EUParliament Head Sassoli in PACE: Crucial Moment for Future of Europe Conference
*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- Paradoxicaly, it's in the Oldest and Largest PanEuropean Organisation of the CoE, (aged 72 y.o. and Extending from Iceland and the UK up to Vladivostok with 47 Member-Countries), that EU Parliament's President, David Sassoli chose to launch the strongest plaidoyerie for the reNewal of Europe's Core, through a Landmark "Conference on the Future of Europe", a 2-Years-Long, and Original process, due to be soon Inaugurated here in Strasbourg on May 9, (Europe's and Joan d'Arc's Day), around 27 Member States spearHeaded by the Franco-German couple, accross a Rome-Athens' axis, and reinfotrced by Mittel-Europa's progressive extension Eastwards.
Sassoli spoke, Today, to CoE's Parliamentary Assemby (PACE), which is Complementary to that of EU Parliament (EP) since its MEPs are chosen among the National MPs of Member States, while EU Parliament has its own European MEPs. Moreover, PACE now Extends to the UK, Russia, and many Other Eastern Neighbouring Countries, including even Controversial Turkey, (a Cold-War remnant), while EP doesN't. Most Important, PACE has progressivel Focused mainly on Legal Instruments, while EP pursued further EU's Economic and Political policies becoming a More Integrated area.
- But, the main point, Nowadays, is that, as Jean Monnet used to say _ "Europe has been Built through the Crises it Faces", Sassoli reminded. And, "Today, we are in the Midst of a Major Crisis : that of the COVID-19 Pandemic" A "Crisis described by Edgar Morin recently, as "Total"", "because the Pandemic h s Disrupted Every aspect of our lives : Health, Relationships with others, Wprk, Education, the Economy", etc. he observed.
=> Therefore, "We must Build the World of Tmorrow, bequeathing to our younger generations a Heritage of Values (as those of the older CoE) that can dialogue with the contemporary sworld, that can defend respect for human rights, human dignity and freedom", he stressed. So, "it is in this Context that on 9 May we will be launching the Conference on the Future of Europe, ...Our aim is to offer a moment of reflection on the lessons of this crisis and on how to strengthen and update European Democracy. Which is the Best Time to do this? Well, at Present. There is no better time, and After COVID-19 it would be too late. That is why it is very important that this Reflection on ourselves, on the efficiency, effectiveness and Modernisation of European Democracy, takes place Now", Sassoli pointed out.
- But in a New, Different Way than in the Past : Because "We Need a more Efficient, more flexible, more resilient and also More Democratic European Union" he stressed: - In consequence, this "Conference will be an Unprecedented event, Offering All European Citizens, public opinion, our young people, organisations in the world of work and business and our national institutions, the Opportunity to Shape the Future, their future. National and regional parliaments, as well as civil society, local actors, Researchers, our Universities will Also play an important Role in this Debate", President Sassoli Vowed. And, "At the same time, the European Parliament will also Learn Lessons from the Vrisis we are going through. In order to keep the Flame of Democracy Alive, we have been forced to Change ...face of the and 'this has been reflected in all our institutions. ...we have had to adapt and renNew. Now is the time to Think more broadly about how our Assembly works to Ensure that it embodies the Democratic Ideal we Want to represent".
- " The fact that we are initiating Debates" is due to "our Duty, Today, to ...Imagine and Build" a Bettter "World", while being "Concerned that our Values are being put to the Test Today, more than ever, everwhere" : "Freedom", "Information", "rule of Law and Democracy", "Human Rights", even "Peace", he Warned, among "New Challenges" too, facing which, "the progress made in the field of human rights and democracy is being called into Question".
=> Let's seek the best Answers, then, But with, Not withOut the Motivated European People ! Significantly, Speaking to "Eurofora" in Brussels, earlier, at the Conclusion of his Press Conference on an EU Heads of State/Government Summit, EU Parliament's President had Urged for "Strong Voices" among EU "Citizens", (..., etc+).
>>> Hic Rhodus, hic saltus !
(../..)
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They voted to "freeze" UK Government's draft to put People in jail for 42 Days on "anti-terrorist" suspicion without charge, or they abstained. Don't they look suspect ?
