, (using a Similar Wording wioth a Strong Joint Symbolism), accross various Other concrete Issues (See Infra + Supra), almost 1 and Same Main Line of Thought :

- "Don't be Afraid to Disobey, in order to Support (necessary) Transformations", But "Transform an Organisation (as, f.ex., a Business, Education, Public Finances, the EU itself, etc) from the Inside", by "Acting inspired by an Ideal of General Interest", Philippe added, Later on, Today Afternoon, at a 2nd Speech to Young Businessmen, at nearby Nancy City, making it Clear that he Made a Reference to New French President Emmanuel MACRON, that "we (the New Government) are trying to Help Change things", as he stressed.

- Reminding anew the relevant History, f.ex. of "that Strong Movement of Ideas", which was the Christian "Social Catholicism", of "Philosophers Marc Sagnier and Emmanuel Mounier" (in France, others in Italy, etc), he referred even to a landmark Speech by "General De Gaulle"' back on 1948, (which, however, had to Wait until ...1967, in order for its Ideas to Start being Realized, as, f.ex., Workers' Part of a Business' Benefits, in Shares, at the Governing Board, etc, where Ameliorations were announced by Philippe), with 1 "Common Point" :

=> "This (f.ex., an Enterprise, a Country, the EU, etc) is Not Only a area for Confrontations", (even if "this doesn't exclude to Support your Rights, ...to make Revendications, to hold "Frank Discussions", to spare or win Money, etc), But also "an area for ... Dialogue, for Innovation,... Challenge and Emulation, Learning and Reflection", even "Experimentation", which is well "Anchored inside a Territory, a Culture, a Natural but also Legal Environment", i.e., "inside an Entity (as the EU too) which gives Rights, but also Obligations",

as Philippe locaciously Added Today Afternoon, at his Subsequent Speech at nearby Nancy, (that the "Matignon"'s Prtess Service kindly send also to "Eurofora" in Strasbourg, where we had to Cover anOther Meeting with the French Minister for Medias and Culture, Francoise Nyssen, held almost at the Same Time, in the HeadQuarters of the Franco-German/European RadioTV "ARTE", just Facing EU Parliament's Building, (See Ministe Nyssen's Topical Reply to an "Eurofora" Question at : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/frenchministerondefiningjournalismbydeontology.html , etc).

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"Education + Competences"
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Speaking, in fact, Both in Strasbourg, this Morning, and at Nancy, later this Aftertnoon, about  Necessary "Transformations" and Changes mainly around (directly or indirectly) "Education and Competences", (as he stressed, at First, inside ENA's Top School for Public Administration's Senior Officers, shortly before Nancy at the National Federation of Young Businessmen), the new French prime Minister underlined the Fact that Human "Competences", that we all "Need in order to Develop our Activities", "Give to Work its Dignity, its Value, and its Meaning", and "it's what Makes us All Usefull inside a (Collective) Team", as he Characteristically said.

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+ In this regard, he also cited (this Morning at ENA), as anOther concret Example of necessary Changes, the well-known Problem of 60% of University Students during the First 2 Years Abandoning their Studies, which obviously results into a big "Waste", as he Denounced. Therefore, that System "must be Modified", f.ex., by Introducing a part of "Orientation" in the Choices made by the Students, (etc), he pointed out.

+ And, in Extension, Philippe also Criticized the Fact that France uses Less "Apprenteeship" than Other Countries, and pointed to the Fact that the New Government's recent Decision to affect about 13 Billions € "to Pay Apprenteeship", in order to "Prepare more Industrial Competitivity" for the Country, as he said.

- Meanwhile, at anOther side of the Wider Area concerning "Education and Competences", (which is, in general, at the Forefront of the New French Government's will to "Review" the current System), ENA's prestigious School for Public Administration's Senior Officials (Comp. Supra) still persists to be very Selective : Thus, in Average, "among about 1.000 Candidates each Year, Only 40 are Accepted" (sic !) as New Students, told "Eurofora" a Teacher of ENA in working on "Admissions".

- In order to Succeed, ENA's Candidates must have a Good Knowledge of Politics, Law and Economy, but also in European/International Issues, as well as Public Finances, even Medias, etc, the Main point being an Overall Capacity, Spreading Wider among All those Areas, Instead of any Specialisation in Only Some Among them, he also told us.

+ However, at the Same Time, it is well known that, an Augmentation of the Number of PhD-Holders in the French Universities, was provoked in France by Decisions taken Previously by "Socialist" Governments, from 1984 and 2000 up to 2016, to Stop the "Classic" Method of a Higher Quality and much Longer Time needing (often at least the Double !) "Doctorat d'Etat" (State Doctoral Thesis), which, among various Advantages, gave also a Right to Immediately postulate for a full-time, permanent Job of University Researcher/Professor, but Impose, instead, a Shorter Time needing, Smaller "PhD" Thesis. This had been allegedly done in order to Rectify some Excessive Time-Consuming "Doctorat d'Etat" cases, (which could extend even at about 15 Years for a Full-Time Student/Researcher, particularly in Human/Social Sciences), and also for the purpose to Provide Well Qualified Officials for Public and/or Private sector Organisations in a High-Level Labour Market. But it Resulted, in fact, to almost the Contrary Excess than that which had existed Previously : I.e. a relative Plethora of New (Shorter than in the Past) PhD Thesis Holders, while, at the same time, ENA appeared to Lack Well-Equiped Specialists in certain Key Areas of Growing Importance Nowadays.

