Minister to EuroFora: EU Financial Perspectives not yet at Franco-German 50th Anniversary 1st Summit

*Asperg (Ludwigsburg area, Germany)/Angelo Marcopolo/- At a last-minute decision to hold a Press Conference after an exceptional Franco-German Summit scheduled this Saturday to mark the start of a series of events prepared to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Franco-German EU motor, Chancellor Merkel and President Hollande, almost confirmed, a contrario, the more vivid than ever, ambiant impression today, that, while dealing in priority with various Urgent matters, €uroArea's biggest countries will soon have to seriously start discussing and deciding on an overall Strategy, with crucial choices on Values able to attract EU Citizens' support, for Europe's Future in a Globalized World, as the topical reminder of  De Gaulle's Historic 1962 speech to Thousands of Young People at the nearby Ludwigsburg Castle, when he was just launching, together with Adenauer, the Franco-German reconciliation for a strong Europe with a specific role in the World, made obvious at a public ceremony earlier today, (See relevant "EuroFora"s NewsReport).              

-  Already, speaking to "EuroFora" in Asperg, just before the Hollande - Merkel Press Conference starts, experienced French Minister of Economy, former EU affairs Minister and f. EU Parliament's vice-President, Jean-Pierre Moscovici, revealed that it's not certain, at least at this moment, whether EU leaders would reach an overall agreement on the most far-reaching, Strategic and concrete decision that they notoriously have to take, if possible before the end of 2012 (Comp. earlier "EuroFora"s NewsReports on that issue), i.e. that of EU's Pluri-Annual Framework for the 2014-2020 Financial Perspectives, which is objectively interlinked, in fact, with many Political  Choices, and requires to shape a comprehensive Vision about Europe's Future :

- "I really don't know", if a deal will be brokered before the end of 2012 on EU's Financial Perspectives, honestly replied Moscovici in a relevant "EuroFora"s Question, while also clearly indicating earlier that today's Franco-German Summit would be rather focused on more Urgent, particular issues, such as how to organize "the Banking Union" EU project, developments on efforts to definitively solve the problem of the Debt provoked in Greece (from where the EU/IMF/ECB "Troika" just departed, awaiting crucial final decisions), the EADS - BEA Air-Space conglomerates' project to unite the Continental and Brittish High-Tech Industries in order to create a New Giant  in front of Global Competition, possible developments on Spain, etc. (comp. also infra).

However, even if such currently "pending" issues have been mainly scheduled for Decisions on October 2012, while EU will hold a special November 2012 Summit in Brussels essentially focused on the 2014-2020 Financial Perspectives, it's obviously true that, particularly today, when an important advance towards a closer Political Union in Europe is notoriously needed, in fact, no notable Decision on any important particular issue could really be taken without at least an elementary overall Vision on Europe's Future, as De Gaulle's Historic 1962 Speech reminded earlier today when it was projected at Ludwigsburg's Castle, together with Merkel and Hollande's speeches which opened this crucial 50th Anniversary of EU's Franco-German motor, (See "EuroFora"s specific NewsReport from the spot).

- This was made even more clear, indirectly but surely, f.ex. also when Chancellor Merkel started this afternoon's Press Conference by stressing from the outset that "despite all Difficulties, the Memory of French President Charles de Gaulle, and of what happened in Ludwigsburg, attest that our young People will continue to guarantee that Franco-German relations, as well as relations between all Europeans, will develop well".

+ In addition, "we dealt with what has to be solved now, discussing various currently important Current Affairs", the German Chancellor went on to say, citting, f.ex., EADS-BEA fusion projects, the preparation of October 2012 EU Brussels' Summit, developments in Spain, etc., before replying to a few Questions, together with Hollande, on some more issues.
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 - "We have to recall our History, in order to realize where we come from", (in particular by "evoking -De Gaulle/Adenauer's- Audacious acts.. which made possible for the Franco-German Friendship to generate the European Union of today", before starting to fulfill our "Duty to Act, both for the Present, and in order to prepare the Future", added Hollande.

+ As for the "Short Term", "we have to deal with the issue of Greece -where Troika's work goes on- and of Spain, whose call to support its Banks received a positive reply for 100 Billions €", to check well all the "Conditions" for the EADS-BEA fusion project, while we must also "translate the Banking Union in the facts and give it a meaning", as well as "Strenghen our Governance" and "deepen our Economic and Monetary Union", thanks to a plan for the end of 2012, noted the French President.
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    In particular, the Franco-German political will to Deepen further  €uroArea Summits' Governance, (as it was initiated by the August 16, 2011 Sarkozy-Merkel Summit at Elysee Palace in Paris, as well as EU Brussels' Summits from December 2011 up to January and March 2012 : See "EuroFora"s NewsReports from two of these three landmark events) was confirmed both by Merkel and Hollande, shortly after nearby Karlsuhe's German Constitutional Court unblocked definitively the New €uroArea Treaty earlier this Month :

    - "We need Stronger Cooperation in €uroGroup on Economy', and, "therefore, we (Heads of State/Governments) shall Meet more often in order to develop further our Economic Community of all €uroCountries, and examine how we make Growth, the Measures that we must take, the main Indicators, the Causes of Economic Differences, etc., so that we can work closely together to boost and rapproach Competitiveness throughout €uroArea, in a way that helps Growth and Jobs", anounced Merkel.

