MEP to EuroFora: Merkel joins Media, Politics, Church, Science + People to modern Germany's EU offer

He spoke on the sidelines of the Berlin Summit with more than 20 Heads of State/Government, including French President Sarkozy, Russian President Medvedev, USA's Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, etc., for the "Freedom Feast" organized 20 Years after the fall of the "Cold War"s Division Wall, which opened the way for Germany's and Europe's reUnification (1989 - 2009).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
    So, "I think that we are going (fex.) to see a Foreign Policy that is very much involved in matters that are on the table, as, absolutely, yes, Freedom" and Human Rights, he agreed with "EuroFora". - "The question is..: - "Do we have a kind of Foreign Policy that enables other People to be as Free as we are now ?"
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    Merkel's personality came naturally at the focus of the European geopolitical scene, particularly since she succeeded to win both 2009 Elections at EU Parliament and at the Bundestag, becoming for the 1st time the unquestionable Head of a coalition between Christian and Liberal MPs strongly led by her party CDU/SCU, with "a new government" and a "new program" for the next 5 years period 2009-2014, largely free to apply her own political choices. Contrary to the past 4 years (2005-2009) during which she had to handle a delicate balance in a mutually sterilizing 50 - 50% cohabitation with the Socialdemocrat party, now fallen in an abysmal electoral low.

     5 successive Berlin events, in which German Chancellor Angie Merkel chose to take an active part before, during and after the Heads of State/Government Summit, throughout Sunday 8, Monday 9 and Tueday 10 of November, with their various, original but converging main contents, indicated that Haibach was probably right :

    Each one of these events highlighted, one after another, several characteristics embodied by historic events in Merkel's personal background, closely interwoven with Germany's and Europe's History, present and Future Challenges : Resumed in a few words, it's Press, Politics, Religion, Science and People

    Merkel kicked-off the series of events around Berlin's Summit since Sunday eveneing by responding to a "private" invitation at a gathering organized by Civil Society organizations at the other side of Berlin, in Villa Schoeningen, facing the Glienicke Bridge, which was the Western "Charlie point" during Germany's Cold War division. "EuroFora" remembers that it's close to this area, at the nearby Historic Glienicke Castle, that Merkel had welcomed the 1st Franco-German Summit shortly after she initially became Chancellor, on December 2005.

    Bought in 2007 by Media Publisher Axel Springer's CEO, in charge of Newspaper "Die Welt", Mathias Döpfner, and a Banker, Villa Shoeningen inaugurated on November 8, 2009, a "Freedom Museum", reminding how Germany overcame both the anti-Jewish "progrom" and the Cold War Division, as he observed, amidst several Media People :  Merkel herself, a former Press-Spokeswoman of former Chancellor Kohl, Polish Foreign Minister Sikorsky and Mathias Döpfner himself, both former Journalists, Telekom-Chief René Obermann, TV-Moderators Maybrit Illner and Günther Jauch , Mrs Friede Springer, Magazine BILD-Chief Editor Kai Diekmann, Song-writer Wolf Biermann, etc.

    - The Art of speaking about real History "needs Fredom", stressed Merkel, and, "as Greek Statesman Perikles said : "The secret of Freedom is in the Courage". That fits well what we are speaking about today, i.e. Citizens' courage to revolt against dictatorships and speek free, as "guaranteed by Democracy". But the courage to fight for Freedom is  also needed today, in what we do in politics, in order to act to ensure that human dignity is not humiliated at our neighborhood, or to jointly act in the European Union all together, beyond narrow nationalistic interests.

       Shortly afterwards, that same Sunday evening, Merkel joined the Political quarter, at down-town Berlin, with EU Parliament's President Jerzy Buzek, Bundestag's President Dr. Norbert Lammert, the head of Germany's delegation to EU Parliament, Hans Gert Poettering, Ministers Jung and Westerwelle, etc., as well as many Ambassadors from European and allied countries, from Belgium or Greece up to Canada, etc., as well as Politicians, MPs and European Journalists, at a Music Concert organized by the German Parliament for the 20th Anniversary of Berlin Wall's fall in  the huge transparent modern building of Paul Löbe House, at the riverside.

    Bethoven's "Heroic" symphony, played by the Central Germany's Radio Orchestra, was dedicated by Bundestag's President, Dr. Lammert, to today's Civic rights Movements and Human Rights Defenders.

