Schaüble + Juncker to Eurofora, with Merkel : - Shift towards a Deep Europe ?

Ecrit par ACM

Monday, 18 September 2017

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*Offenburg (Germany)/Angelo Marcopolo/- EU Commission's President, Jean-Claude Juncker, succeeded Today, on 2017, to IMF's Chief, Catherine Lagarde, who had been the Invited Keenote Speaker on 2012, together with German Chancellor Angie Merkel in Both cases, at a well-attended Collective Event for the Anniversary of the More Popular, according to Polls, Longest-Serving MP and Top Minister in Germany, Wolfgang Schäuble, celebrating 70 Years before and 75 Years Now, (as "Eurofora"s and other Journalists' Press Cards' proudly show : comp. Photo).

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Prestigious USA Newspaper "New York Times" had Found at that 2012 Event with Lagarde, a Proof for its Claim that "IMF" had got "increased Power" because of "€uroZone Crisis", (at its Highest in that Past), as the American Newpaper's Headlines boasted then...

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=> In Consequence, Nowadays, "Eurofora" could legitimately claim that, on 2017, (as Juncker has just Officially Declared in EU Parliament, just a Few Days Earlier at Nearby Strasbourg : Comp. f.ex. http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/euslamsturkeybutdecisionaftergermanvote.html), EU Commission President's presence at a Similar Event on 2017, would Indicate that "€uroArea" and all EU's Economy is Becoming Stronger, so that the Focus of "Increasing Power", points Now towards Europe's Franco-German+ core !

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Indeed, Schäuble's "GeburtsTag" Event, which had taken place 5 Years Earlier, Back on 2012, at a Theater in Berlin, Now, on 2017, it organized at the Nearest German City to Strasbourg : at Offenburg's "Reithalle"'s "KulturForum", (even with the participation of an .. Armed Group of Soldiers, from the Länder of Baden-Wurttemberg, with Impressive, Colorful Historic Clothes, and very Loud Gunshots, with which they Welcomed Schäuble, Juncker and Merkel)...

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- Schäuble, who had initially Welcomed "Eurofora" with a Bright Smile, particularly when we reminded the fact that we came from nearby Strasbourg, carefully told us, later-on, that, frankly, he "Didn't know" if he would really Succeed to Boost the EU, and particularly its €uroArea, around its Franco-German+ core, But Agreed that, during the next years, there is really a "Hope" justifying to, at least, give it a try now...

Indeed, recently, Both at Reutlingen, during CDU BW's Annual Congress (Cf.: ...), and now, at Offenburg, he spoke so much about what may happen "During the Next Years", as he often repeated, that the Impression is strong that Schäuble may have something Important in Mind..

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At any case, Big, Central European Countries, such as Germany and others, have an Historic and GeoPolitical "Responsibility" to Care also for the Fate of Others, Including Medium-Small EU Member Countries, he added later in his Public Speech, noting that he "learned that from Helmut Kohl", (his Historic mentor).

And, Nowadays, we (EU) must pay Attention for "all Europe" to stand "Together", heading for a "Better Future", without hard Divisions, (f.ex. East-West and/or others), Schäuble added in this regard, as far as the General European Interest is concerned.

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- Juncker, speaking, meanwhile, also to "Eurofora", willingly confirmed that he was in favor of a Public Debate with EU Citizens on Europe's Future, Starting from 2018, as, inter alia, also the New French President Emmanuel Macron had suggested recently from Athens, Greece, (See: ...), even if it was, at least for the Time being, too early yet to know whether and how exactly this would really produce more or less "Positive" Results for European Integration.

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+ Nevertheless, in his subsequent Public Speech, EU Commission's President repeatedly Observed Schâuble's personal Interest, and frequent Contacts between his HomeTown, "Offenburg", and nearby "Strasbourg", (Seat of EU Parliament's Full Plenary Sessions, PanEuropean CoE's Headquarters, ECHR, EUROCORPS, EU Citizens' Defensor/Ombudsperson, "Shengen" Secretariat, ARTE European Radio-TV, etc), as well as his attempts to Bridge the Franco-German Borders throughout their Common River : Rhine.

