€uro wins Post-Global Crisis race? Merkel-Sarkozy-Monti Strasbourg summit: New integration dynamics?

*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- It's inside an Historic Building, with a Statute referring to Napoleon's era, hailed by German Beethoven, symbolically next to the European Science Foundation and Strasbourg's University Library, between Opera and Theater but also CoE Head's home, facing a superbe Republic square with Rivers and Gardens leading to a Palace hosting the most ancient International Organization in Europe : Rhine River Navigation's committee, that French President Nicolas Sarkozy is due to meet with German Chancellor Angie Merkel and Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, uniting together, for the 1st time, the 3 Biggest €uroZone Countries in Strasbourg, while rumours about Crisis seem progressively dissipated by manifold Recent Facts clearly indicating, on the contrary, that €uroZone, despite difficulties mainly due to Errors of a remote Past, has probably started to Win the Competition in the way out of the Global Crisis, while the 3 Leaders appear decided to resolutely boost a New Momentum in €uroZone's Integration :

The question is legitimate, particularly after the amusing but realistic joke exchanged, just a few days earlier in Stasbourg, between the President of the Biggest Group of MEPs in EU Parliament, that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP Joseph Daul, and the experienced Chairman of €uroGroup's Ministers of Finance, Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Juncker :

- "Despite the Crisis, 1 €uro continues to be exchanged against 1,35 U.S. dollars $, isn't it so ?", wondered Daul.

- "Today, 1 €uro has "fallen" down to ..1,34 US dollars $ !", observed smiling Juncker, obviously pointing at an imperceptible, tiny difference, concerning a European Currency which had notoriously started with a 1 €uro = 1 US dollar $ initialy equivalent Market value, but soon won a growing, rock-solid difference with much more value than the American currency...

- "Oh, that's bad, (i.e. the 1 cent "fall", compared to the 34 cents gain, still there : See supra), but we can certainly afford it !", replied Daul, with an even larger smile, making several MEPs laugh in EU Parliament's Plenary, during a crucial, usually crispy debate on the Financial Crisis...
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    But, it's not only a "joke", (even if it's clearly supported by Market value Facts : See supra). Recently, were added several Other Economic Facts which also seem to indicate that €uroZone's Franco-German motor, together with some of its partners, sometiems even Italy, succeed to mark more and more Better Results compared to that of Non-€uro Countries, such as the UK and mainly USA :

- F. ex., in a comparative Graphic containing the main Economic Indicators, published earlier this week by "Figaro"; it becomes crystal-clear that France and Germany are due to have on 2011 a Greater Growth than the UK and USA, with +1,7% and +2,7% against +1,1% and +1,5%, respectively.

At the same time, Inflation, Deficits and Debt are Lower in the main €uroCountries France and Germany, (sometimes even in Italy), than in the UK and USA, for the year 2011 : Thus, Inflation is only 2,1% and 2,2% in France and Germany, as well as 2,6% in Italy, against 3% in the USA and 4,5% in the UK ! Public Deficit is -2,1%, -3,9% and -5,6% in Germany, Italy and France, against more than... -8,7% and even -10,1% in the UK and the USA ! Public Debt is "only" 82,6% and 86,9% of GDP in Germany and France, against more than ... +100% in the USA ! (Only here, the UK is a little better, with 80,8%, and Italy worse; woth 121,1%). But, concerning Private Debt, €uroarea clearly has Strong Reserves : "Only" 60% and 61% in Germany and France, compared with more than ... 92% in the USA and even 101% in the UK, while Italy is here the Best, with just ...50% !....

Even on Unemployment, €uroarea is comparatively better with 6% in Germany and 8,2% in Italy, comparted with 9,1% in the USA, (close to France : 9,5%, even, if, exceptionally, the UK seems better off with 7,8%).
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    Thus, it becomes, recenty, more and more true, that Europe not only has "the Biggest Economic Market in the World", as Eu Commission's President Barroso usually reiterates, but, progressively, also becomes "the 1st Economic Power in the World", as French President Sarkozy has just stressed, speaking in front of many Hundreds of Chinese, Indian and Japan, etc. Financial sector's leaders, exceptionally meeting in Paris, at the beginning of a 3 Days long, landmark EU - Asia International Gathering in Paris.