=> Therefore, New French President Macron's Idea was to Create anOther, Special New Way of Access into ENA's prestigious and selective (Comp. Supra) Education/Training outlet for Public Administrations' Senior Officials, particularly made for PhD Thesis Holders (i.e. "Doctors" in Science), mainly (but not only) in certain Natural Sciences/High Tech. Sectors, etc. So, Nowadays, this matter "is still Under Discussion", and Possible Decisions are due to be Officially Announced if and when it would be Definitively Decided and well Crafted, Ready to be used immediately, ENA's well informed Sources told "Eurofora".

By one more Timely Coincidence, it's Also at the Italian "Contract for a Government of Change", agreed by Frontrunner Parties "5 Stars Movement" and "Lega", which was Published Today (Comp. Supra), that is found a Similar Trend, mutatis-mutandis, to Philippe's 2 Key References, made Today Morning and Afternoon, on "Education and Competences", as being of Central Importance to Necessary Changes, (Comp. Supra) :

Indeed, this Key Text for a New Government in Italy, in Addition to a partly Relevant, strong Chapter on "Culture", stresses also the Need to "Review" the overall Policy on "Schools", and dedicates 3 Long Pages for "Universities and (Scientific) Research", at its Conclusion, (significantly placed just After the chapter on "Europe" !),  full of several New Plans, (including More Links to the Society, etc), which Culminate in the Decision to "Create a (unified) National Agency for (Scientific) Research".

I.e. almost as France had already done, initially, with its Historic "CNRS", but Strengthened Considerably, Later-on, with the Creation of its "ANR" (also : "National Agency for Research"), more Focused on Funding Innovative Scientific Research/High Tech. in relation also with Other relevant Public and Private Actors, (that former Long-Time French President Jacques Chirac had Decided to Establish on 2005, just After a "Hot" Political Dispute with former UK "Socialist" Prime Minister Tony Blair, which had surfaced Both at a Bilateral Franco-British Meeting in Paris and at the subsequent EU Summit in Brussels, precisely on the foreseeable Future of Europe !

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+ As for Other "European", and/or Core "Franco-German" aspects of ENA's current Education/Training work, things are Naturally Evolving on an On-Going basis, other ENA's sources also told "Eurofora", (as the Head of Office of ENA's Director, Mrs Berger), including, among various other Activities, f.ex., also : The Further Development of a Franco-German MASTER;  a recent Meeting between a Network made of this Special Master's Former Students ;  Visits of ENA's Students to the ECB at nearby Frankfurt, followed also by another Visit to Neighbouring Karlsruhe (also Germany), where is located Both the Federal Constitutional Court, as well as another Higher Administration Officials' Training outlet, (etc);  shortly Before a forthcoming, mainly Franco-German relevant Conference with the ENA, scheduled in Paris at the Beginning of June 2018, (etc).

- For the Rest, ENA's New Director, Patrick Gerard, (who revealed a Human Personality very close to the "Serious, but also with Sens of Humour" Character that he attribted to Prime Minister Philippe, since he was a Young ENA's Student), speaking briefly to "Eurofora", appeared well Aware of the Fact that his 1st Press Conference to Strasbourg's Press Club, had been, curiously, organized (Not by his own choice, as we learned) precisely the ...Same Day that an important EU Heads of State/Government Summit was held in Brussels, (where "Eurofora" had already been Accredited for a Press Cover on the spot, there), so thet he Kindly accepted to Consider an adequate New Possibiity, in the foreseable Future, for a Better Organized Press Contact, with the participaton of "Eurofora", this time, particularly focusing, f.ex., on ENA's key Activities and/or Plans of European Interest, (which include, inter alia, the Publication of a useful scientific "Review of Public Administration", Franco-German and/or International Cooperation, EU/CoE courses and/or Training, Visits to EU/CoE, various Cooperation Plans, etc).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
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- Last, but Not Least, concerning also the French Prime Minister's main Conclusion at his improvised Speech this Morning, for ENA's Students to "Take very Seriously" their "Mission" to "Serve" the State and the General Interest of the Country, preferably by "giving a Priority to Action and Production, instead of just Control and Analysis", as he advised, ENA had Scheduled, for this Same Day, a special Test on "Rule-Making", where the Students of the prestigious School for Senior Officials of Public Administrations were going to Simulate, starting from this Afternoon, the Activities of a Government and a Parliament in Drafting, Debating and Adopting New Laws...

I. e., by just another Coincidence (in a Long Series, Today : Comp. Supra), mutatis-mutandis, almost a Similar Test of Hard but Good and Smart "Policy-Making", that, well Beyond various possible Legitimate Differences of Views, here or there, the rest of Europe obviously Hopes that our Italian Neighbours and Friends will, finally, Succeed to Achieve Efficiently enough, for the General Interest of All Europeans, at this Crucial Juncture for all EU Member States and People.

(../..)

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(NDLR : "DraftNews", as already send, Earlier, to "Eurofora" Subscribers/Donors. A more accurate, full Final Version, might be published asap)

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