    + Indeed, "France and Germany must take Initiatives in order to Coordinate our Policies, ameliorate further our Decision-making, .. and become able to Act, whenever needed, with Regularity", so that we can bring back Trust, acquire Good Decision-Making Mechanisms, settle outstanding issues (and in particular "Competitiveness and Growth"), and give to the EU a Perspective", added on this Strategic point Hollande.

    - Our aim should be to solve the outstanding, current affairs until the End of 2012, so that we can start on 2013 "another Agenda", focused on "Strengthening our Union", he highlighted.
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    Questioned on "Compromises" and on the Timing for the "Banking Union" aim, (perhaps the most Innovaive result of June 2012 Summit, its other aspects having, more or less, already been prepared or at least initiated by earlier EU Summits), it's true that Hollande and Merkel appeared to have a little bit different view on the Timetable's priorities  :

    - The German Chancellor, leaving concrete "Details" for the "Finance Ministers", prefered to focus on the "importance" it has to "study thoroughly" the matter and to "ensure" the Good "Quality" of "the Supervision of the Banks", in order to "win back Markets' Trust", instead of "doing too quickly something which might not work so well afterwards", as she warned. Therefore,she concluded that *this work must be done as soon as Possible".

    - The French President agreed that the "Banking Union" must be done "Gradually", and, considering that "the ECB should be the Supervisor", "we can see how this could cover as much Banks as possible", he added, making it cleat that "France's position" is in favour of doing that "the Soonest".
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    + But, the primordial need for EU Perspectives became anew obvious when Merkel and Hollande were invited to reply to a "Tricky" question by a French journalist from Paris :  Merkel approaches the end of her mandate (after one Year), but she is much more Popular than Hollande, who has just started his mandate, but already fell dramatically Down in the Polls, she observed. How do you both feel about that ?, she asked...

    - Merkel, (in favor of whom the last 2 Polls in Germany clearly show an exceptionally Strong Popular support, which extends, at the latest poll, from 49% up to 60%, against only 16% to 28% for her main political opponents), firmly confirmed that she will be anew Candidate for the Chancellorship also for the next 5 Years (2014-2019) at the next Elections towards the end of 2013, and, kindly relativizing Polls' ups and downs, preferred to focus on the importance of having "a Vision" for Europe, as "bold" as De Gaulle did, and stressed that, what matters most is that "both" French and German People "firmly believe that we need a Strong Europe, with its Values, to have an important Voice in the World".

    - Hollande, (for whom, 2 recent Polls revealed that Popular support has too fast fallen to a Minority, which has just dropped down to only 43% against 56 %, according to the latest Polls), preferred to Postopone politically relevant appreciations only on Final "Results" visible "at the End of (his) mandate", because "what matters most are the Votes of the People, when they are Consulted", as he said, (i.e. at the latest on 2017, if it isn't interrupted or disrupted earlier, f.ex. as in the case of De Gaulle himself, back on the 1969's failed Referendum, or of President Chirac's 1997 failed Parliamentary Election which obliged to "cohabitate" with a "Socialist" Prime Minister for years, until he won a Double, Presidential and Parliamentary Election on 2002, etc). What is important is "the Target at which we aim, the Means to reach it, and the Energy we put in order to obtain Results", stressed the French President, expressing the hope to "help arrive at a better situation that what I found when I started", as he added, (perhaps underestimating a bit the Historic, Global Crisis which started at the end of 2008 in all Countries accross the World).
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    The last Question looked more "Spicy" vis a vis Hollande :  - "How far have you advanced in Personal Friendship between you ? It was always said that between Sarkozy and Merkel the cooperation was Excellent. But what about Hollande and Merkel ?", a German journalist asked.

    - "Thanks God, People can have many Good Relationships", smiled smartly Merkel in reply, calling her personal relation to Hollande as "Friendly", "in our joint effort to help our Countries, and also all Europe, advance towards what is Best".

