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Home arrow newsitems arrow MACRON to EF+: It's up to the People of Europe to SEIZE THE CHANCE of EU Citizens' Consultations !

MACRON to EF+: It's up to the People of Europe to SEIZE THE CHANCE of EU Citizens' Consultations !

Written by ACM
Tuesday, 17 April 2018
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*Epinal (Vosges' Mountains)/Angelo Marcopolo/- Speaking briefly to Journalists, including "Eurofora", just after the Official Inauguration of the 1st in a 6 Months-long Series of EU Citizens Consultations between April and November 2018 on Europe's Future, new French President Emanuel Macron, suddenly turned around, Looking straight towards there where we were standing, and shouted aloud, with a particularly Strong Voice :


 - "Democracy Belongs to the People !"


=> In consequence, "it's up to the People of Europe to Seize this Chance of Citizens' Consultations, and make them Spread" throughout 27 EU Member Countries (as scheduled),

 

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+ as well as, eventually, advance even further in the foreseeable future, (See Infra + Following Article), according to the Wider Horizon of his landmark Speech, symbolically made at the Historic BirthPlace of Democracy in Acient Greece's Pnyx Rock, facing Acropolis in Athens on 9/2017, (See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/macronatthehistoricsourcesofdemocracy.html).


--------------------

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Meanwhile, in Addition to his Surprising, Last-Minute Choice to Launch a "Long March" for these UnPrecedented EU Citizens' Consultations, just after his Debate with MEPs at EU Parliament in Strasbourg (See relevant "Eurofora"s NewsReports at : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/macronlsongmarchtoconsulciti.html + http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/macronineuparliamentaskscitizensdebates.html, etc), Not at an "Euro-Metropole", but ... Up to he Mountains of nearby Vosges, at Epinal City, (known as HQ of Historic "Social-Gaullist" Top Politician Philippe Seguin, and Birthplace of the Father of Sociology : Emile Durkheim with a Fort still ..Haunted by Napoleon's Ghost according to a Legend), at the Same Time that his LRM Party supporters Started their "March for Europe",

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Macron made, Today, even anOther indirect Reference to ... Mao, concerning his Famous Appeal, at the Beginning of the "Cultural Revolution" back on the "Sixties" (1966+), to "let All Flowers (i.e. Political Ideas) flerish !", by Stressing from the outset, that, Nowadays "it's Time to find a New Debate", where "All Ideas on Europe must be presented !"


---------------------------

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+ And "We must always Hear even Critical Voices and Opposite Views too" : It's "an Indispensable Moment of (mutual) Recognition and Exchanges", Macron advised one of his own Fans, who had appeared anxious about several People's alleged "Misunderstandings" about Europe.


- "Afterwards, we must Explain, become Pedagogic, use Arguments".


>>> In fact, "Even Me, I might, perhaps, sometimes make an Error", and/or "Have Not Seen yet a Point that Others (our Interlocutors) are trying to Suggest", the new French President bravely and rightfully, Acknowledged, clearly Recognizing the Value of Debates' Dialectics also as a means and procedure in order to Seek and Find the Truth, (as World-Famous Ancient Greek Philosopher Platon notoriously supported, particularly through his writings about Socrates' Dialogues).

 

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=> Therefore, Macron called interested EU Citizens to send their Debates to a special Website at the Internet, while Also practicing physical "Human Contacts" in actual Meetings, which are "Useful".

 


+ We must "Invite even People who are Against Europe, to do themselves some Citizens Consultations, because they are "Pedagogical" and "a Fundamental Tool", particularly during the present "Times, which, for Europeans, are of Essential importance, he urged.


---------------------------------

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During a Press Briefing organized by the Elysée Palace, to which "Eurofora" and Other Strasbourg's Medias had been Invited to participate through Tele-Conference methods at the Eve of Macron's visit to EU Parliament here, the Accent had been put mainly on 2 Key-Points :


(A) that Everybody could Participate and/or Organize such a "Citizens' Consultation" on Europe's Future, by Internet and/or through Meetings, etc., i.e. not only Public Authorities, Politicians or Experts, but also Associations, Students, even a Simple Citizen.


(B) On the Condition to provide also for a kind of "Restitution" of the main Results of that Consultation, to a Centralized Body specially set up in order to Monitor the Organisation of such Events, Collect and Preserve their Outcome.


