Greek Prime Minister Tsipras to EF on Mass Migrants: Apply EU-Turkey Deal = Less Influx+More Returns

*Brussels/EU Summit/Angelo Marcopolo/- Speaking to "Eurofora" shortly after an Exceptional Quadrilateral Meeting with German Chancellor Angie Merkel and EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, as well as Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, (incoming EU Chairman from January 2018), on Issues concerning the way that a Controversial EU - Turkey Deal on Mass Migration is functionning in real practice, vis- a-vis EU's Frontline States, embattled Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, revealed, at the Conclusion of his Press Conference on the December 14-15 EU Summit in Brussels, a rather Surprizing change of Focus :

Indeed, he appeared to give a quite Different idea of what is generally considered to be his Main Standard Viewpoint on the UnPrecedented Giant Tsunami" of Mass Asylum Seekers/Irregular Migrants (AS+IM) mainly through Turkey from 2015/2016+, and the recent Letter of EU Council President, Donald Tusk to the 28 EU Heads of State/Government, gathered here in Brussels, which notoriously strived to find a Compromise able to overcome the current "East-West", and "Establishment-Populists' new Division of Europe on such atypical Mass Migration issues, at the latest around June 2018, (i e. Before Austria will take over EU's rotating Presidency).

(EU Council's President, Donald Tusk, speaking to Journalists in BRX, including Eurofora).

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Earlier Today, Tsipras' EU Affairs Minister, former MEP, Katruggalos, speaking to "Eurofora", had focused mainly on Defending official, well known, SYRIZA (and Other Countries') Government's Principles, mainly on "Implementing what had been Agreed" initially, on such "a European Issue", by showing "Solidarity" to Frontline and AS+IM "Welcoming" EU Governments, (such as Germany, Sweden, etc), Meanwhile, No Move was predicted by Katruggalos, at least until that June 2018 Time Deadline, (Comp. Supra : i.e. letting triggered Procedures of Sanctions against Poland, Hungary, a.o. "Visegrad" Countries, which are among the First to Contest a controversial, Obligatory Relocation System for ASM, to continue).

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+ Meanwhile, from Thursday Afternoon around 7 p.m., up to Friday Early Morning, about 2 a.m., the EU Summit astonishingly spend approximatively 6 Hours in "Hot" but Vain Discussions on the very Contradictory Issue, precisely of Mass Migration, and EU Council President Tusk's above-mentioned Letter, withOut being able to reach Any joint Conclusions at all...

So that, Exceptionaly, German Chancellor Angie Mekel was led to Drop her usual Press Briefing, which, normally, was a "rule" for Journalists, each Deep Night right after the 1st Day of each EU Summit in Brussels, and everybody Left withOut even the (previously anounced) EU Press Briefing, Neither Any kind of common Conclusion, except for ...Jerusalem, where EU simply attests that its position "Remains UnChanged".

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But this European Council wasn't even able to say anything similar on Mass Migration, while an exceptionally Bitter EU Commission's President, Jean-Claude Juncker, appeared, over-Night, quite Bitter, pointing, inter alia, to a threat for EU Council to eventually pass, sooner or later, on that issue, from an Unanimous, to a Qualified Majority decision-making process, (etc). As for Tusk, he soberly acknowledged, at the 2nd Day's (i.e. Earlier Today) Concluding Press Conference, that an Agreement on that issue appeared "very Hard" to achieve, while, this 1st "Hot" Discussion, at least, had the merit to "Clean the Air"...

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- In this unusual Context, when the Prime Minister of Greece, Alexis Tsipras, was Asked by "Eurofora", earlier Today, (i.e., practically at the End of EU Summit's 2nd and Last Day), what was, "in Substance", the main Message that he would have, "for other EU Countries", on that Mass Migration issue, his, Concise, but "Dense" Reply, appeared partly Surprizing :

 
 
 - First of all, Tsipras made it clear that he wasn't going to repeat now, earlier already made Statements, but he accepted "Eurofora"s suggestion (Comp. Supra) to rather Focus on what is, according to his view, "the main Substance, at this Moment", as he pointed out.

>>> - In this regard, he Started by stressing that "the EU - Turkey Agreement should be Applied", and work Properly".  "That's what we want !", the Greek Prime Minister immediately underlined, in Reply to an "Eurofora"s Question.


 - He didn't make now any explicit reference to the Fact that the First and Stronger Reason for which the Huge "Tsunami" of 2015-2016 had been initially Reduced, from February-March 2016 onwards, had been, in reality, several European Countries' Decisions to Close and Protect their Borders, accross the "Western Balkans" route, already even Before that controversial EU-Turkey Deal was finalized and started to enter into force, only Later-on, towards the End of March 2016, (See: ...).

 
 

- However, Nowadays, the most Important point seems to be that of "Those who do Not get Asylum, in Greece or other (EU) First Host Countries", as Tsipras said, i.e. those who are also Finally considered, officially, as Irregular Migrants (and Not Refugees) :

- Because, for them, the main point are "Returns Back to the Countries of Origin", as the Prime Minister of Greece stressed, in Reply to "Eurofora"s above-mentioned Question.

 - And this Requires "a More Efficient Rapatriation", than what it has happened until now, Tsipras clearly Criticized, in fine.

=> - For that purpose, the EU should, preferably, set up "a European Mechanism of Rapatriations", the Greek Prime Minister suggested, in Conclusion.              

 

 + It's only in the Middle of those key points, that Tsipras also added that "the ReLocation in Third (EU+) Countries, should become more operational", than what it has been, until now, (since almost Everybody notoriously acknowledges that it didn't really work in real practice, particularly because of Unwillingness of several EU Countries to be infiltrated by that kind of Mass Migrants that Turkey suddenly decided to send to Europe).

I.e., apparently, an overall position which Departs from an Exclusive and Unilateral Accent on Controversial Obliged "ReLocation" towards Other EU Member Countries only (Comp. Supra), but Points, right from the Start, indirectly but certainly, mainly on the Shortcomings of the even more controversial EU - Turkey Deal which Costs to Europe about 3 Billions € in Full Grants each Year.

+ Meanwhile, it's also the incoming EU Chairman for the Period of January - June 2018, Boyko Borisov, Prime Minister of Bulgaria, (a Country which is also part of EU's External Borders vis a vis Turkey), who reportedly supports the view that EU - Turkey Deal on Mass Migration should work properly, as "Eurofora" was told, earlier Today in Brussels, by Bulgaria's Press Spokesperson, Genoveva Chervenakova. 

(Borisov, watched by EU Army Officers, near EU-Africa Border Map: No reason for Turkey to do worse than Morocco on Irregular Mass Migration, despite 3 Billiions € of EU Grants - Eurofora)

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Today's move might also be seen as a somewhat Elaborate suggestion, with Supplementary key elements, which might, perhaps, make possible, at least a Part of an overall, realistic Compromise, among EU Heads of State/Government, and other EU Leaders, in the foreseable Future.

Because, notoriously, there are also Various Other EU Leaders who might feel now that such a Direction, mutatis-mutandis, should, "in Substance", (and adequately crafted), be at least a Key Part of an Agreed Solution, to this Sudden, UnWarned 2015/2016 "Tsunami" send to Europe (and reportedly even "Selected") by Turkey.

(../..)

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(NDLR : Partly Revised + Extended)

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