    - "When it comes to lead Europe", "we exchange views, as much as possible and necessary, in good faith, searching always a Compromise able to attract also the other" EU Member Countries, replied Hollande.  - "It would be an Error to believe that, once we (France and Germany) agree, all the others must follow us. But another Error would also be to Disagree", because "it's very Important for France and Germany to be always able to joint eachother in the Target fixed ahead, and on the Stages which must be crossed", since "it's true that we are Bound by History" to do so, as the French President reminded.

    - Even if today, we are not placed in front of a similar Challenge as the "Barbary" which had opposed our two Countries and Divided Europe in the 2nd World War, as was De Gaulle, when he spoke here only 20 years after that, nevertheless, "we are facing a Crisis, a Europe which has some Doubts about itself,  a €uroArea which had given, earlier, some indications of weakness", etc., so that, "the Responsibility of those who lead Germany and France is to take the Right Decisions", he pointed out.

    - In order to be able, "20 years later, when others will come anew here (at Ludwigsburg) to salute the Franco-German Friendship, to hear them say that we all acted usefully for Europe, and we were also Audacious", (as De Gaulle was), Hollande concluded,

    ... naturally implying that, in the mean time, he would have made a good and timely agreement with German Chancellor Merkel and all other EU Member Countries, also on "EuroFora"s query about the crucial  and Strategic issue of EU's 2014-2020 Financial Perspectives, (comp. Supra)...
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    + Meanwhile, even if no official anouncement was ever made to explain the choice of Asperg for the Franco-German leaders' Lunch, (except, naturally, from a brief mention of the .. "Famous Quality of the Restaurant"), neither for the last-minute Change about the principle and the location of this exceptional Hollande - Merkel Press Conference, the Day they launched the 2012-2013 Celebrations for the 50th Anniversary of the Paris-Berlin EU "motor" crystallized in the "Elysee Treaty", which will be celebrated by the two Governments gathered together on January 22, 2013, in Berlin, as it was officially anounced earlier today,

    nevertheless, "EuroFora" found several interesting Facts which reveal an important, pertinent and timely Symbol (as Chancellor Merkel notoriously likes to use) in the Historic Links of this Hill, which is more important than what one might think at first sight :

    Asperg was, in Ancient Times (400-500 AC), the Historic Headquarters of Frankens' Parliament, or Free Citizens' Assembly, a reminder of Ancient Greece's Direct Democracy by Peuple's Assemblies, located in special, spacy Public areas, (as, f.ex. at Acropolis Hill's feet), and it is geographically just an extension of Ludwigsburg's region, which became, later-on, during the Enlightnement (1.700-1.800 AC) a large, open area, full of inteconnected Gardens surrounded by Forests, around the extending Castle.

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    + Moreover, from a GeoPolitical point of view, a Long History, since the Early Stone Age, (because of an exceptionaly Fertile Soil and a Hilltop close to Rivers), made of the area a Strategic Stronghold, that was used afterwards by Romans in order to bult their main Road linking Rhine and Danube Rivers, , while some consider that its Castle was built to control communications going as far as from Flanders up to the Black Sea, but also Italy, etc.

    But there is an even more important Symbol for Today's modern concerns, when EU notoriously searches to find ways to realise a strong Political Union with real Popular support, (comp. relevant, recent "EuroFora"s NewsRepors, f.ex.  : .....) :

Asperg had become the Capital of Franken, after their victory over the Allamani, (i.e. at a period during which a Central European Area united together various Population Groups among those from which emerged later-on as French, German and Swiss People, etc), with a Popular Assembly established there, of a similar kind of what was used to be called then "Ding" or "Denk", "Thing" or "Think", etc., and is found in many European Countries such as Germany, France, England, Sweden, etc., i.e. a Forum open to active Participation by alll Free People, (pictured f.ex. in some Roman sculptures in Rome), strinkingly similar to Ancient Greece's "Agora" at Acropoli Hill's footstep, where "the (Free) People used to gather together, forming a (decision making) Assembly", (as experienced Greek Professor of Philosophy Gianaros had resumed at "EuroFora" during a recent Lecture at Strasbourg's University).
 

A timely hint also at CoE's landmark debate, between Presidents of Parliaments from 48 Countries (all over a PanEuropean space including Russia, EU Parliament, OECD Assembly, the International Inter-Parliamentary Union, etc), which focused, earlier this week in Strasbourg, among Europe's will to guarantee at least an elementary Respect for Human Rights, and the current need to deal with fast-evolving developments in Neighbouring, particularly 3rd Mediterranean Countries, mainly on the ways to overcome a current Crisis of traditional Parliamentarism, by creating better and closer, regular links to Citizens, including by innovative uses of modern Communication Technologies, etc, (comp. relevant "EuroFora"s NewsReports).


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(NDLR : "DraftNews", as already sent earlier to "EuroFora"s Subscribers/Donors. A mor accurate, full Final Version may be published asap).

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