    - Because, among many other Positive Comparisons, (See f.ex. supra), f.ex.,  "the average Public Deficit of €uroZone is "only 4,1%, compared to ...9,4% for the UK and 102% for the USA :  i.e. €urozone is Less indebted than the UK and USA, whose Debts are, comparatively, "more than the DOUBLE !!".., French President Sarkozy anounced for 2011 to his smiling Asian visitors...
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    + Such recent Figures are added to the ambiant impression that, Now, the Franco-German couple Sarkozy - Merkel, probably to be soon joined also by Italy with Monti, will resolutely lead €uroZone towards more and more decisive Economic (and perhaps also soon Political, etc.) Integration, by considerably strengthening the Economic Governance inside €uroarea, so as to complete the Monetary Union also by an Economic Union :

    - Initially decided, as Strategy, by the Franco-German motor at nearby Freiburg, last December 2010, (See "EuroFora"s NewsReport from the spot), €uroarea's Economic Integration was afterwards given even a Top Political body : That of regular Summits of Heads of State/Government, following the acceptance by all the 17 Member Countries; of the proposal made by Sarkozy and Merkel since the middle of August 2011, (See "EuroFora"s NewsReeport from Paris, then), and is due to advance  further with or even before some Treaty changes (See Daul's recent statements in EU Parliament, at "EuroFora"s earlier NewsReport this week), from the beginning of 2012.

    Daul hailed the German governing CDU's party's recent Strategic decision to resolutely advance towards an Integrated €urozone, as it is proposed by Merkel, (See ibid), while Sarkozy symbolically hailed, in an open Letter, new Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti's contribution to EU's economic "integration and growth" :

    Indeed, "EuroFora"s founder has already worked with Monti, selectively but seriously, not only since he was a long-time, twice EU Commissioner, back in the 1990ies, but also more recently, when he prepared a landmark Report, asked by EU Commission President Barroso, on the deepening and developing EU's Market potential, in the framework of which, Mario Monti had given us some key Statements in reply to "EuroFora"s Questions in EU Parliament in Strasbourg on 2009, (See relevant NewsReport), while he was already focusing particularly on the main idea of the creation of a "New Momentum in Europe's (Economic) Integration".

    + However, the choice of Strasbourg, host not only to EU Parliament, Shengen System, European Court of Human Rights and EU Ombudsman/Citizens' defensor, ARTE European RadioTV, etc. close to ECBank at nearby Frankfurt, but also of EuroCorps' Military HQ, might also prepare, sooner or later, even another possible dimension : That of making, in parallel, some decisive steps towards the constructio of a European Defence, f.ex. by adding to the essentially Franco-German EuroCorps (already accompanied by Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg, etc), also Italy's contribution, particularly after the latest Franco-Italian Summit's strategic decisions, back on April 2010 in Paris (See "EuroFora's NewsReport from Elysée Palace on that event), which had already anounced a¨Political will to "bring together our Defence Industries", and advance towards "a common Defence and Security policy", and "in the Future, a real European Defence".

    Something which obviously includes also interesting  HighTech. investments able to help boost €urozone's Economy, f.ex. in remote sensing, Space, Telecoms and other applications, where Italy's currently Good  potential in Private Sector Economies, (Comp. supra, on Private Debt being for Italy less and better than elsewhere), could give Rome an opportunity to follow Paris' example concerning its 36 Billions € "Great Loan" to fund Research and Innovation, (as anounced by Sarkozy in Strasbourg, on 12/2009, and reminded by himself this week during the EU - Asia Paris gathering ; See supra), joining Germany's "Excellence/Innovation" Strategy spearheaded by Merkel...

    Monti's Italy, (wished even by former, long-time Prime Minister Berlusconi, who agreed for his nomination), could, thus, ideally complete the Franco-German couple's crystal-clear political will to strengthen a European way out of the USA-born Global Crisis, by focusing Investment on Scientific Research and Technological Innovation, inorder to boost  €uroZone's Productivity and Competitiveness...   

    At any case, it's certainly not by chance that both Sarkozy's letter to Monti, and Merkel's Spokesman Seibert's statements on Monti and the forthcoming TriNational Summit in Strasbourg, stress the new Italian Prime Minister's symbolic and intellectual contribution to Europe's "Stability and Growth".

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+ Samaras' Letter on Cannes' formula to open better Hope for Greece ?
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Last but not least, contrary to some obviously misleading presentations published by "Socialist" and similar Media job holders, concerning Greece, the Leader of the main Opposition Party to "PASOK"s "Socialist" Majority, "New Democracy" (ChristianDemovrats/EPP), former Foreign Minister and MEP Antonis Samaras, dismissed false reports according to which his party might be opposed to efforts needed in order to overcome the specific problems provoked to the EU Member Country by the accumulated Debt of 30 years of clientelist/nepotist policies, which have notoriously flled the State-controlled sector with an excess of counter-productive cashy job holders, and/or abusive political lackeys particularly since the former "Socialist" Governments of the 1980ies :

- On the contrary, Samaras, in an open Letter addressed today to EU and €urozone institutions, confirms that "New Democracy" party "is commited to support" the "task" of the current, care-taker interim Government "to materialize the decisions taken at the European Council of October 26th 2011 and to implement the economic policies linked to those decisions”.

