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Home arrow newsitems arrow Sarkozy welcomes Greek main opposition leader Samaras responsible stance on €uroarea formula

Sarkozy welcomes Greek main opposition leader Samaras responsible stance on €uroarea formula

Written by ACM
Thursday, 03 November 2011
 20111103_18.27.06_400_02
*Cannes/G20 Summit/Angelo Marcopolo/-2011 G8-G20 Chairman, French President Sarkozy, speaking today in Cannes on the sidelines of the G20 Summit of some 25 Heads of State/Government and several International Organizations, (UNO, OECD, IMF, World Bank, EU, etc), hailed as "Courageous and Responsible", the "declaration of the opposition's Leader in Greece", Antonis Samaras, President of "New Democracy" party, former Foreign Minister and former MEP at EU Parliament in Strasbourg, that "We saw with a great Interest" and found "extremely Important", as he said after a Marathon of longer than expected meetings with €uroArea Countries' Heads of State/Government present here, (German Chancellor Merkel, Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi, Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero, etc), as well as EU Commission's President Barroso, EU and €urozone President Van Rompuy,  IMF's Director Christine Lagarde, FSB's Head Draghi, etc., which provoked a last-minute cancelation of several other, initially scheduled events, including, even a Barroso-Van Rompuy Press Conference, where Journalists were vainly obliged to wait for Hours, before it was anounced that, because of the unfolding events going on in Athens and in Cannes, the event was cancelled.

At the same time, Sarkozy observed also the fact that another "Declaration by the (Greek) Prime Minister (G.) Papandreou indicated that a Referendum (on the €uro-deal for Greece) would not be really useful" : A point that the French President also found "interesting", (Comp. yesterday"s relevant "EuroFora"s NewsReport), even if it wasn't really a surprise, since it had been made clear, already 2 Days earlier, that Giorgos Papandreou had Not a Majority for his sudden, unwarned, Referendum threat, since it faced strong Opposition from almost everywhere, including by many inside his own party, (See yeterday's relevant "EuroFora"s NewsReport).

20111103_17.04.27_400
(Turkish collegues etc. hearing G.Papandreou)


Meanwhile, the main Greek opposition party, "ND" (ChristianDemocrats/EPP), for the 1st time so clearly, had issued two statements both going on the line of the "Alternative Solution" earlier highlighted by "EuroFora"s encounter with an experienced Sarkozy's counsellor, one Day before, on November 2, (see relevant Yesterday's NewsReport)  :


Indeed, f.ex., already during Today's late Morning, November 3, "New Democracy"'s Spokesman, John Michelakis, reportedly made it clear that the Lending Deal with EU/IMF had become inevitable for Greece, after Giorgos Papandreou's controversial policies, but that the main Opposition party always asks to renegociate anew the Memo Plan which accompagnies it :


-"It's one thing the contract on the Loan, and another (different) thing the Policies which accompagny it", he reportedly stressed, (according to the alternative Formula outlined by "EuroFora" yesterday).

 

sam_speech_400

 Samaras later-on issued a formal Statement in which he asked for an Interim Government to immediately prepare Elections after endorsing the €urozone decision on the Loan and the Debt only :


- "This government's (of Giorgos Papandreou's PASOK) policies have so much worsened things, that a new contract on borrowing money has become unavoidable and (therefore) it must be safeguarded".


-"But, obviously, we keep our Disagreement with the Policy Measures which are applied today" by the PASOK government", he added.

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- "I already said, since October 27, when the (Debt provoked in Greece) "Haircut" (-50%) was anounced, that, given the situation to which PASOK's Govenrment brought things, the "Haircut" of the Greek Debt, that Nobody wanted earlier, had become unavoidable from now on", but, "I had also made it clear that the lending contract is something Different from the accompagnying measures, and we remain still opposed to the "Policy mix", Samaras stressed afterwards, during a Greek Parliament's debate.


- "I wonder, Mr. (G.) Papandreou came close to destroying Greece and Europe, €uroarea, Inernational Stock/Financial Markets and his own Party in order to do what ?  To Blackmail me and the Greek People ? Or in order to be sure for what I had alrea&dy anounced, that I accept as "unavoidable", Samaras criticized, while also noting that G. Papandreou was practically obliged to withdraw his unwarned and largely rejected, Referendum threat.
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+ "I don't want to intervene inside the Greek Political Debate, which is already Complicated enough like that", carefuly said today Sarkozy in reply to Journalists' questions.

sarko_eyri_400


- "Greece is an Independent Country, it's a Free Country. Greeks have succeeded to liberate themselves from Dictatorship, and I admire the Greek People, while I also have some very old Family links with Greece, so that I don't want, at any case, to give them a feeling that we intervene in their political life", clarified, at any case, Sarkozy, whose Grand Father, from his Mother's side, had been reportedly living as a Greek in Thessaloniki.