Meanwhile, even Fast-Advancing Integration of Strasbourg with Kehl, via New Bridges (including for High-Speed Trains), Direct City Tram Links, a "2 Shores Garden" common area, Joint Initiatives for Jobs to Young People, Creation of Franco-Germano-Swiss Universities Unified "Euro-Campus" for Students and Scientific Research hailed by the EU, (etc), without forgetting the Idea of Millionaiore Media Publisher Hubert Burda (in whose Big Tower, here in Offenurg, lives Schäuble with his Wife, Ingeborg, who has Earlier confessed to "Eurofora" her astonishment for all those Urban "Changes") to create an "Internet Valley" accross the Rhine, (See, f.ex. :...), make Kehl's Mayor, Tony Vedrano (CDU) to positively Smile when "Eurofora" evokes a possibility to eventually create a kind of New European Capital somewhere around this Franco-German core EU area in Future...

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In practice, Juncker has just Fixed an Historic "Rendez-Vous" about Decisions on EU's Future, for immediately After the Expected "BREXIT" of the UK, from "March 2019", as he said earlier in EU Parliament in Strasbourg, i.e. in due Time for that to become a Key part of the Crucial forthcoming European Elections of May 2019.

- Merkel, (who walked with a lively Smile, Greeting also "Eurofora" a.o., when she entered Reithalle's KulturForum, largely Applauded by a numerous Audience, extending throughout 2 or 3 adjacent Rooms), in her Speech on Schäuble, significantly Focused, First of all, to his Experienced, Key Contribution as a convinced pro-"European" politician, following, immediately afterwards, by his Role in the "ReUnification of Germany", (which, notoriously, Facilitated that of almost All Europe), and his Record-High, ...44 Years-Long "Parliamentarian" activities, ...

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Schäuble's Human relations, his Love for "Art, Music, Intellectual ideas, Culture", etc., have also contributed to create interesting personal links "Europe-Wide", she adds.

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- "Thank you, for what you have done for Germany and for (all) Europe !", Merkel saluted Schäuble in conclusion.

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+ Significantly, the German Chancellor, (who notoriously likes Symbols), revealed that she Chose to give Schäuble as a "Gift" for his 75th Anniversary, a set of Books with All the Writtings of an important Theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, known mainly for having Decicated and even Sacrificed his Life for Values that he supported in all Europe and beyond, who was Killed by NAZIs just a Few Days before the 1945 Liberation of All Europe : To the point that his Statute figures, Nowadays, side by side with that of Martin Luther-King, etc., at London's Westminster Abbey, (i.e., there where all British MPs found Refuge during a Recent Islamist Terrorist Attack : See ...).

However, Schäuble, (who has, notoriously Succeeded to Inspire mainly "Stability" to most People, in Germany and all Europe), Ambitiously concluded, later Today, his Public Speech, by Addressing, with a Hopeful Smile, an Invitation to his Audience to come anew at his Next such Anniversary Event, when he will Reach ... "80 Years", i.e. on 2022 !

Many German a.o. Medias speculated, these Days, about what exactly Might be Schäuble's Next Political Task, just After the forthcoming German Elections of September 24, 2017 :

Yesterday, the Liberal Party, a likely Ally of Merkel in a New Government for 2017-2021, surprized by Announcing its intention to Seek, this time, Not the Foreign Ministry, (as usual in Germany for Junior Allies in any Government Coalition), but, on the Contrary that of ... Finance Minister, i.e. what Schäuble holds for 9 Years during Merkel's Chancellorship.

Hypothesis published Nowdays, oscillated between f.ex., the Foreign Ministry, or the Presidency of the Bundestag, etc.