    In particular, "Shoot to kill" policy, murdering simple, innocent People just because they attempted to cross or simply walk along a Dividing Line cutting through a Capital City and separating its inhabitants in 2 parts, was strongly denounced now in Berlin, as it was last week in Strasbourg by ECHR on Cyprus' cases : (See previous "EuroFora" publication on ECHR's judgements)

    - "It is with profound Respect that we welcome tonight among us the Mother of the last man shot and killed at Berlin's dividing Wall", announced the President of Germany's Parliament, Norbert Lammert.

    He reminded that the last tragic killing at Berlin's Wall took place  "on February 1989", while ECHR noted that deadly shootings at Cyprus' "Attila Line" took place "in 1996".

    The move came just a week after ECHR strongly condemned Turkey for the persisting (until today : 2009) total Impunity of Turkish Soldiers,who killed unarmed youngster Stelios Panayi, aged only 19, while  walking in broad daylight towards his Turkish Cypriot compatriots calling them "Brothers", and gravely wounded peaceful old Woman Georgia Andreou, aged 60, while she was simply watching the bloody killing of unarmed demonstrator Solomos Solomou at the "Green Line". Andreou, after suffering for years from physical and moral traumas, died before ECHR's judgement.

"    As Bundestag's President stressed from the outset, at a meeting with EU Parliament's President, Buzek, speaking in front of Journalists present in Berlin including "EuroFora" :  -- "Now, we have to look at other, remaining walls" in Europe and elsewhere in the World.

    Symbolically, the European Political gathering at the Bundestag took place in front of a Giant Painting, by Karl Götz, called "Junction", and inspired by the "Emotion" and "Dynamism" of the Wall's fall, which opened the way for Berlin's Citizens to be reunited together.

    But new German Foreign Minister, Guido Westerwelle, was not yet sure, and simply smiled, without refusing "EuroFora"s suggestion to participate to CoE's Ministerial Session, next week in Strasbourg, during which Slovenia will pass the Presidency of the PanEuropean Organization of Human Rights, to Switzerland.   

    Monday morning, the day of Berlin's Summit : 9 November 2009 started for a brightly smiling Merkel, together with Germany's President Horst Köehler, at an Ecumenic Christian Religious ceremony at the Historic Gethsemane Church, which had played an important role for Germany's reUnification, as meeting point for demonstrations, forum and/or refuge of Political Dissidents, who had launched calls for "Democracy" and "to bring down the Wall".

    Uniting together Christian Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, Evangelic and Anglican priests, in a 2 level building full of People, the Ecumenic Religious Ceremony played Bach, Mendelsohn and Muschel, sang religious songs, and heard a few symbolic words by each confession's representative, before concluding with a speech read by ArchiBishop Robert Zollitsch, President of the German Conference of Bishops, all placed under the moto  : - "With my God, I climb over Walls", (Ps 18,30).

    ArchiBishop Zollitsch reminded that the "Peaceful Revolution" of 1989, using the "Strength and Energy of Mass Demonstrations", helped bring a "bloodless" reUnification of Germany, based on late Pope John-Paul II's moto "for a Change through Truth", as he said. Even if "Freedom is a God's gift", "reUnification has many Fathers and Mothers : They are simple People who never stood before at the Limelights of a Public space", he observed.

    - "The gifts of Freedom and reUnification given to German People, must stimulate among us a Solidarity with People and Nations who have still to live without Freedom.  The Wall's fall, enlarging Germany, awakened in us a task vis a vis others : To contribute for a Europe which really serves the mutual understanding between Peoples and States", added ArchiBishop Zollitsch, speaking in front of Kohler and Merkel. He concluded by warning that there is a "topical" need to overcome also other, "potential Walls, which exist everywhere, even today", since "Unity is not an one-way road", but needs People able and willing to "build more Bridges".

    Swift change of ambiance with "Einstein Foundation"'s conference on "Future Breakthroughs in Science and Society", nick-named "Falling-Walls", which raised the question "Which are the Next Walls to Fall ?".

    Spreading from "Infant Development", "Man and Machine", "Human Mind", "unequaly distributed Diseases" and "expensive Vaccines", to "the secrets of our Origins", "Fossil Age", "Ancient Greece", and "Timing of our History",  up to "the hidden Universe", "Quantum Weirdness", "limited Resources", "Energy and Pollution", and "Fusion", as well as into "breaking the wall of Poverty", "Finance", and "2 Cultures", without forgetting "Research Funding", a Franco-German cooperation had prepared a large European menu.