- "But, concerning €uro's Defence and the Defence of Europe, it's our Duty : The Red line for us is very simple : (€uroarea Member) Countries are freely administrated, but the" €uro and Europe are our (common) Heritage, and it must be protected. Here is how far we can go, and we will go. We can't go further than that, but, concerning Europe's and €uro's Defence, we shall do our job", the French President stressed.


 - So, "'I am very glad that there are enough of politically Responsible People in Greece to understand this message and be able to go well beyond partisan interests in order to speak about their National Interest. Because, as we have always said, we wish for Greece to stay inside €uroarea, that was crystal-clear among us, but we couldn't realize our wish, if they didn't want that themselves", added Sarkozy earlier.
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Concerning the Alterhative Formula that "EuroFora" had highlighted in yesterday's Headline News, and was apparently endorsed officially by the main Opposition party  ND today, (i.e. the possibility, or not, to Distinguish between the  Financial deal on Loans and Debts already decided at Brussels'  EU Summit on October 27, and the Economic Policy Measures, which had been notoriously left for afterwards (See f.e. EU Parliament biggest Group's President, MEP Joseph Daul, head of ChristianDemocrats/EPP, statements to "EuroFora", etc), at lot of issues concerning Greece's Action Plan (which usually accompagnies the Financial, Loan deal) was, precisely, going to be left for later-on, probably up to early December, (see last week's relevant "EuroFora" News), an observation made today by Sarkozy appears rather interesting :

- "We have nothing to ask to the Greek Parliament, which is Free to manage its business...... We simply say that the EU Taxpayers' Money cannot be engaged before certain.. rules which had been unanimously voted in Brussels on Occtober 27, are respected. (i.e. about the Loans and the Debt). .. For the Rest, we don't have any advise to give. We don't have any instruction to give. The Greek Peuple is an independent People, a very great Civilisation, and we trust him to decide on the choices concerning its Future. As fart as we are concerned, we let him Free to take his Decisions", stressed the 2011 G8-G20 Chairman and French President, using a wording which fits well out Formula (See supra).

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samaras_elections_400

=> Meanwhile, main opposition party "New Democracy" asked for "Elections soon", to be organized in a few weeks by a Technocratic Transition Government of common approval, together with endorsing the Financial Deal of october 26 (See supra), in order to have, in as Brief as possible laps of Time, a New, stable Government, strong of a fresh Popular Support expressed by Democratic Votes, so that it will be able to determine the remaining Economic and other Policy issues.     

But, since Polls generally give some +8 to +9% more Votes to "New Democracy" than to PASOK, the current "Socialist" 2 MPs narrow "majority" still in Parliament refuses immediate Elections, that it tries to avoid, (f.ex. by asking for a "National Coalition" Government, despite clearly opposed Policies), or, at least, to postpone for Later, obviously risking to prolong Uncertainy, contrary to European leaders and International Organizations' wish to fix a crystal-clear stance by Greece the Soonest, i.e. in a "Brief" laps of time :


 - "Given the gravity of the situation, ...it is clear that we caNOT stay in a Prolonged situation of Uncertainty", provoked by G.Papandreou's U-turn, Sarkozy denounced. Thus, ..."we launch a formal Appeal for a political agreement to be found in Greece FAST", he urged.

../..

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(NDLR : "DraftNews", as already sent to "EuroFora"s Subscribers/Donors. Watch out for a possible Final Version, more accurate and complete, asap)


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Recent developments proved that Europe can suceed to overcome challenges by aiming at great objectives, and this is needed also in 2009, said EU chairman, French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

    - "It's in the name of Great Ideas, Projects, Ambition and Ideals, that EU can overcome" challenges, stressed Sarkozy at EU Parliament in Strasbourg, in conclusion of a dense 7 months EU Chairmanship. "It's even easier for Europe to have Great projects, able to overcome national egoism, instead of limiting itself only to small projects" (unable to do alike), he observed.     

- "Europe must remain Ambitious and understand that the World needs her to take Decisions". "The World needs a Strong Europe", which "thinks on its own, has convictions, its own responses, its imagination" : "A Europe which does not limit itself into following" others, (as it did in the Past, when it followed USA, f.ex. on Bosnia). On the contrary, "Europe should undertake its own responsibilities", he said, after a series of succes in stopping the War between Russia and Georgia, and organizing the 1st EuroZone's Summit in Paris, which incited the Washington DC G-20 Summit to extend similar decisions World-wide.  


