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Home arrow newsitems arrow Merkel : European Solidarity with SM EuroZone Member States among Global Crisis

Merkel : European Solidarity with SM EuroZone Member States among Global Crisis

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Written by ACM
Thursday, 10 December 2009

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  *Bonn/Angelo Marcopolo/- German Chancellor Angie Merkel strongly supported the Principle of "Solidarity" among EuroZone's Member States, particularly in front of the current Global Economic Crisis, which sometiimes aggravates the consequences of some's errors of the Past.


    She was replying to topical questions by Journalists at a Press Conference in Bonn, on the critical situation of the Economy in Greece, an EuroZone Member since 2002.  

 Merkel declared that she was "Hopeful", and "confident",  that a solution could be found, and anounced that the matter will be discussed at Brussel's EU Summit, which starts in a few Hours.


    - Particularly when, what happens in one EuroZone country, affects all the others, she observed, asking from all involved to be "objective".
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    Meanwhile, Merkel was largely applauded, when, concluding a ChristianDemocrat/EPP         Statutory Congress in Bonn, (See also previous "EuroFora" NewsReports from that event), she reminded that it was in this Historic City that the 1st post-war, modern democratic Germany's Constitution was adopted during Adenauer's era, already pointinng at the creation of "Equal Links in a United Europe, to serve the World".

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    Moreover, "Human Dignity is the 1st Principle in Germany's Constitution", Merkel added. In ChristianDemocrat/EPP's "Social Market Economy", it's important not to loose trace of the "Human" factor in front of the Global Crisis, she said.

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    But, what even Merkel was not supposed to know, (since it started before Berlin wall's fall), is that some inside certain "'Socialist" Governments in Greece, since the mid-1980s and particularly around 1999-2000, nototoriously used to buy clients by massively distributing cushy jobs, largely non-productive, which inevitaby augmented the cost, and therefore the expenses, i.e; the Debt of the Greek State in huge proportions.     

Thus, when those same "Socialist" Governments, or their successors, were due to ask for Greece's entry into the Monetary EuroZone, it was obvious that the country didn't fulfill all the conditions.

    But, to the great surprise of many, EU accepted Greece's application, much earlier than expected. This was done under mainly "Socialist" Governments in the largest EU Member States, (as Germany, France, Italy, UK, etc), and, according to rumours, this had a  (big) "catch" :

- The Greek Governments had to accept that Turkey becomes EU Candidate, (contrary to an earlier refusal to Morocco's candidacy), without raising any condition whatever, (fex. on the Turkish Military Occupation of part of Cyprus, or on the Turkish Military Airplanes' dangerous overflights at the Aegean Sea, etc).

Since then (2000), a mass-group of largelly unproductive cushy job holders, mainly at the "Left", but some also at the "Right" of the Political Spectrum in Greece, has become notoriously favorable to Turkey's controversial EU bid, as part of this kind of overall, implicit "Deal".

The subsequent ChristianDemocrat/EPP Government by Costas Caramanlis in Greece (2004-2008+), did not disrupt, in fact, this implicit arrangement, as it tried, initially, to keep all the jobs of those appointed during some 22 years of PASOK rule in the country.

That's one of the real reasons for which it also accepted to keep Turkey's controversial EU bid, (sometimes to the astonishment of certain ChristianDemocrat Governments in Big EU Countries, who had, meanwhille, started to realize that Ankara's "Candidacy" was extremely Unpopular among EU Citizens).

But, as long as it kept such a shady deal of the Past, (for which it wasn"t responsible), the Caramanlis EPP Government had also to bear the heavy burden of a huge Foreign Debt, for which it was also not responsible in fact, since it had been notoriously contracted and accumulated during the previous, "Socialist" Governments.


Thus, (and despite an important effort to make comparatively marginal economies, acknowledged by EU Commission, as well as 2 Popular verdicts of Electoral wins at 2004 and 2007), that Government suddenly collapsed, amidst the current Global Crisis, giving to PASOK an earlier than expected oppportunity to return back to power. In fact, by irony of the sort, this was done by .. exploiting the consequences of its own past errors..

But, both the late Costas Caramanlis' Governnment, as well as his successor at the  "New Democracy" Party, (and more critical on Turkey's failure to meet EU conditions), the popular Antonis Samaras, who was recently  for the 1st time  by direct Citizens' Vote, have apparently understood that Greece needs real and profound changes, in order to liberate the potential of its People from others' errors of the Past, and become really free to bring useful and active contributions to the development of the European id'ea;

***

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    Before the end of 2009, France and Germany will take strong initiatives to open "new Horizons" needed by Europe and the World, going well beyond the current Crisis' management, anounced French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angie Merkel, reassuring that both a judgement on Lisbon Treaty by nearby Karlsruhe German Federal Court, and the forthcoming National Elections in Germany would confirm their capacity to act.    

