

CoE Political Director Laurens to EuroFora:Key Tunisian Minister in Democracy Forum, Morocco Partner

A key representative of the currently evolving process from which depends the Success or failure of the famous "Jasmin" Democratic Revolution in Tunisia, the Historic frontruner Country in the Movements going on in 3rd Mediterranean States, the new Minister in charge of preparing a New Constitution, Mr. Ben Achour, will practically open, Next Week in Strasbourg, the transition to the creation of Strasbourg's "World Democracy Forum in 2012, due to emerge from a kind of "Sythesis" between the preexisting CoE's Political Schools, and new, parallel events topically debating "Ethics" in Politics and "Citizens' Trust", said in substance the experienced CoE's Director General for Political and Democracy affairs, Jean-Louis Laurens, replying to "EuroFora"s questions :

- "EuroFora" observed, from the outset, that, among various interesting and important Personalities, (such as CoE's Secretary General, Thornbjorn Jagland from Norway, CoE's President-in-office, Ukranian Foreign Minister Kostyantyn Gryschenko, experienced professor Catherine Lalumiere, former CoE's Head and current Chairwoman of Political Schools' PanEuropean Network, from France, experimented Russian Human Rights Mediator, Vladimir Lukin, former Head of the Russian Delegation to CoE's Assembly and to EU Parliament,) etc), figured also the Tunisian Minister Rafaa Ben Achour, delegated to the Prime Minister, who is due to give an "Inaugural Lesson" to CoE's Schools of Political Studies, spreading from EU Members Hungary, Poland or Cyprus, etc., up to Turkey, Ukraine and Russia, etc.

- "Minister Ben Achour is both in charge mainly of Tunisia's Constitutional process, and s. Member of CoE's "Venice" Commission", i.e. the unique PanEuropean body of Top Legal Experts on Constitutional Law, Elections and Human Rights, (See yesterday's "EuroFora"s Draft NewsReport), sharply and accurately replied Laurens, revealing the particular importance of CoE's selection for its Key-note Speaker.
- "Thank you .. for the question : Mr. Ben Achour is also Member of (CoE's) Venice Committee, and this already gives a clear indication on his main area of responsibilities, which obviously focus mainly on (New) Institution-building issues, and on the elaboration of a New Constitution in Tunisia", (after the "Jasmin" Popular, Democratic and Social Revolution), "That's his main domain of action", revealed CoE's Director General for Political and Democracy affairs, in reply to "EuroFora"s query.

The move was topically made the same Day that, for the 1st time, CoE's PanEuropean Assembly gave a special Status as "Partner for Democracy", to Morocco, while also launching an appeal to Tunisia to be the 2nd to join the Historic process, due to enlarge, progressively, to all other 3rd Mediterranean and Asian Countries at EU's Neighborhood.
Thus, in an emotional and Symbolic ceremony at CoE's Headquarters, Morocco's Presidents of Parliament and Senate, Mr. Mr. Radi and Biadilach, joined together with Turkish Politician Mr. Cavusoglou, both from the 2 Bordering States around EU's Western and Eastern External borders, which have both asked, at one moment or another, even to become EU Members, (starting with Morroco, which had asked 1st, afterwards, followed by Turkey with a similar request, but only later-on, when time was more ripe)....

Since then, Mediterranean Arab Countries found difficult to understand why EU spend more than 90 € per inhabitant each year for so-called "Candidates" as Turkey, while it didn't invest not even ..9 € per inhabitant in all other 3rd Mediterranean Countries, as Morocco's Foreign Minister had recently denounced at an International G20 Conference organized by the 2011 French Presidency in Paris. While, in fact, we all face similar Challenges which affect also EU, such as, fex., Climate Change, Global Crisis, Illegal Emigration, Terrorism, Drug Trafficking, etc., but also an interesting Economic, Energy, a.o. Natural Resources' GeoPolitical potential, as pointed out Morocco Senate's President, Seich Biadilach, and, therefore, now speaking to Strasbourg's Journalists, including "EuroFora", after meeting with CoE's Secretary General Thornbjorn Jagland.