    - "When you sweep it all under the carpet, prepare yourself for hard tomorrows", he warned. "What hinders decisions is the lack of Courage and Will, the fading away of Ideals", he stressed before EU Parliament's 2008 debate on Human Rights and Sakharov prize on Freedom of thought attributed by MEPs to Chinese cyber-dissident Hu Jia, followed by an EU - Turkey meeting on Friday.

    - "I don't abandon my convictions" and "I will take initiatives" on EU level also in 2009, Sarkozy announced later. "France will not stop having convictions and taking initiatives" on Europe. + "It's an Error to wish to pass over the Heads of those who are elected in their Countries" : "It's an integrism I always fought against"', he warned.
---------------------
French EU Presidency faced 4 unexpected Crisis :

- An institutional crisis, with the Irish "No" to EU Lisbon Treaty, just before it started. A geopolitical crisis, wth the threat of War between Russia and Georgia risking to throw Europe back to Cold-war divisions, on August. A World-wide Financial and Economic crisis, arriving at a bad moment before crucial 2009 EU elections. And even a Strasbourg's mini-crisis, with EU Parliament's roof curiously falling down, from unknown reasons, in a brand new building on August, provoking an unprecedented transfert of the 2 September Plenary Sessions...

But it wasn't enough to stop Sarkozy ! On the contrary, it stimulated him...
---------------------------------------

- "The better way to deal with the recent problems of EU institutions (as the "3 NO" by France, the Netherlands and Ireland) is to take them as a "Test" in order to find solutions closer to Citizens' concerns", said later in Strasbourg Sarkozy's new choice as Ministe for EU affairs, Bruno Le Maire.

- On the Institutional front, Sarkozy gave Time to the Irish to think about it, and stroke on December a deal including a New Referendum after the June 2009 EU Elections, in exchange of a promise to keep the rule of "one EU Commissioner for each EU Member Country", and some opt-outs on Defence and Fiscal EU policies, Abortion, etc. If the Irish get a "Yes" Majority, then the institutional package could be completed in 2010 or 2011 on the occasion of Croatia's probable EU accession.

He was accused in Strasbourg to upgrade EU Council and downgrade EU Commision, but he replied that "strong Political initiatives by EU Council reinforce also the more technical role of EU Commission, under the political-technical leadership of its President", all 3 "working together with EU Parliament".


- But, meanwhile, Sarkozy energetically spearheaded an Historic 1st Summit of EuroZone's 15 Heads of State and Government at EU's core, exceptionally enlarged to a partial participation of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, on October 12 in Paris' Elysee palace, which started to tackle succesfully the growing world Financial crisis.

    It also paved the way for its endorsement by a subsequent Brussels' 27 EU Member States' gathering, before it all come to Washington's G-20 Summit. And "Europe was united, it asked for the 1st G-20 Summit, and it will also organise the next G-20 Summit on April in London", he observed.   

 But a Conference with EU, Russia, African and other Developing Countries, hosted in Strasbourg shortly after Washington G-20 Summit by the French EU Presidency, took a Resolution asking to enlarge participation to Global Economic Governance. Many found, indeed, illogic and unacceptable that f.ex. states as Turkey were given a seat at G-20 level, while all African Countries, and even the African Union itself, representing the greatest Continent on Earth, were excluded...


    Meanwhile, even USA''s "Paulson No 3" Plan, was, in fact, inspired by Europe's No 1 Plan", Sarkozy observed, largelly applauded by MEPs.

    And "Europe showed Solidarity" by mobilizing some 22 Billion credit for Hungary, 1,7 billion for Ukraine, as we do nowadays for Baltic States, etc., he added.

    The move on Economy was extended on December by an EU stimulus' plan totalling some 200 billion Euros, including 5 Billions released by EU Commission for big Projects, as well as various parallel National plans for Economic revival, (fex. 26 billions in France alone). They might appear limited, compared to USA President-elect Obama's reported plan to boost the American economy with 800 billion $, but at least succeded to overcome Europe's divisions for the first time on Economic governance, opening new horizons.

- The French President stressed even harder the unique role of an active EU Council's chairmanship, when he moved swiftly and efficiently, at the beginning of August, to succesfully stop War between Russia and Georgia, at the last minute, which threatened to bring Europe back to Cold War division.

"We (EU) also wanted to avoid a situation like in Bosnia, in the Past, when EU was absent, so that our American friends took their responsibilitues, and EU only followed", despite the fact that the conflict took place in Europe. Now, it was the EU who took its responsibilities".

A roadmap towards a new PanEuropean Security policy, before which all unilateral moves to place new Missiles (from USA or Russia) would be freezed, was proposed by Sarkozy after a meeting with Russian president Medvedev, at the eve of Washington DC's G-20 Summit.