=> I.e., a Mechanism apparently Conceived to be Easy for EU Citizens to Replicate almost Everywhere throughout Europe, while also allowing to have an Overall View of the Total Input.


--------------------------------

QUESTIONS...
--------------------------------------

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Introducing to "1,5 Hour of Exchanges" <<Live>> between several Hundreds of registered EU Citizens and the French President at Epinal's Congress Center, (in the presence of various Politicians and Elysée's Press Pool of Paris and Strasbourg Accredited Journalists, just arrived from an EU Parliament RDV in a Special Bus, including "Eurofora",

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------

 Macron Started by briefly Resuming the main points of his short Presentation to the Debate with MEPs, Earlier this Morning, about his Preference for a "United, Democratic and Sovereign Europe" (See relevant "Eurofora"s NewsReport at : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/macronineuparliamentaskscitizensdebates.html) :

 

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- I.e, the "Capacity to give your Own Rules", and "to Exist in the World", in Addition to the National Sovereignity of each EU Member Country, but particularly for Issues such as Migration, Digital Technologies and Protection of private Data, Energy, (etc), where "Size" matters in order to be Efficient, f.ex. facing USA, China, etc., as he reminds.  


--------------------------------


=> EU Citizens' Questions issued from that 1st such event, organized this time by a special team under the State Secretary for EU Affairs, Nathalie Loiseau, touch upon a Variety of Concrete Issues around Europe, and Receive Macron's Replies, one by one, taking enough Time to enter, in a Fast and Sharp, but Substantial way, into the Heart of the matter, real Practice included, whenever needed :

macron_hears_question_at_1st_eu_citizens_consultation__overall_eurofora_400



F.ex., among many others, (See Note at the End), it's also about:


- whether we should Speak about "Europeans", or not, (in Addition to every EU Citizen's National Identity, which remains valid and pertinent, practically co-existing with the EU level);


-  the 2008 Economic Crisis, Banks and Speculation (resulting also to the Current Need for the EU to "Complete Banking Union", etc) ;


- whether the French "NO" Vote of 2005 (followed also by that of Netherlands, Ireland, etc, i.e. on the Occasion of a Draft EU Constitution, shortly After Opening controversial and unpopular EU "Accession" Negotiations with Turkey) corresponded to a Political "Error" (See also Infra) ;

macron_explaining__1st_eu_citizens_consultation__closer_eurofora_400 

-------------------


- the recent USA-UK-France AirStrikes in Syria (after allegations of Chemical weapons in Ghouta Suburb in Damascus Capital City, until recently occupied by Islamist Terrorists and Other Armed Rebels) ;


- Economic situation's Need to "Settle the Real Problems, Instead of Wasting Public Funds" aggravating a Public Deficit, (as f.ex, Germany did, back from 2009, when it "was in Greater Recession" than France, But managed to avoid more Deficit) ;


- Space High-Tech's developments in a World-wide competition and EU's role, (an anew Topical Issue, due to be partly debated also in an EU Parliament's STOA Committee's Panel of Experts, later this week in Strasbourg, on Thursday Morning, April 19) ;


- the eventual creation of an "EU ID Card", (in Addition to the National one, during the Next EU Mandate of 2019-2024, and also in order to Help Manage the recent Mass Irregular Migration Issues, etc) ;


- (anew  : Comp. Supra) the 2005 "NO" Vote, which was just "Droped by Bureaucrats", making People wonder : - "Why Debate again ?", (Macron reacting by Finding "Better a Good Debate" going on the Substance of the Issues really at stake, "Instead of Only a Yes or No", but also Promising that there will be "Not any Structural Change withOut Asking the People"'s views, in order "Not to Repeat the 2005 ... Betrayal of Democracy", as he Harshly Criticized it);


- Why EU Countries do "Not yet Speak all in 1 Voice" on "Foreign Policy", (where Macron pointed, f.ex., to a succesfull Negotiation with Iran by EU's Representative, Federica Mogherini, and did Not Exclude that also in the Future, when CFSPolicy would become Identical for EU Countries, But Warning that there are "Not Yet" "Identical Views and Interests", due also to History/GeoPolitics, since f.ex. "some EU Member Countries were Invaded by Turkey", as he reminded, while Others had special links to Russia in the Past, etc., added also to the Fact that "there are Different Rules on Military Operations" : F.ex., "Only France can Act Fast", while "Others need Long Parliamentary Debates", etc);