-------------------------
CoE's debate on UK controversy stirs PanEuropean check of anti-terror suspects' imprisonment
Former Leftists of the Sixties would boil in hot water if they heard PACE's debate on the controversial 42 days detention without charge, currently drafted by the British Government :
A "Socialist" Government, a Socialist PACE Rapporteur and a Socialist Chair of PACE's Legal Committee, opposed a .. "Conservative" amendment (supported by .. Liberals, Democrats, etc), to freeze the measure, in order to protect Citizens' Freedom, by "waiting" until CoE's Venice Committee checks its conformity with Human Rights' principles.
"Left"'s support to Conservative-Lib.Dem's criticism, wasn't enough to obtain a majority, nor to make things as they were back in the good old days, when "Left" and "Right" had a clear meaning, as "liberty" and "restrictions"...
Conservatives and most Democrats were joined by the Left in voting for the "freeze", as well as Liberal Paul Rowen, while Socialist MEP Ivan Popescu, an experienced MEP from Ukraine (PACE Member since 1996-2008) abstained. But most Socialists, added to a few Liberals and EPP's Right, voted against.
Fortunately, someone inside PACE had the wise idea to shorten the Debate for less than 1 Hour, and put it on the Agenda only at the end of an exceptionally busy day, towards the end of the Evening, when most MEPs had already gone to taste wins and foods at various Receptions all around Strasbourg's "European" area : As a result, not even 42 MEPs weren't present..
Socialist Lord Tomlinson accused the leaders of the PanEuropean Assembly, in its highest body : the "Bureau", to "lack wisdom" by deciding to hold a Debate on an issue that neither the Socialist Chair of the Legal Committee, nor its Socialist "reluctant Rapporteur", did "not want to do", ...
Finally, everybody (critics and supporters alike) was happy to agree, in substance, that the controversial measure "may" gravely violate Human Rights, and therefore, PACE asked Legal Experts of Venice Commission to check UK Government''s plans.
But this might take more than .. 42 Days to do, since PACE's Rapporteur asked the Experts to enlarge their study in a PanEuropean comparison of all that is happening on "anti-terrorism" legislation in 47 CoE Member Countries, including Russia, Turkey and Azerbaidjan..
Bad lack : "The existing 28 days’ detention without charge in the UK is, in comparison with other CoE member countries, one of the most extreme : In Turkey, the period is 7,5 days, in France 6 days, in Russia 5 days, and in .. the U.S. and Canada just 2 and 1 days respectively", denounced Democrat MEP Ms WOLDSETH from Norway..
"Numerous respected human rights organisations, including Liberty and Human Rights Watch, have expressed serious concern" "The proposed legislation ...could easily lead to extensive abuses. ...Detention for 42 days means six weeks in which one is taken away from one’s family, friends, home and livelihood only to be let off without being charged. That will destroy lives and isolate communities", she added.
- "3 years ago, the UK Government sought to increase the period of pre-charge detention from 14 days to 90 days. Not long before that, it had been only 7 days. There was a vigorous debate ...and a ...compromise was reached of 28 days. We have to ask whether there are proper safeguards in place to extend the period to 42 days. I suggest that there are fatal flaws", reminded British Conservative Clappison.
- "What sort of society holds someone in detention for 42 days and does not have to tell the person who is in prison why they are there, or explain the suspicions that arose and led to their detention? What sort of society believes that that is the way to treat its citizens? That is an appalling injustice, ...A 42-day detention period will not make the UK safer. Instead, it will be the first step to giving in to terrorists; it is saying that we are prepared to sacrifice our democratic rights and the principles for which we have stood for centuries", criticized British Liberal Michael Hanckock
"Comments made ...by Norwegian delegates are unfortunate", replied British Socialist MEP Ms.Curtis-Thomas, accusing them to "besmirch the reputation of our police force, which is one of the Best in the World", as she said, believing that "there are significant safeguards ...to ensure that individuals are not subjected to unlawful detention"
PACE "has serious doubts whether ...the draft legislation are in conformity with the ...case-law of the European Court of Human Rights. A lack of ..safeguards may lead to arbitrariness, resulting in breaches of ... liberty and ...right to a fair trial". PACE "is particularly concerned that: ..the judge ..may not be in a position to examine whether there exist reasonable grounds for suspecting that the arrested person has committed an offence;"; that "... representation by a lawyer may be inappropriately restricted or delayed;" that "information on the grounds for suspicion of a person ...may be unduly withheld.. ;" that this "may give rise to arrests without the intention to charge;", and; in general, that "prolonged detention without proper information on the grounds for arrest may constitute inhuman treatment", says Klaus De Vries' Report, adopted with 29 votes against zero.
Records don't say if it took him 42 Days to draft his Report, but, at least, he knew why...