Ukraine's "European" character was stressed at a Sarkozy - Jushenko Summit, September in Paris, while EU adopted on December an "Eastern policy", in which, "I'm convinced that our (EU's) future is to find with our Neighbours the conditions for Economic Development. Peace and Security, by explaining them that.. they must respect (Human Rights') Values, and adopt behaviors different from the Past", explained Sarkozy in Strasbourg.

Meanwhile, the "Union for the Mediterranean" was created, since July's Summit if 45 Heads of State and Government in Paris, as "an organisation for a permanent Dialogue, that we need", mainly in order to tackle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, by bringing together, for the 1st time, Israelis and Arabs, where "Europe must be present, in order to avoid a frontal clash".

- "If Europe doesn't take its part for Peace in the Middle-East, nobody else will do that in our place", Sarkozy stressed.
-----------------------
    Meanwhile, other EU Agreements were brokered during the French EU Presidency on Immigration, (fex. common Asylum rules, etc), and Climat- Energy :

    - On Climat-Energy, the 2007 German EU Presidency had fixed a triple 20% aim for 2020 (20% renewable Energies, 20% reduction of CO2 emmission, 20% energy efficience/economies), and the 2008 French EU Presidecny realized that, making the necessary compromises in order to modernize EU's industry, but without throwing some former Central-Eastern European Countries into abrupt Economic break down risking "social explosion".

    - Defence-Security EU policy was mainly postponed for April 2009, since both German chancellor Merkel and French president Sarkozy want to strike a deal with the new American president Obama in Strasbourg's NATO Summit.

    However, with all these 4 unexpected Crisis diverting attention to other urgencies, People wil wonder now, what happened to the famous deal proposed by freshly-elected French President Sarkozy on Turkey's controversial EU bid, back on August 2007, to continue EU - Turkey negotiations, but on the double condition that core chapters, intrinsequally linked with EU Membership, will be excluded, and that a collective Reflexion and Debate on Europe's future would start before the end of 2008.

    It was meant to reply to the crucial question : What kind of Europe do we want in 10 or 20 Years from now : A large Market, or a Political Europe, with a popular identity ? In Sarkozy's thinking, presented in his 2 landmark speeches on Europe in Strasbourg, shortly before and after the 2007 Elections, (on February and July 2007), Turkey's controversial EU bid would be incompatible with the second choice.

    It's true that EU Commision's Chairman, Jose Barroso, (who had notoriously declared, as former Portuguese Prime Minister, that he found "nonsense" the idea that Europe might become equal to the US), had repeatedly tried to avoid that Sarkozy's criticism on Turkey might start winning a larger audience in Europe, preferring a discrete "wismens' committee" work. And that most of the personalities later chosen in order to participate in a Committee on Europe's Future, are too much linked with Socialist parties and/or American policies, to be really critical of USA's notorious wish to impose Turkey to the EU, as Sarkozy had noted himself since March 2007..

     - "It's on EU Council's presidency to take political initiatives. EU Commission has other competences", stressed Sarkozy. The "European Ideal" is to "build Europe with the States, not against them". "Ask Europeans to chose between their countries and Europe won't work. You don't choose between your two parents : We must add them together".

    "France and Germany have an Historic Duty to work together, precisely because of what happened to the Past. We have to work hand by hand. We cannot be separated.It goes beyond me and Mrs Merkel today, Mr Schroeder and Mr. Chirac yesterday. It's not a choice, it's a duty to Europe and to the World".  "We need Germany, as Germany needs Europe". Compromise is inevitable, here as everywhere, and each one made some steps towards eachother's positions.

    But "it's true that Mrs Merkel didn't chose her Socialist partners, while I chose mine", Sarkozy said, in an indirect hint that the Socialist Minister of Finance in Germany might be a cause of minor past disagreements in Economy, which were overcome in recent negotiations.

    "We (France and Germany) have particular duties in Europe", but "in a Europe of 27 Member States, it's not enough for France and Germany to agree between them.

    "I always thought that Great Britain has a special role to play in Europe. ... Now, everybody "saw what it cost payed the UK for having been too exclusively open towards the US (and) Financial services. Europe needs the UK, but also the UK needs Europe" :- "We were able to face the hardest moment of the Financial crisis because the UK clearly chose Europe", stressed Sarkozy, reminding Gordon Brown's exceptional participation to the Historic 1st Heads of State/Government Summit of EuroZone, October 12 in Paris (See EuroFora's Reportage from Elysee Palace then).

     - "Some look at Europe with old glasses aged 30 years ago. While we must look at her in relation to what it will be in 30 years" in the Future, Sarkozy concluded.

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