- "Energy Sovereignity" for Europe, (apparently Not Possible in Short Term, Difficult in Medium, since, f.ex., France = Independent, but Others still Depend on Russia, or Turkey, etc. But we "Can Coordinate" actions Now, and "Afterwards Advance further, When our Interests are the Same". But, during the Next Decades, many EU Member Countries may still be based on some Different Foreign Policy options);

- "English Language" domination ? (a problem to be Solved via Pluri-Linguism : I.e. by systematically Learning at least 3 Languages = Mother Tongue, English, and anOther one, f.ex. French, etc. It's not normal for most French to be almost the Only in the World to stay Traditionally Uni-Lingual in practice. In such a context, Sometimes, even African Languages can be Useful to Europe :  f.ex. they are of decisive importance for Development, etc);

 

 macron_at_1st_eu_citizens_consultation_closer_eurofora_400


- Several Rural Areas, (including, f.ex., even those Vosges' Mountains), "do Not yet really Profit from the EU", complained another, Local participant. (This concerns, mainly, Road/Rail Infrastructures, where Germany's experience of - 30% Less Cost for efficient Local/Regional Railroad Links can be Useful. On Agricultural Policy, National States still remain in charge, but they Need an EU Complement. It's true that "Metropolisation-Effects", visible f.ex. in Strasbourg, don't exist in Provinces. But the development of Digital Technologies and High-Speed Networks, spreading all-over the Country, added to "Tele-Work" and "if we get a Full Digital Market" in the EU, with Hundreds of Millions of potential Customers, could bring a Big Change, giving a Chance to Rural Areas, where the Quality of Nature and Everyday Life is often Better, rightfully observed Macron - who has had also an interesting Experience there, as former Minister of Economy, when he signed a relevant Agreement between the French State and Strasbourg's Alsace Region about Spreading High-Speed Internet Networks : See "Eurofora"s NewsReport from the relevant Press Conference, then, at: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/strasbourgregionpresidentrichertandfrencheconomyministermacrononhighspeedinternet.html ).

- A partly Related, critical Question concerned specifically a key part of Agriculture : F.ex., an Animal Raising Farmer said that there were "Enough Roads", and even a "Good Sanitary Quality" of Farm Products, as milk, meat, etc., but they were "No More Competitive in the Jobs' Market" abroad. (Macron, inter alia, observed, in Reply, that, in fact, it's just a Part of that Jobs-chain which raised problems in trade, referred also to recent EU Debates and moves on the Wider Issue of "Posted Workers", and appeared optimist for the future. "Eurofora" remembers that Similar Questions had been raised, in a recent Past, also by Neigbouring Alsace Region Farmers, concerning, then, the Comparative Cost of Lowest Salaries for Seasonal Workers in Agriculture, particularly in adjacent German areas before the recent introduction of a Lower Salary Guarantee, where we were, indeed, Surprized to find that even the Price of Milk was Cheaper than in France, while most Cows were Born, Raised and Exported by France to Germany and other EU Countries !)


- Frustrated by the obvious Lack of any Radical, fully-fledged "Anti-European", or, at least, "Euro-Sceptic", be it from the Far Right or the Far Left area of the Political Spectrum, (that Mrs Loiseau's Team had, perhaps, found Difficult to discover when they organized that 1st Citizens' Consultation), President Macron, Finally, exploded with a sincere Cry :  - But, isn't there anyone who has at least Doubts about the European Project ?...


- The guy who Dared raise his hand in public, apparently did his best, but didn't really convince about his supposed "Euro-sceptic" stance, (since we have all seen "Better", even among some EU Parliament's MEPs...)  : He Briefly evoked "Migration" Problems, but preferred to Focus on the Price of everyday consumption goods. F.ex., even the Wine ("Picon") that I use to drink, Nowadays Costs almost X 3 Times More than in the Past, he complained...


- "Your Wine ("Picon")'s Price is Not Fixed by the EU", sharply Replied Macron. But it's True that there are, indeed, also some Other Popular, Everyday Consumption Goods, such as, f.ex., even Coffee, Bread, etc. in Paris too, whose Prices have gone up, some years ago, and this is another, Different Issue that We have to Fix, he observed.


