EU Parliament vote opens hope for new UK Government's EU policy while Cameron meets Sarkozy+Merkel

 

    A surprise Vote on the topical issue of EU's fight against the Global Economic Crisis, today (Thursday) Noon at EU Parliament, clearly indicated that the spirit and the changes that could bring in EU Politics the New UK Government coalition, headed by the winner of the May 2010 British Election, Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron, who succesfully brokered an agreement with the popular Liberal-Democrat's Chief Nick Clegg, new UK's vice PM, open more questions than answers for the moment,  as seen from the viewpoint of EU Parliament's 1st Plenary Session since the UK Election, facing CoE's headquarters, (a Churchil idea after 2nd World War), in Strasbourg, in the middle between Paris and Berlin, London and Rome, that the New British Government's Head will visit these same days to meet with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angie Merkel.

    In "a very important vote", as EU Parliament's President, Jerzy Buzek warned from the outset, a crystal-clear Majority of 342 MEPs against 270, out of 621 voting, strongly supported the stance of the ChristianDemocrat/EPP and Liberal Groups, expressed by EPP's President Joseph Daul from France, (speaking closely together with Liberals' President Guy Verhofstadt, former Prime Minister of Belgium, both out of, and in the Hemicycle, as they indicated to "EuroFora" just a few minutes before the event), that, contrary to some controversial positions taken by the Socialists, "Greens" and Leftist MEPs, led by Socialist Group's President Martin Schultz from Germany, the bigger number of MEPs desired to build a Solid Joint stance on EU's Strategy to overcome the Global Economic Crisis, rejecting dividing, controversial claims, in order to strongly support EU Heads of State and Government's final decisions due in Brussels' Summit on June.

Out of 733 MEPs in total, EU Parliament has 264 ChristianDemocrat/EPP MEPs, added to 85 Liberal MEPs and 54 Conservatives/Reformists (ECR). Compared with 184 Socialists, 54 "Greens" and 35 of the Left. The remaining being 31 Eurocritics of the EFD, and 26 various non-attached.

 I.e. it's only when they are United together, that the ChristianDemocrats/EPP, Liberals and Conservatives-Reformists/ECR (i.e. 3 Groups), hold, since July 2009 EU Elections, a comfortable Majority in EU Parlliament with 403 MEPs. 

And this, while Conservatives-Liberals' 2010 Coalition Government with Cameron and Clegg in the UK, fits well the current German ChristianDemocrat - FDP coalition Government with Merkel and Westerwelle since 9/2009, even French President Sarkozy's political opening towards a large part of Centrists since 2007-2010, and partly Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi's Governemental Majority in Italy, which brings "Freedom's People", Democratic a.o. parties together, offering also a strong National basis in the biggest EU Member States.

So that EPP Group's (the largest in EU Parliament, particularly after its Victory in the June 2009 EU Elections) President Daul's (from France) wish for new UK vice P.M. "Clegg to stimulate (new Brittish Prime Minister) Cameron's interest for European politics", looks timely.

 

Speaking to "EuroFora" immediately after the Vote, the Spokesman for the European Conservatives and Reformists, ECR, (dominated mainly by British Conservatives, added to some Polish MEPs), James Holtum, clearly confirmed that "the (ECR) Group voted today together with the EPP and the Liberals".This Strasbourg's event topically came just before Sarkozy is due to meet with Cameron Thursday Evening, in a 19.30 Diner at the Presidential Elysee Palace in Paris, who is also expected in Berlin, on Friday Noon at 13.30 for a meeting with Merkel, (both events being followed by successive Press points).

 

Earlier this week, Holtum, replying to another "EuroFora"'s question ( the weekly Press Briefing, organized by EU Parliament's Press Director Jaime Guillot - Duch), on "whether the new UK Conservatives - Liberals Coalition Government might have any Impact  in MEP's Groups and/or Policies inside EU Parliament", had appeared rather too careful :

- "Apart from what is in the Coalition Agreements forged by the two Parties, which should be available at their National Websites", "beyond that, as far as it concerns Brittish Conservatives, I can't see any changes on the Group, for the rest of the Legislature (2009-2014), at the European Parliament", Holtum had replied  to "EuroFora" then.  

     - "Not yet", he was, however, incited to add with Humour, after these words were whispered, as a teasing joke, by an EU Parliament's  Press Officer lady with a contagious smile...     

However, it's a fact that, exceptionally, the European Conservatives and Reformists' (ECR's) weekly Press Conference at EU Parliament, (initially scheduled for Wednesday), was later cancelled at the last minute.

    This stirred even more speculations as to whether Brittish Conservative MEPs were wisely waiting for the imminent Cameron - Sarkozy and Merkel Top meetings, tonight and tomorrow, before hazarding any far reaching statement, as the 3 main EU Countries' leaders had yet to clearly define a joint Horizon for Europe and its role in the World during the foreseeable Future.

    A main substantial Question is whether Young and brillant new UK Political Leaders as Cameron and Clegg will become able to be inspired by the Historic Conservatives-Liberals Coalition Government, in what was probably the latest Great Period for UK's role in Europe and the World, with the famous former Prime Ministers Lloyd George and Winston Churchil of the 1918-1922 period, who had succeeded both to build the "Welfare State" for the 1st time, and to invest in Innovative High-Technologies, in Civil and/or Defence Industry, as well as to win the 1st World War and design, in agreement with other European Countries, as France, etc., as well as USA, etc. a Europe's GeoPolitical Map for the next years in landmark Peace Agreements (Versailles Treaty of 1919, Sevres Treaty of 1920, etc).