And its true that Schäuble, initialy chosen by the Historic former Long-Time German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, as Director of his Office, (i.e. an Overview-providing Top Job), then JHA Minister, Negotiator for the ReUnification of Germany, Head of the Governing CDU/CSU's Parliamentary Group, Top Minister of JHA or Finances, at a Crucial period of €uroArea, and when Many notoriously Expect that it might Advance towards creating the Foundations of a possible EU's more Integrated and Stronger Core, with More Instruments and even a Security/Defense policy, etc., could also Serve in Various Other Top Jobs :

- From a projected Job of EU's "Minister" for €uroArea, to Future EU Parliament's President After the 2019 EU Elections, or even that New Job in a Future "Unified" Presidency of Both EU Commission and Council, (as Juncker has just Proposed, while also Announcing, curiously, that he does Not intend to be Candidate personally), etc., a possible List may be Long...

Meanwhile, however, Merkel hastily departed, as expected, rushing to an Electoral Campaign Meeting at Nearby Freiburg, as scheduled. Schäuble confirmed that, playfully reminding also that it was the City where he had been Born !

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He is placed as Top Candidate, Number 1, in the Governing CDU/CSU List of Candidate MPs for the Baden-Wurttemberg Länder in the forthcoming, September 24, 2017 Elections to the Bundestag. And Schâuble's Party is due to WIn those Elections there, with about 42% of the Votes, according to Regional Polls, (Compared to about 38% Nationwide).

- So that, "We (CDU/CSU) are expected to Win these Elections", but, "shortly Afterwards, we'd have to Decide with whom we shall make a Governing Alliance", said to "Eurofora" the ChristianDemocrat/EPP MEP Axel Fischer, President of PanEuropean CoE's Parliamentary Assembly, (who is also from Baden-Wurttemberg):

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Among various possible Allies to Merkel's CDU/CSU's ChristianDemocrats, are notoriously Included f.ex. the Liberals and/or the Greens (for a Center-Right Coalition), if not again the Socialists (for another "GroKo", Beyond Right or Left), etc.

The "Greens" already Govern, Together with the ChristianDemocrats/EPP, at the Level of the Federated "Länder" of Baden-Wurttemberg, here, as well as, Recently, at Nord-Rhein-Westfalia (NRW : in the middle of 2017), in the past at Hessen, etc, according to an Idea suggested by "Eurofora" from 2010 (See, f.ex.: ...), and apparently Supported, in Theory, also by Pope Emeritus Benedict, particularly with his Landmark Theory about "Human Ecology", that he had Highlighted at the German Bundestag during his 2011 Official Visit, (comp.: ...).

But, this had been initialy Motivated by a Hope to Tackle strong BioEthical Issues, Crucial Today for Humankind's Future, (Comp. Pope Emeritus Benedict's 2009 landmark Encyclic "Caritas in Veritatis" at : ..., and "Eurofora"'s relevant Publications at : .... +...., etc), which have, Recently, been, Unfortunately, Bypassed, for a lage Part : F.ex. by "GroKo" Deals with the Socialists about Genetic Tests on Humans (from 2013), and/or the latest, surprisingly Hasty, 30/6/2017 Imposal of "Same Sex Marriage" between Homosexuals, including even Submission of Children to Homosexual Strangers under Pretext of "Adoption", etc., which provoke Risks for Shady Technocratic a.o. Lobbies to eventualy Take Control over Artificial Techniques for Procreation of Human Beings, Dangerous for all Humankind), etc.

While the Latter, still remains to be Checked by the German Constitutional Court, at nearby Karlsruhe, nevertheless, several Other Topical BioEthical Issues also Remain to be Tackled, such as the Atrocious Exploitation of "Surrogate Mothers", the Risk to Spread "Artificial Procreations of Human Beings", etc., as well as various, gallopîng Techniques of Genetic Manipulations on Animals and/or Foodstuffs, (f.ex. Plants, etc), but also growing Dangers of "TransHumanism", etc., where eventual cooperation might sustain the initial Stake on BioEthics (Comp. Supra).

However, just Yesterday, (on Sunday, 17 of September 2017), suddenly Chancellor Angie Merkel surprized by an Apparently "Anodynous" Answer to an Exceptional session of Questions/Replies with Young Kids in Berlin :

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- Her Favorite Head of Government would be ..."Erna Solberg of Norway", she UnExpectedly revealed, just 1 Week since the Center-Right Leader of the Norwegian Conservatives Won a 2nd Electoral Mandate ...together with a Rightist party !