They were replying to Press questions in Berlin, after key-regional elections on Sunday, where Merkel's ChristianDemocratic party kept everywhere a strong 1st and won the possibility to forge a New Majority with Liberals at the largest of 3 Landers : Saxony (4 millions inhabitants), while its main competitor, the Socialdemocrat party fell to unprecedented lows : Tackled by the small "Linke" (left) party in Saarland (1 million inhabitants), it became even smaller than it in Saxony and Thuringen (3 million inhabitants), where SPD arrived only third. While its usual partners, the "Greens" also fell down, contrary to CDU's new partners, the FDP Liberals, who go up.

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    - "At any case, at the end of the year (2009), if things go as scheduled, we shall take strong initiatives, showing that Europe needs a Franco-German axis, as well as the World, even if it never excludes other" countries to join, replied Sarkozy to a question if France and Germany will revive the "European dream", by "relauncing the EU motor" for the Future, with actions going further than the mere management of the global crisis, (as it was done fex. in the Past with the creation of the "Euro" Monetary zone, etc).

    - "I am convinced that the Franco-German friendship must be constantly nourished by New Projects", he added."There are many areas of cooperation where we intend to take, very soon, some Franco-German initiatives, which will allow to open more Horizons" to the EU, Sarkozy stressed.

    But if "we don't speak about that now, it's only in order to avoid interfering in important elections coming in Germany", he observed. However, "we have already started to consider the Future with the (German) Chancellor, and what we can do in order to honour our predecessors". "We are already speaking about that, and we are preparing things". "I am working very well together with Mrs Merkel, and I wish that it goes on", Sarkozy concluded.

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    - "It's important for EU's credibility that France and Germany advance forward together", stressed Merkel from the outset. "Don't worry about Germany's capacity to undertake initiatives" with France, she added. "France and Germany will be perfectly able to make proposals" for the EU.

    -  "After-crisis" plans must be prepared, meanwhile, with measures "advancing progressively", Merkel anounced. And, for the short term, we must deal also with EU Citizens' dismay since they feel that it's a Scandal for some in the Financial Markets to be paid with excessive "Bonuses", etc, she agreed with Sarkozy.

    - "Abuses in financial markets must stop", stressed also Sarkozy. Backing Merkel's announcement that France and Germany call for an EU meeting to forge "a crystal-clear European position" in view of the G-14 Summit at Pittsburg, he warned that "everyone will have to undertake his responsibilities, in front of World's Public Opinion. particularly those who don't want to make the same effort of regulation as France and Germany".

    Moreover, "Global Trade cannot be correctly dealt, without taking into account also Environmental and Social rules", Sarkozy added, referring to recently expressed positions against Unfair Competition via Environmental and/or Social Dumping, (See earlier "EuroFora"'s publications).

    Such moves are obviously linked to the need to ensure at least an elementary respect for Human Rights by Third Countries, (f.ex. exploitation of Children's work, etc) in order to avoid, precisely, any such Social Dumping.

    - "EU has Values, protecting Human Rights and Human Dignity", and "it cannot close its eyes" in front of grave violations, particularly "Torture and/or killings", added, indeed, Sarkozy.

    Thus, "the time comes, where decisions must be taken". But, in case of "Sanctions", "all International opinion should be convinced of the need to take action", he observed.

    Expressed on the occasion of recent developments in Iran, the same principles should logically apply also to other similar cases, including fex. that of Hundreds of ECHR judgements' condemning f;ex. Turkey for grave crimes, (as Torture, brutal Killings, Enforced "Disappearances", Destruction of Family Homes, harassments and oppressive violations of Freedom of Speech, etc).

    Meanwhile, questioned on (EU Commission's chair)  Barroso's bid to succeed himself for a second mandate, they both expressed a "wish" or a "feeling" that "EU Parliament"'s various political Groups might fix a date for decisions "during September". However, is he is endorsed before the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, it will be legally necessary to re-vote anew for a full term of office afterwards, according to EU Legal Experts, revealed recently in Strasbourg the experienced former President of EU Parliament's Constitutional Committee, German Socialist MEP Jo Leinen. And Germany will not vote for Lisbon Treaty's ratification but only "on September 8 and 18", revealed Merkel, ( i.e. after EU Parliament's plenary session in Strasbourg).

    - Therefore, "for EU Commissioners' appointment, it's too early yet, because we must wait for the ratification of Lisbon Treaty" by all 27 EU Member countries, including naturally Ireland's Referendum on early October, said to "EuroFora" the influential President of EU Parliament's largest group of MEPs, Joseph Daul, expressing, however, the hope that a controversial deal with the head of the Socialist Group of MEPs, Martin Schultz of Germany, might hold for Barroso alone, at a forthcoming vote due to fix the Strasbourg plenary's Agenda.

    But MEPs reportedly just "postponed" for 1 week all their previously scheduled group meetings (See : http://www.euractiv.com/en/future-eu/barroso-unveil-summer-homework-week/article-184825 );

    However, while the choice of a new EU Commission's President by EU Parliament is supposed, according to many MEPs' wish, take place according to EU policy issues, paradoxically, this would mean that Barroso's bid would pass before even the anouncement of France and Germany's "initiatives" for EU's "new Horizons"...

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