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".
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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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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.
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".
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EU "Solidarity" ?
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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.
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.