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+ "EuroFora", also asked Laurens whether CoE's project to create a "Democracy Forum in the future", was already "examined by the Committee of Ministers" of the PanEuropean Organization, or not, and "if the common Inspirations behind Next Week's 2-3 successive/parallel Events (i.e. CoE's Political Schools, Conference on "Ethics in Politics", and the meeting of EU Mayors of "Strasbourg's Club" focused on "Citizens' Trust") were due to merge, afterwards, inside a joint Synthesis, that will emerge with the 1st "Strasbourg's World Democracy Forum" on 2012.
- Indeed, "Next Week's events are a kind of a Pre-figuration of the (2012 Strasbourg's World) Forum", (on Democracy), it has been already decided, since it is part of CoE's Secretary General's (Thornbjorn Jagland's) Priorities for the period of 2012-2013, and these Priorities were accepted by (CoE's) Committee of Ministers", replied Laurens to "EuroFora"s 2nd Question.
=> "Our task, now, is to ensure its Funding, since it (i.e. Strasbourg's Democracy Forum) will be an Activity going well beyond the current (CoE's) Political Schools and their (Annual) Summer Democracy University, including an important Financial Partnership out of the CoE, where we work together with Strasbourg City, for External Fund-Raising, in order to become able to give to this (future) event the Real Dimension of what we wish, i.e. what we callled, earler, "Davos of Democracy", CoE's Director General of Political and Democracy affairs' replies to "EuroFora" concluded.
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Obviously, such planned events are expected to follow any relevant topical development, including, f.ex., currently the "Citizens" gatherings which start to spread also in EU Member States like Spain and Portugal but also in Greece, etc., particularly (but not only) among Young People, as a NGO Representative, precisely from ...Tunisia had earlier warned "EuroFora", on the sidelines of the recent G8 Heads of State/Government Summit organized by the French 2011 Presidency at Deauville, (See relevant "EuroFora"s NewsReport from the spot).
Curiously, however, despite their apparent potential, such Popular Movements were qualified by another Journalist as often raising good "Questions", but whose "Replies are given by Extremists" (sic !), as he said, echoed by Local Strasbourg City's vice-Mayor, Robert Hermann, (Socialist party), who also criticized such Citizens' Movements, nonobstant their current trend to spead accross several EU Countries, as having "Difficulties to formulate Proposals", as he claimed.
However, as another, Spanish collegue recently wrote also for similar Popular Movements in Spain, and as it can be witnessed now, even more clearly, in the serious situation of Greece, these Citizens' Groupings clearly ask for a "Real (i.e. Direct) Democracy", "without" (bureaucratic Intermediaries in Political) Parties", nor in Mass Medias, etc., as well as a decisive action "against (the recent Decades of) Corruption" in the Public Sector, mainly the State.
It's also at an "Ethical Deficit" that future co-organiser, in charge of Strasbourg City's International relations, Nawel Rafik Elmrini, attributed at least a part of the precursos phenomenon of the "huge Abstentions which appeared in EU Elections", as she said in reference to the well known "No" to the French and Dutch 2005 EuroReferenda, notioriously provoked since 1999-2004 by EU Citizens' refusal to accept Turkey's controversial and unpopular EU bid. - "We don't intend to avoid any topical Debate" of interest to EU Citizens in future, she added later-on.
The 2012+ World Strasbourg's Forum is not intended to be limited only in Europe, but, with participants also from Africa, Asia and other Countries, it aims to become really International, as it was confirmed in this last preparatory 2011 Press Conference.
(NDLR : DraftNews, as already send earlier to "EuroFora"'s Subscribers/Donors. A complete and more accurate Final Public Version is due asap).
****
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An "Eugenic" loophole Amendment, which might expose to Dangers reminiscent of "3rd Reich's" notorious Genetic Abuses, hidden at the last minute inside an otherwise Good, larger Health policy Package scheduled to be voted on Thursday, was strongly denounced by a coalition of MEPs from various Political Groups and Countries, in a Press Conference held this afternoon at EU Parliament in Strasbourg.
Mainly calling to "Select Human Embryos", via "Genetic Counselling" and "pre-implantation" Techniques including "Genetic Tests", in order to "Eradicate Hereditary rare Diseases", it might open ways to Dangerous Practices in Future, they denounced in substance.
But they also made it clear that a much larger Report inside which this Controversial Amendment "No 15" was added in dubious circumstances, officialy destinated to struggle against "Rare Diseases", and drafted by Professor Antonios Trakatellis, was otherwise "an Excellent Report", aiming at a "completely Uncontroversial target" of Health policy on which "all MEPs and Experts are united, believing that Europe should act" to protect People's Health (See "EuroFora"'s earlier News).
The controversy came at a particularly delicate moment for the EU in relation to Citizens, at the eve of June 2009 EU Elections, and shortly before Ireland re-votes for "Lisbon Treaty"..
- Denouncing risks of "an Eugenic demand, very similar to what we had during the 3rd Reich in Germany, but now coming from some Scientisists themselves", German ChristianDemocrat/EPP MEP Dr. Peter Liese stressed that critical MEPs were against "Eugenic" engineering with "Selection of Human Embryos", and anything which might ultimately lead up to to a "Selection of Human Race". It doesn't help to "eradicate" Human Lives, he added.
Several Experts and NGOs expressed "Deep Concern", as f;ex. DR M.C. Cornel of the "European Society of Human Genetics", which stressed, on this occasion, that "the importance of Non-Directiveness in Reproductive issues is a Central characteristic of Human Genetics, after the Atrocities committed in the name of Genetics in the first half or the 20th Century".
- "This is completely Unacceptable", stressed Italian Liberal MEP Vittorio Prodi, on the Controversial Amendment, also because pushes to "eliminate early Human Life", as he noted.
