Merkel : European Solidarity with SM EuroZone Member States among Global Crisis
*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".
²
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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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They voted to "freeze" UK Government's draft to put People in jail for 42 Days on "anti-terrorist" suspicion without charge, or they abstained. Don't they look suspect ?
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CoE's debate on UK controversy stirs PanEuropean check of anti-terror suspects' imprisonment
Former Leftists of the Sixties would boil in hot water if they heard PACE's debate on the controversial 42 days detention without charge, currently drafted by the British Government :
A "Socialist" Government, a Socialist PACE Rapporteur and a Socialist Chair of PACE's Legal Committee, opposed a .. "Conservative" amendment (supported by .. Liberals, Democrats, etc), to freeze the measure, in order to protect Citizens' Freedom, by "waiting" until CoE's Venice Committee checks its conformity with Human Rights' principles.
"Left"'s support to Conservative-Lib.Dem's criticism, wasn't enough to obtain a majority, nor to make things as they were back in the good old days, when "Left" and "Right" had a clear meaning, as "liberty" and "restrictions"...
Conservatives and most Democrats were joined by the Left in voting for the "freeze", as well as Liberal Paul Rowen, while Socialist MEP Ivan Popescu, an experienced MEP from Ukraine (PACE Member since 1996-2008) abstained. But most Socialists, added to a few Liberals and EPP's Right, voted against.
Fortunately, someone inside PACE had the wise idea to shorten the Debate for less than 1 Hour, and put it on the Agenda only at the end of an exceptionally busy day, towards the end of the Evening, when most MEPs had already gone to taste wins and foods at various Receptions all around Strasbourg's "European" area : As a result, not even 42 MEPs weren't present..
Socialist Lord Tomlinson accused the leaders of the PanEuropean Assembly, in its highest body : the "Bureau", to "lack wisdom" by deciding to hold a Debate on an issue that neither the Socialist Chair of the Legal Committee, nor its Socialist "reluctant Rapporteur", did "not want to do", ...
Finally, everybody (critics and supporters alike) was happy to agree, in substance, that the controversial measure "may" gravely violate Human Rights, and therefore, PACE asked Legal Experts of Venice Commission to check UK Government''s plans.
But this might take more than .. 42 Days to do, since PACE's Rapporteur asked the Experts to enlarge their study in a PanEuropean comparison of all that is happening on "anti-terrorism" legislation in 47 CoE Member Countries, including Russia, Turkey and Azerbaidjan..
Bad lack : "The existing 28 days’ detention without charge in the UK is, in comparison with other CoE member countries, one of the most extreme : In Turkey, the period is 7,5 days, in France 6 days, in Russia 5 days, and in .. the U.S. and Canada just 2 and 1 days respectively", denounced Democrat MEP Ms WOLDSETH from Norway..
"Numerous respected human rights organisations, including Liberty and Human Rights Watch, have expressed serious concern" "The proposed legislation ...could easily lead to extensive abuses. ...Detention for 42 days means six weeks in which one is taken away from one’s family, friends, home and livelihood only to be let off without being charged. That will destroy lives and isolate communities", she added.
- "3 years ago, the UK Government sought to increase the period of pre-charge detention from 14 days to 90 days. Not long before that, it had been only 7 days. There was a vigorous debate ...and a ...compromise was reached of 28 days. We have to ask whether there are proper safeguards in place to extend the period to 42 days. I suggest that there are fatal flaws", reminded British Conservative Clappison.
- "What sort of society holds someone in detention for 42 days and does not have to tell the person who is in prison why they are there, or explain the suspicions that arose and led to their detention? What sort of society believes that that is the way to treat its citizens? That is an appalling injustice, ...A 42-day detention period will not make the UK safer. Instead, it will be the first step to giving in to terrorists; it is saying that we are prepared to sacrifice our democratic rights and the principles for which we have stood for centuries", criticized British Liberal Michael Hanckock
"Comments made ...by Norwegian delegates are unfortunate", replied British Socialist MEP Ms.Curtis-Thomas, accusing them to "besmirch the reputation of our police force, which is one of the Best in the World", as she said, believing that "there are significant safeguards ...to ensure that individuals are not subjected to unlawful detention"
PACE "has serious doubts whether ...the draft legislation are in conformity with the ...case-law of the European Court of Human Rights. A lack of ..safeguards may lead to arbitrariness, resulting in breaches of ... liberty and ...right to a fair trial". PACE "is particularly concerned that: ..the judge ..may not be in a position to examine whether there exist reasonable grounds for suspecting that the arrested person has committed an offence;"; that "... representation by a lawyer may be inappropriately restricted or delayed;" that "information on the grounds for suspicion of a person ...may be unduly withheld.. ;" that this "may give rise to arrests without the intention to charge;", and; in general, that "prolonged detention without proper information on the grounds for arrest may constitute inhuman treatment", says Klaus De Vries' Report, adopted with 29 votes against zero.
Records don't say if it took him 42 Days to draft his Report, but, at least, he knew why...