    Merkel's speech to Einstein foundation's Berlin Conference was included in the Chapter : "Walls around our Lives", and titled : "Breaking the Walls of the 21st Century" :

    - "My Life was changed decisively by the strong impact of the Fall of (Belin's) Wall, November 9 (1989), in East Berlin", she stressed from the outset.  - "I was at Bornholmer street, a Scientist in Physics, at the Academy of Sciences' Institute for Physical Chemistry. But I didn't go back there that Night. On the contrary, I prolonged by first stay to West Berlin until next Morning.

    - However, "Science and  Development have as always a very high value in my Political work", the German Chancellor added, just 1 Day before presenting at the Bundestag the New Government's Program, which focuses on "Education, Research and Innovation".

    - "The 9th of November 1989 is a symbolically significant day in German History", "the fulfillment of a dream", to which "many co-operated" : It "would not have been possible without the courage of People living in the former GDR", even if "they had decided (that) the system had to be changed from within".

    It was preceded by events in Poland, also on June 1989, after Czechoslovakia paved the way since 1968, up to Romania, at the end. .. If Heads of State/Government from almost all EU Member Countries will be here, in Berlin, tonight, this shows that what we experiencedf at first at Bornholmer street and afterwards at the Brandenbourg gate, was "a European event", stressed Merkel.

Because "it was also the Breakdown of a bi-polar World, where Democracy and Market Economy won over oppression and Planified Economy", she said, adding interesting observations on the role of Science in Politial developments of the 1980ies :

    - "Science had a larger share on events, than before. People had more courage. Back in the 1950ies, 1960ies, and later-on, several uprisings had been crushed. But now, prosperity was due much more to Scientific Innovations than in the Past. Data processing, and International Networks, allowed fast and multiple exchanges of Informations, more difficult to spy than simply open and look at every written Letter.. Connect to Innovations became essential, making harder for the Eastern bloc to be competitive. And the system could no more say to that People : "Please think between 7.30 until 17.30 o'clock. But stop thinking afterwards !", she observed.
   
    So, there were 2 differend groups of People who played a role : A) Those who were good Scientists, and B) those who were able to think very well. For them, Freedom of Thought matched Economic Performance.

    Thus, we got Democracy in Central-Eastern Europe, united with the West, before Rome EU Treaty's 50th Anniversary, creating a Community of 27 Member States, where everyone is equally important, and therefore one must convince also everyone.

    - "But the World has 6,5 Billions inhabitants. At the beginning of the 20th century, 1 out of 4 persons lived in Europe, But at the end of the 21st century, only 1 out of 13 persons will be a European. As for Germans, it's better not to speak at all..

    - "That's why, if we want to prevail, as Europeans, we must produce interesting Ideas, and cooperate well to develop them, at least as a Group of 500 Million persons, both on Science and Politics. Nobody can achieve much today by playing "solo"", Merkel stressed.

    But we have also to contribute for the Problems of his World to be better solved, she added. -"We witnessed that what was thought to be impossible, became possible. This gives us energy to say : Let's try. Be it for the Middle East Peace process, or the fight against Terrorism, .. in other also areas of the World. But we must adopt an entirely New approach. Because, f.ex., after the Cold War, in front of the so-called "asymmetrical threats", as "Terrorism", etc., the simple principle of Deterrence doesn't work.

    And in order to live together in Europe in Friendship, we need Tolerance, which lacked in the Past, and still is sometime difficult to achieve, but necessary inside the EU. That requires to understand the feelings, historic experiences and culture of others, in order to find joint perspectives into the Future".

    F.ex. "I understand Czech President Klaus' demand for an opt-out in Lisbon Treaty, similar to what Poland and the UK have got. But when Cyprus' President Christofias tells us that he has there some problems with the issue of (Refugees') Properties" in the Turkish-occupied part of Cyprus," then, we realize immediately that we don't know well the facts on what are the (Refugees') Properties issues" there, "and how to qualify the Turkish interventions", she questioned.

    From Cyprus' example, as also from Africa's, Merkel concluded that "if you want to solve today a problem and tear down a wall, you have to study intensively also other parts of the World", because often, "it's part of larger walls, that we have to overcome in the Global World". For that purpose, "we have to examine the issues in depth, in order to be able to perform a contribution in Peace processes", and "we must know more about the World".

    In fact, living peacefully together is possible only with a Multi-Polar and Multi-level Global Order :  - "We don't like all what is said in Brussels. But we have transfered voluntarily many competences to the EU : F.ex. There is no more German policy on Agriculture, and a uniform EU Environment policy develops in several areas, while we augment the so-called "Community"  areas.