- "This opens a Dangerous Road, rather a Motorway", denounced Danish MEP Mrs Margrette Auken, from the "Greens", observing that various similar attempts were made in the Past "not only in Germany, but also in several other Countries, "even at the 1970ies", "f.ex. on forced Sterilisation of Roma" People, and other criticisable situations f.ex. in the UK, in Sweden, etc. as she said.
+ Other NGOs, as f.ex. "LebenHilfe" from Berlin, added that, among various other Risks, could also be that, by exploiting the pre-implantation Genetic Diagnostics and the Selection of "healthy" Embryos, some may "propagate" several "Eugenic" aims, starting f.ex. by pushing to eradicate Human Livies which might "Cost too much" to preserve, ultimately exposing to dangers reminiscent of the "3rd Reich"'s atrocious abuses.
In consequence, ChristianDemocrats/EPP and "Green" MEPs "decided by Majority to vote against" this Controversial Amendment, anounced to Journalists the 5 MEPs who participated in the Press Conference, representing a wide spectrum, from Liberals to "Greens" and ChristianDemocrats, and from Hungary, Italy, Germany and Danemark up to Ireland (Gay Mitchell), etc.
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Hungarian ChristianDemocrat MEP Laszlo Surjan said "that it was "Suddenly, at the End of the Procedure" in Committee, that "appeared this (Controversial) Amendment, which has nothing to do" with the main purpose of the Report, on which all agreed.
He denounced an "Unhonest" move, and called to "avoid this kind of unacceptable situations". Nobody should "Select People", Surjan stressed.
- "We (MEPs) had No Chance to Discuss" this last-minute Amendment earlier added at a Committee's level, said German MEP Peter Liese
Speaking to "EuroFora", Dr. Liese, the Spokesman of the ChristianDemocrat/EPP Group in EU Parliament, said that MEPs didn't oppose other references of the Report f.ex. on "Genetic Tests", because they were "no proposals" to impose them, while, on the contrary, there was "a Problem" if anyone attempted to "impose" f.ex. this or that Genetic Technique and "Genetic Counselling", etc. to the People on human reproduction.
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The precise Text :
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Controversial parts of Amendment No 15 ask mainly "to lead finally to the Eradication" of "Hereditary" "rare diseases", "through Genetic Counselling .., and ..pre-Implantation Selection of healthy Embryos".
But EU Rapporteur Professor Trakatellis, said to "EuroFora" that fears should be alleviated by Guarantees that all this should be done only "where appropriate", when it's "not contrary to existing National Law", and "always on a Voluntary basis", according to other Parts of the Amendment.
He stressed that the main aim was to allow "a free and informed choice of persons involved", without imposing them anything : - "It's not an obligatory, but advisary" text, he said.
To make that point clear, he was ready, in agreement with many MEPs, to eventually drop at least that part of the controversial Amendment which initially called for "efforts to ..lead finally to the Eradication of those rare diseases" "which are Hereditary".
But, until late Wednesday evening, reportedly together with many other MEPs, he stood by all the rest of the controversial Amendment, (fex. on the "Genetic Counselling" and the "pre-implantation Selection of healthy Embryos"), so that critical MEPs, going from ChristianDemocrats as Dr. Liese, to "Greens" or "Ind/Dem", observed to "EuroFora" that "this was not enough" to close the dangerous loophole.
Particularly since, as Professor Trakatellis noted himself, "this is already allowed to the U.K.", and "other National Legislations would probably follow, sooner or later" in a similar direction. As for a general call to "Eradicate Hereditary rare Diseases", this "should happen, at any case, in practice, de facto", to protect public Health.
On the contrary, "our goal should be to help patients suffering from rare diseases, not to eradicate the patients. In case of genetic disease risk, the decision should not be guided by scenarios" made by politicians. "Perents who may decide to accept a child, even if handicapped or with genetic disease, must be respected and supported with solidarity", critical MEPs stated.
- "Any Pressure" to "a patient or couple (who "should be able to make an informed choice consistent with their own values"),"from health Professionals, Public Health Policies or Governemental Institutions, or Society at large, should be avoided", stresses the "European Society for Human Genetics".
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Each MEP's vote will be registered !
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The Socialist Group requested a "Split vote" on the Amendment 15, first without, and afterwards with the words "lead finally to the Eradication" etc.
But the first "split vote" leaves intact all the other parts of the Controversial Amendment, (i.e. "Genetic Counselling", "Selection of healthy Embryos", etc).
That's why, 3 Groups of MEPs : ChristianDemocrats/EPP, "Greens/EFA", and "Ind/Dem", have asked for "Roll Call Votes", on everything regarding the Controversial Amendment No 15, and on the final outcome of the resulting Report as amended, which will register all the individual positions to be taken by each MEP.
Something which will obviously make each MEP think twice before voting for one or another choice, to be sure that he/she will make the right choice in front of EU Citizens, particularly at these pre-Election times...
Crucial Votes were scheduled between 12 Noon and 1 p.m. local Strasbourg time, in the middle of a long series of various other Reports, and after a long Public Debate on the larger Health policy package, from 9 to 11.50 am.
The specific Report inside which was hidden the controversial Amendment is due to be debated between 11 and 12 am.
So that more last-minute Surprises may not be excluded a priori...
Particularly at the present Historic moment, when even the Institutional Future of the EU depends on the result of a second Referendum on "Lisbon Treaty", later this year, in ...Ireland, a mainly Catholic country, where People are particularly sensitive in such kind of socio-cultural and values issues...