--------------------------------

 >>> Concluding this 1st EU Citizens' Consultation, the embattled French President applied his own Recipe, to be Pedagogical :


- Always Remember the Main things : "PEACE - FREEDOM - SIZE", he resumed :


=> EU Avoided Wars during More than 60 Years, stoping Military Domination Dreams as Never Before ; Helps Respect Citizens' Human Rights Better than several Authoritarian Regimes around the World ; offers a Market X more than 10 Times Wider than our National Market, and, more generally, EU has the Size required in order to be able to Deal with certain Big Issues in the World (Comp., f.ex., Supra, etc), as he Briefly, but Substantially, Highlighted in fine.

--------------------------

Last, but not least : One of the Photo's published here by "Eurofora" was Kindly provided to us, upon our Request, (just after an Electricity Shortage interrupted our own Tool), by a Collegue, Journalist for Radio, Margaretta Svensson, from ...Sweden !

=> One concrete Proof more, that Macron's "EU Citizens' Consultations", may, indeed, have a real Chance to widely Spread accross most EU Member States, (including up to Scandinavia)s..


 (../..)


----------------------------------------


***


(NDLR : Obviously, these are some Hasty, InComplete NOTES, taken "Live", on the spot, after 2 or 3 Days withOut Time even to Sleep overNight, particularly Because of some Strange, unjustified Practical Obstacles, including on Timeline Contradictions among Key Events in Strasbourg and Epinal, etc [Comp., f.ex., among others, also: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/macronlsongmarchtoconsulciti.html , etc]. So that, in order to have a really Full and Accurate View of all those Questions/Replies between EU Citizens and President Macron, one has also to Better seek to find a Full VIDEO, at least of the Main Event, which should not omit to Pop up on the Web, sooner or later, since there were some People placed at Key-points in order to take Shots, by just Pressing a Button, and afterwards Simply "Copy-Paste" all at the Internet. => In Consequence, Readers could Usefully COMBINE Both Tools, f.ex., by Chosing at the Above-Mentiioned Written List some Interesting Questions/Replies, and, According to the Approximative Order shown in this List, afterwards Search to Find at a Video on the Web, All or Part of what was actually said, on this or another concrete point).


***


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 slovenian__croatian_presidents_at_coe_400

    The recent paradox of freezing EU Talks with front-runner Croatia, while continuing controversial EU - Turkey talks, despite Zagreb's acceptance of Refugees' Human Rights to return, that Ankara refuses fex. in Cyprus, while both have "Good Neighborhood" problems vis a vis Slovenia, or Greece, Cyprus and Armenia respectively, can it be justified by the non-fullfilment of EU criteria, as Slovenia says, or, is it "Double Standards" ?    

The question became unavoidable after statements by Presidents of Slovenia and Croatia, Tuerk and Mesic, respectively, to "EuroFora", exclusively or among Strasbourg's journalists this week at the CoE, on the sidelines of its 2009 Summer University for Political Schools, which topically brought them together as successive key-note speakers.


    Comming only a few Months before EU checks Turkey's compliance to its commitments on Cyprus, etc., scheduled for December 2009, this obviously has a special importance for the coherence of EU Enlargement's principles.

     Suspension of EU Negotiations is a normal consequence in case of a Candidate Country's failure to fullfil EU Conditions, such as "Good Neighborhood relations", stressed at first Slovenian President Danilo Tuerk, current CoE's chair.

    But, regarding EU's Criteria,  there shouldn't be any "Double Standards",  reacted Croatian President Stjepan Mesic, commenting the fact that Turkey's controversial EU negotiations continue, while they were recently "freezed" in the case of Croatia, an "unquestionably European Country", which oficially accepts to respect Refugees Human Rights, contrary to Ankara's notorious refusals or reluctance.                                       

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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           - "EU itself has set as a Criterium (for EU Enlargement) the "Good Neighborhood relations",  and their absence justifies the "Suspension" EU Negotiations, (f.ex. with Croatia), because of a Border dispute affecting the territorial integrity of an EU Member Country, stressed Slovenian President, Danilo Tuerk, CoE's Chairman in office (May - November 2009), speaking to Journalists in Strasbourg including "EuroFora".    

Questioned earlier what "consequences on EU's Enlargement policy" can have the "Ban on EU Membership Negotiations", imposed to Croatia, Tuerk replied that "this question comes down to the fulfillement of (EU) Criteria for membership. One has to look at each Candidate Country ., from the point of view whether it fullfils the Criteria that EU has set. One of them are Good Neighborhood Relations, I'd like to remind. And also, there are other factors, such as Justice, Home affairs, Rule of Law, and others".