That Successful Norwegian move towards a Unity of the Right, has Spread, meanwhile, also in Denmark (forthcoming CoE President for November 2017 - May 2018 : Comp. ....).

More Recently, also in Bulgaria, where ChristianDemocrat/EPP party's Boyko Borisov has Recently agreed a Government Deal with the Rightists of the "United Patriots", who "Droped their former Euro-Sceptiscist stance, endorsing now a Pro-European Agenda, since Bulgaria is due to Chair the EU from January 2O18", as Sofia's Ambassador to the CoE, experienced former EU Affairs Minister Ms Katya Todorova, has recently told "Eurofora" in Strasbourg...

And Juncker has just endorsed as New EU Commissioner for "Digital" Technologies, the ...Bulgarian MEP Maria Gabriel, Wife of a French EU Parliament's Officer from Strasbourg, former Assistant to ChristianDemocrat/EPP President Joseph Daul, and currently of New EU Parliament's President Antonio Tajani, well known to "Eurofora" since many years...

Germany's Rightists of the "Alternative" new party, got recently in Schäuble's Baden-Wurttemberg Region more than 15 %, and are often credited, Nowadays, by several Polls with about 11% or More, for the First Time at National level, i.e., perhaps, becoming the Biggest among the 4 Small Parties, and revendicating the 3rd Rank in the Future Bundestag, (just after the ChristianDemocrats and the Socialists).

Together with the Liberals and the Rightists, the ChristianDemocrats could now have a Very Solid Absolute Majority of almost 60% of the projected Votes on 2017 Elections, just with the Right side of the Political spectrum, (i.e. without any more Concessions to the Left, f.ex. to the Socialists or the Greens, etc).

Notoriously, however, there seem to still be several Big Differences between the "CDU/CSU" and the "Alternative" currently, as things stand until now.

But Changes may be Possible, as the Examples of Norway, Denmark, Bulgaria, and elsewhere in Europe, precisely shows (Comp. Supra)...

Already, f.ex., among others, even AfD's vice-President, MEP Beatrix von Storck, who had been Presented by Establishment's Medias as Radically Opposed to Merkel in the Past, on the Contrary, Recently, she Complained to "Eurofora" in EU Parliament in Strasbourg that CDU People "don't even Talk to us"...

I.e., at First Sight, the situation, mutatis-mutandis, looks Similar to that which had Existed in the Past between the ChristianDemocrats and the Greens until 2010 (See, f.ex. : ... + ..., etc), but Changed seriously After 2011 - 2013, so that Today, a, eventual "Jamaica" Coalition (CDU/CSU - Liberals - Greens) notoriously seems possible.

And Chancellor Angie Merkel has already proved that she's perfectly Able, when really needed, to make even some Spectacular "U-Turns", on Strategic Issues, (as, f.ex., her 2011 "Energy-Schift", on the occasion of Fukusima, etc).

Her sudden Sympathy for the successful Norwegian Prime Minister, just Yesterday (Comp. Supra), makes think ... After all, could f.ex. Baden-Wurttemberg's River Trout Jump so High as Norwegian Fiords' Salmon ?

Such an Hypothesis could also Ensure Schäuble that he may remain at the Ministry of Finances (Comp. Supra), if he wishes, (where he has already proved an Important Capacity, inter alia, by Succeeding to make Germany have ... Zero Debts, for the First Time since the Era of 1960ies !).

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Inter alia, also the very Long and never-ending Queue of People patiently waiting to briefly Greet him, at the Conclusion of Today's exceptional event, reminded anew his Popularity...

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At any case, manifold Recent Developments, clearly confirm that, in the Aftermath of these 2017 Election, Frontrunner Merkel wil have, in fact, much More and Various Possibilities to choose, than what she used to have in the Past..., (Comp.: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/germanregionalelections.html ).

That Choice should be Careful, but also Bold and the Best possible, as "the Next few Years", are also expected to be those during which Both Merkel, Juncker and Schâuble will "Enter in History" for Europe.