Indeed, "New Democracy (party)  is strongly committed to the success of fiscal consolidation and structural reforms, rebuilding market confidence and fostering economic growth", Samaras letter stresses.

+ Moreover, it "fully supports the targets of fiscal adjustment, regarding all issues on eliminating the deficit and reversing the debt dynamics", as well as " “tools” already implemented" by the former "Socialist/PASOK" Government, particularly in areas where it accuses PASOK to have missed the target by acting "poorly" :

- In other words, in addition to "tax evasion", ND is ready to do more "namely" on "Public Expenditure Cutting, .. Structural Reforms, Privatization programs and capitalizing on idle, real state Public Property", etc., i.e. mainly on the Crucial issue of the disproportionate Salaries' Mass paid since the 1980s to an excessive number of counter-productive cushy job holers and/or abusive political lackeys appointed to State-controlled jobs by former "PASOK" Governments since the 1980ies.

On the contary, "ND believes that Greece can get out of the crisis and safeguard its Social Cohesion", (i.e. without excessively hitting against Poor People's economies), while also reorientating the production towards Growth, as it ambitiously declares :

-" On the evidence of the budget execution so far, ....certain policies have to be Modified, so as to guarantee the Program’s Success. This is more so, since according to the latest European Economic forecasts, Greece in 2012 will be the only European country with 5 consecutive Years in Recession ! ", the open Letter denounces, on the failed plans previously negotiated by G. Papandreou's PASOK alone.

=> Therefore, ND "intend to bring these issues to discussion", mainly by "giv(ing) great emphasis to allowing for prompt Recovery, so that public Revenues generated will help us achieve the targets set."

>>> This can be achieved "with viable (Economic) policy Alternatives, strictly withIN the (mainly Financial) Framework outlined by the Program" decided by the EU on October 26, Samaras' letter claims.

* In other words, "ND" apparently adopted the "Cannes' Formula" that "EuroFora" had previously evoked, at the eve of the "G-20" Summit with a Press Spokesman of French President Sarkozy, and later apparently endorsed by himself and German Chancellor Merkel, (Comp. relevant "EuroFora's NewsReports, published at Cannes' G20 Summit and afterwards).

To put it in a nutshell, this means keep the overall Numbers, Time Deadlines, etc. concerning the Financial aspects of the Debt, agreed by the EU Brussels' Summit on October, but modify PASOK's failed Economic Policy with a New one, able to avoid destroying Production and/or usurpating Poor People's meager economies only in order to continue paying that notoriously excessive number of counter-productive cushy-job holders and/or abusive political lackeys scandalously appointed by mainly PASOK Governments since the 1980s.

In other words, Samaras claims that Greece could both find enough Money to pay out on time, as agreed with the EU, the Debt provoked by Papandreou's PASOK, and prevent Recession and Popular Revolts, by stimulating Growth and doing more Radical Structural Reforms in the Public Sector, both against the abusive PASOK's clients/lackeys, including also more Privatisations, while preserving an elementary "social cohesion". If it's really honest and achievable, isn't this also Good News ?

Recent Facts revealed by French and other EU Media, proved, indeed, that the main problem which both causes, and keeps that Huge Debt in Greece, are the Expenditure wasted since the 1980s in order to keep paying mainly PASOK's clients/lackeys abusively appointed in excessive, counter-productive Public Sector jobs.

Given that such phenomena inevitably add also various abuses, Scandals and/or Corruption, against which Greek People's Revolt has started to become obvious, €uroZone seems to have a Fair Chance to Join  Morality and Fight against Corruption and Crimes, with Economic and Financial Efficiency...

But an inevitable question is raised :Why should the Greek People support ... 49 (almost 50 !) Ministers in the current, still "Socialist"-dominatedGovernment, when Monti's Italy can be governed (in his view) with only .. 12 Ministers ? 

OK, the Greeks added a former ECB's vice-President, Papademos, to 3 former EU Commissioners inside, (Demas, Diamantopoulou + Papoutsis). But that doesn't make exactly... 49, does it ?

Should EU have to wait as long as until the promissed February 19, 2012 Elections in order to really start seing a serious, positive and urgently needed change able to rectify errors of the Past and open an Horizon for a New Future ?

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(NDLR : "DraftNews", as already sent earlier to "EuroFora"s Subscribers/Donors. A complete, more accurate and/or updated Final Version may be published asap).

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