    - "Now, ..Candidate Countries are at Different Levels of fulfillement of Criteria", he observed.

    - " Croatia is obviously the closest to that. I'm rather optimistic : I think that in the coming Months we'll have an opportunity to look at all these issues constructively and hopefully we'll be able to make progress". "My main concern, at this point, is the situation in Bosnia : We haven't seen enough progres domesticaly. We haven't seen enough during ..political parties within their country.We need a New Energy, a new energetic move towards the Candidature for EU membership. "Other (Western Balkan) Countries (Serbia, Montenegro, FYROM, Albania) have been making soaring Progress, and I think that they should be ready, in a few Years, for the Candidate status".

    - "As far as the Western Balkans are concerned, .. nobody should be left outside" the EU, Slovenian's President concluded, ommitting to mention Turkey's controversial EU bid.

    - "This process may be seen as Slow, but..  Slovenia has also has also been exposed to various "Booms of Slowness" in our accession period. But now we can say that the process was relatively quick, because changes which occur after becoming EU member, are quite large, and they require proper Preparations before the (EU) membership becomes a new factor, an impacting line for a new (EU) member country".
----------------------------

EU "Solidarity" ?
------------------------------   

Slovenian statements made some participants from certain 3rd Countries as FYROM, etc. claim that "the Principle of EU Solidarity" would "produce a.. rising European Union Nationalism (sic !), against Non-EU Countries", as they said, asking unhappy foreign countries to form a "bloc" to exert pressure on the EU...    

But Croatian President Stjepan Mesic dismissed that, supporting "EU Integration", "after the Economy also in Political" issues, as "the achievement" of our times. In EU there is "diversity, but it's United", he stressed, "EU has to be United so that it can become a central factor of Peace" also at the surrounding areas, he replied.

croatian_president_mesic_ 

Speaking later exclusively to "EuroFora", the experienced twice President of Croatia, former President of the International "Non-Aligned" movement, denounced "Double Standards" in the way EU treats recently Croatia compared to Turkey :   

 - "I think that there shouldn't be Double Standards", stressed the Croatian President, in reply to a Question comparing the freeze of EU - Croatia talks, with the continuation of EU - Turkey talks, despite the fact that Croatia is an "unquestionably European country", while Turkey's EU bid is notoriously controversial.


    Mesic was reacting to the observation that, even if he confirmed his "respect of Refugees' Human Rights to return, etc. (See infra), nevertheless, EU talks are suspended with Croatia.. While for oher, controversial candidates, who refuse to respect Refugees' Rights to return, etc., as fex. Turkey does in occupied Cyprus and elsewhere, EU negotiations continue".

    - "I believe that Croatia's accession will confirm that all European Countries who fulfill all of the Conditions and achieve European Standards, have to join the EU. There shouldn't be any Double Standards", went on to add in reply President Mesic.

    In this relation, Croatia's President found "of paramount importance", CoE's "mechanisms enforcing ECHR's judgements"
    
    - "On Refugees and Displaced persons, the process will be completed only after the last person demanding to return will be allowed to do so !", President Mesic Croatia stressed earlier, setting a general standard of obvious importance also for otherr candidates, as f.ex. Turkey, often accused to exclude or heavily restrict Greek Cypriot Displaced persons' return to their Family Homes and ancestral land, provoke difficulties to Turkish-Kurd IDPs return to their home regions at the South-East, etc.

    Some "2.000 People are still reported Missing" in former Yugoslavia, for some Years, (as in Cyprus, modern Europe's oldest case, for 3 Decades. Nagorno-Karabach, Tcecnya in Russia, etc, more recently), and Investigations "will only be completed after establishing the fate of the last one of them", he added.
    
    Speaking earlier on "War Crimes", President Mesic stressed that "Leaders are responsible for (the) Wars (of the Past), not the People", and called against Impunity :  "Individuals have to be held Responsible for Crimes. International Penal Tribunals have to persecute those individuals", perpetrators of War Crimes, he underlined.

    Such statements naturally made Mesic rather popular at ECHR, whose President, French EuroJudge, Professor Jean-Paul Costa, looked particularly smiling when he welcomed him later on Wednesday afternoon, after Slovenian President Daniko Tuerk earlier this week.
           

***

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