    However, our American friends react more heavily at the IMF or UNO. The US has a "VETO" in the UNO, but bend a Majority's decisions is not practical. In the EU we did that on Foreign and Tax Policies. But in many other areas, we have to live sometimes with others' decisions.

    An "exciting" question today, is if States are ready to tranfert competences to Multi-lateral Organisations, as f.ex. to the World Trade Organization, etc. But, currently, there are only a few examples of that, while, soon, at Copenhagen, we shal strive to "do jointly something against Climate change". Such problems "can be solved only by acting jointly, at a Global level". It's necessary for the EU and the US to cooperate, but not enough in such cases. F.ex. if Russia doesn't joint. And we need also China, India Brazil, etc.

    - "We should take Globalization as a chance, and courageously start to tackle the multitude of conflicts standing in front of us". "This requires new forms of thinking", and could keep us busy during the next years", Merkel anounced.

  

    - "We are the People", was the key-word for Merkel at the Bornholme street Bridge event, where she had witnessed Berlin's wall starting to fall, to "see what changed, a "November afternoon, 20 Years later".
   
    Every witness has to give his testimony on how he contributed to the road towards freedom, she added, complaining that "so many photographers and photographic machines, sometimes don''t let us see at all the People, that we'd like to see"...                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

    - "I'ts a special joy to welcome here Lech Walesa, because he came out of the Working Class, and took suddenly Poland in his hands, together with many Intellectuals", she said.

    Popular Song-writer Wolf Bierman, was another adequate reference, there, reminding "those who, on the contrary, couldn't leave" East Germany and were obliged to "remain under the most adverse conditions".

    She also thanked former Russian President Michail Gorbatschow, for "helping to make change possible".

    - "Meanwhile, children who were just born then, have now finished school, ..and become a new generation, imbedded into the EU.

    "Today, it's not only a holiday not only for Germany, but for all Europe, and all People who desire more Freedom in many parts of the World", Merkel concluded.

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Only one question mark
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    However, any objective observer cannot miss to note the paradox, that, meanwhile, when Merkel kicked-off the series of events around Berlin's Summit by responding to a "private" invitation near Potsdam, European Media representatives were absent in that event, except from a Tabloid-owner from the UK, and ..a Turkish Nationalist Media owner !

    Indeed, it was, curiously, only a Turkish Media owner who was invited there, while nobody from 25 European Union Member Countries' Media leaders wasn't cited in the list of "Guests" !  Nobody from France, Italy, Spain, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, Greece, Austria, Portugal, Sweden,  Finland, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Esthonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovenia, Malta, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania. Not even European Economic Space's Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Iceland or Norway, nor the front-runner EU candidate : Croatia, or other Western Balkan Countries, etc. Neither from big neighbouring States as Ukraine, Russia, etc..

The only Foreign Media Publisher invited as "guest" (except from a UK Tabloid-owner), was someone from Turkey, who inherited the controversial business of a Nationalist Turkish Media mogul : Mrs Yalcindag, the daughter of Dogan, (who notoriously quarrels with Prime Minister Erdogan against shy steps towards Democratisation and tax-evasion), also Chief of Turkey's businessmen Tusiad (since 2007, the year Villa Schoeningen was sold).

Together with this exceptionaly privileged Turkish Media owner was his USA collaborator in the funding of "CNN-Turk" back in 2000, Jeffrey Bewkes of Time Warner :  The company recently headquarted at NY's Colombus circus' new Twin Towers, built by a Turkish architect, (which had already been prepared to succeed, as new office space in Manhattan, to NY's World Trade Center old Twin-Towers, before they were destroyed at the September 11, 2001 brutal deadly attacks).

Honestly : Is it possible to dream to build a European Media landscape by excluding practically all Media representatives from 26 EU Member Countries and imposing only Turkey ?

Moreover, this exclusive privilege, was given only to a Turkish Media which has a deal with a ... competitor to Axel Springer Media, (the owner of Villa Shoeningen since 2007), Burda : The editor of "Focus", which competes against "Bild" and "Welt" of Springer Group, that Friede Springer, (the wife of its founder, Axel Springer, and a supporter of Mathias Dopfner as CEO), has notoriously struggled to make completely independent from Burda.

Fortunately, Merkel didn't stay there more than "45 minutes", according to well informed sources, and came to join Bundestag's and EU Parliament's poliical guests, including Journalists as "EuroFora", at Paul Löbe House, for a change of scenery with Bethoven's "Heroic" symphony..