Becoming so Popular that "if it wanted, it could stay in office for Decades", as people said then, before being suddenly forced to quit without any people's vote when some Commonwealth Countries from the American continent (Canada, etc) refused to back UK Governent's strong  stance vis a vis Turkey, during the International Dardanelles'Straights' Crisis : I.e. when Turkey was exceptionaly backed by USSR Chief Stalin's opportunist attempts to undermine Western powers by brokering a deal in Caucasus with Attaturk, which threw more Turkish troops against the Brittish, French, Italian and Greek soldiers in Asia Minor, shortly after the Armenian Genocide : A typical Stalinist move, which, by artificially stopping the dissolution of the former Ottoman Empire and its  transformation into Modern, Democratic Nation States, as it had already happened for the former Austrian-Hungarian and Brittish Empires, etc, on the contrary, provoked a persisting "Turkish Problem" to the West, as the recent Blockades of EU's institutions in 2005-2007 and even of NATO's smooth functioning also in 2009, clearly illustrate.

Such trends, if they persist and enlarge during the current Global Crisis, might even threat to provoke "a Dislocation of Europe", as fomer US Federal Reserve's chief, Paul Volker, recently warned, Valery Giscard d' Estaing denounced, calling, on the contrary, for a consciousness of common "Responsibiliy" to urgently face the Global Economic Crisis by developing EU's capacities, particularly in the Strategic today area of Excellence in Scientific Research, Technologic and Business' Innovation.

However, Brittish Conservatives' Leader David Cameron was among the first EU leading Politicians that French President Nicolas Sarkozy had already met, in addition to German Chancellor Angie Merkel, in order to reportedly discuss and agree at least on the Main Lines of a "Simplified" version for new EU Institutions, which became later-on the "Lisbon Treaty", recently entered into force since December 2009.

It's also a fact that it was former Brittish Conservative Prime Minister Edward Heath who had succeeded to bring the UK inside the EU, (and, by an asstonishing "coincidence", suddenly died when Labour former Government of Tony Blair was taking over the rotating EU Presidency, back on July 2005, (as "EuroFora"'s co-Founder, who was then present in London on 7/2005, and knew Heath since his former Ramsgate/Margate Sea ship sports at Kent's spectacular white cliffs' seacoasts, back in the early 1970ies, will never forget).

And British Conservative MEP, President of EU Parliament's Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection, Malcolm Harbour, speaking earlier this week to "EuroFora", stressed the potential importance for "Public Procurement policy in order to boost Innovative SMEs", developing productive links between Scientific Research of Excellence and Innovative Enterprises, as he said, in the company of a Cambridge University Professor at a Conference organized by EU Think tank "Atomium Culture", co-chaired by former French President and f. EU Convenion Head Giscard d'Estaing, in the presence of EU Parliament's President Jerzy Buzek, and EU Commissioner on Research and Technology Mrs Maire Goghegan-Quin.

Moreover, CoE's experienced Director of Social affairs, Regis Brillat, replying to an "EuroFora" question earlier this week, reminded that "the UK was the 1st Government to officially accept the PanEuropean Charter of Social Rights already since 1962", i.e. during the period of British Conservative former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan (1957 - 1963).

British Conservatives and Liberals also were closely United together at another recent struggle in Strasbourg against some former "Socialist"/Labour Governments' controversial Bills of Laws which notoriously threatened to dangerously restrict EU Citizens' Civil Liberties, (fex. in prolonged detentions of suspects without even a procedure and decision by a Judge, etc), which had been recently discussed in "Hot" Debates at the PanEuropean CoE's Assembly in Strasbourg (the 47 Member States' large Organization), as f.ex. the President of the EDG Group, Brittish Conservative MP David Wilshire, had earlier observed to "EuroFora", as well as British Liberal MP Michael Hanckock. (See a relevant "EuroFora"'s Publication at :http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/irish/uk42daysjailwithoutcharge.html ).

On Democracy issues, the leader of Brittish Conservatives MEPs, Timothy Kirkhope, vice President of the ECR Group, who has spoken with "EuroFora" from the start on the famous controversy of the alleged "Electoral Fraud" by which the latest Socialist - "Labour" Government stayed in office for 5 more Years with less than one percent (1% !) contested "advance" in the 2005 Elections, despite various denunciations also for Post-voting blunders, etc, -as well as his friend MP David Wilshire, EDG's Chairman at CoE's Assembly, who had lodged a Complaint in Strasbourg to investigate the 2005 case- should normally be more sensitive than others to check, both in the EU and elsewhere in the World, any gross violation of Democratic Electoral Principles...

As for the famous Lloyd George - Winston Churchil Historic "Strong" stance vis a vis Turkey (Comp. supra), it certainly isn't the Popular new London's Mayor, and long-time European Journalist, Boris Johnson, a descendant of a Family member which had been notoriously Killed by atrocious mob-aggressions in Turkey in the Past, who might deny it.

However, British Liberal MEP Sharon Bowles, Chairwoman of EU Parliament's Economic Committee, speaking also this week in Strasbourg to "EuroFora", carefuly smiled when we asked her if she feels that the new Conservatives - Lib-Dems' Coalition Government might be inspired by the Historic, victorious and very Popular George Lloyd - Winston Churchil 1918-1922 coalition Government : - "I wasn't even born then !", Bowles laughed, pointing however also at the 2nd Worl War Brittish Coalition Government, particularly when People have to face such a strong, exceptional Challenge as a War or a Global Economic Crisis, as today.