German Finance Minister Schäuble to EuroFora: Support to Multilingual EU Media for a Stronger Europe

*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- Projects developing Multilingual Media for EU-wide News-debates in Strasbourg can become particularly useful for a Stronger Europe, more integrated and democratic, where a Cultural and Emotional Dimension must be added to an efficient Technocracy that cannot work alone, said in substance the experienced and popular German Minister of Finances, Wolfgang Schauble, to "EuroFora", at a Press-point concluding a landmark speech, at the invitation of French Senator Fabienne Keller, a frontrunner candidate for a new mandate in the forthcoming March 2013 Elections for the new Mayor of the City which hosts EU Parliament's Plenary Sessions, the PanEuropean CoE, ECHR, EU Ombudsperson, Shengen, EUROCORPS, etc,  on the key contribution of the Franco-German "motor" for Europe's forseeable Future.

    - Schäuble, after carefuly asking "EuroFora" to repeat a key point, spontaneously noded positively and Replied with a repeated - "Yes, Yes !", to "EuroFora"s Question, if he thought that European Multi-Lingual Media, for EU-wide News and Debates, contacts and exchanges, f.ex. in a Franco-German area as Strasbourg, etc. could and should be developed, particularly now that further EU Integration is needed even for a more Efficient EU Economy.

         - A fortiori because "without a Cultural and Emotional Dimension" for the People, "Nothing could make advance a Europe which wouldn't be anything else but only a Cold Bureaucracy !", strongly reiterated Wolfgang Schäuble, in a Warning repeated  earlier.

        - On the contrary, "if we (EU) Advance ...Step by Step", and "if we (EU) Explain, again and again, to (EU) Citizens the Directions that we are taking, and if the Situation continues to Ameliorate, as it has Started to do, then, we shall Succeed also to find, throughout Europe, a Wider (Popular) Acceptance of the E.U.", he pragmaticaally and patiently added (See Infra).

        - Schäuble had made it clear that he spoke in Strasbourg "as a Neighbour" (from nearby Offenbourg), "from the same Political Family" as French Senator Fabienne Keller who had taken the initiative to invite him to speak on Europe's current perspectives, on the occasion also of the forthcoming Elections for both the Cuty of Strasbourg éand EU Parliament, on March and May 2014, respectively, and considering, naturally, the well-known fact that "even if Europe is much more than France and Germany alone, nevertheless, the E.U cannot really advance forward without a Close Cooperation from its Franco-German motor..
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    - Particularly now, when make it possible and necessary to advance further in "European Integration", this "is part of what is really at Stake in the forthcoming EU Parliament's Elections" of May 2014, "which have a Strategic Importance", as French Senator Fabienne Keller, of the Main Opposition Party UMP, replied to a relevant "EuroFora"s Question, (See also Infra), speaking right under the careful eyes of the experienced German Finance Minister, who noded that he absolutely agreed with her on that key-point.

    - "At any case, I don't intend to accept, already now, a large Group of EuroSceptics inside EU Parliament after May (2014) Elections !", he warned afterwards Schäuble. Even if there are several things still to Change in the EU, nevertheless, "the Edification and ReUnification of Europe, are the Right Reply to the Nationalist Past of our Continent : Whoever doesn't believe that, should visit a Museum of the 1st World War, that will be commemorated this year (1914-2014), or go to a Military Graveyard, as said our Friend Junker !" (long-time Prime Minister of Luxembourg, and former President of €uroGroup)...

    - "However, the Edification and ReUnification of Europe are the Right Reply not only to the Past, but also to our Present and Globalized Future : Europe must and will work Collectively, in order to Advance Forward, ..in the present and future Conditions, in order to be able to stay what it is, and to Safeguard what is Important for you", its People, the Key German Minister promised.

    =>  - Thus, "Europe has to impose itself during this 21st Century Not by Lowering its own Standards, No, but rather by becoming more Competitive, through Reforms, with a more Efficient and Speedy Development. By ameliorating its Structures do that it becomes able to face the needs of this 21st Century of a Globalized Knowledge and Technology", Wolfgang Schäuble stressed.

    - Meanwhile, f.ex. "in Bangladesh, Textile Workers were Shot Dead, earlier this Week, just because they exerciced their fundamental Right to Strike, asking for a Monthly Salary not of only 80 but 160 $ !", he denounced.

    - Indeed, f.ex., "Pensions, Health system, Social Security, operational Courts and Rule of Law, etc., are tangible realities in Europe, but, on the contrary for many Millions of People  in this Planet, particularly in Asia or Africa, etc. these are only Utopic" Dreams, he added.

    - Thar's why, as for the "Necessary Reforms" in order to "Fight against Unemployment" and restore Economic Growth, where France and Germany almost "converge", (f.ex. by limiting Taxes on Businesses in France, and by introducing a Minimum Salary in Germany, etc), "we must never forget what is the main aim : It's not about serving an Idol, such as Market Economy, nor about Dismantling Social Acquis, or about making Europe more German or American", (as some Critics claim), "but just to make our beautiful Continent more Safe and Stable for the 21st Century, with one of the Best Social Conditions in the World", as he said.

     - "For that purpose, we (EU) shall contine the Reforms, and Deepen the (EU) Economic and Monetary Union, while also Modifying EU Treaties", the German key-Minister firmly anounced.

    => "We must now Advance Forward, in the Direction that we have taken during recent years, and make Europe Strong enough to be able to ensure our way of life".  A Great Mission, where France and Germany have to be together", in order "to Strangthen Europe, and make it more Competitive", he stressed.

    => - I.e., in particular, "after the Progres accomplished during these recent Years in terms of (EU) Reglementation, and after the Resistance Tests, , we are Srarting this Year (2014) the (EU) Banking Union, with our Banks in a Better Health" "And even if, sometimes, Difficult Situations might arrive, nevertheless, Taxpayers' Money will be Better Protected, thaQn what it was until now", he promised.   

    - "We are already advancing towards the Right Direction : Central Europe found anew Growth, average Budget Deficits were Divided by two,  ....."we (EU) have Ameliorated the Coordination of our Financial and Economic Policies,  we have concluded a Budgetary Pact as a Brake to Debts, and we are Building now also a Banking Union, whre we've just found one more Agreement at the eve of Christmas, (i.e. before the latest EU Brussels' Summit of December 2013) ; we found a sustainable European Solutions for the Monitoring, Control and Responsibility", the experienced German Minister of Finance enumerated.

    Meanwhile, "important Reforms were made precisely in those (EU) Countries which benefit from Aid Programs", (such as Greece, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, etc), while, already  "Ireland and Spain are in the course of Concluding their Programs with Success".

 - "I know that it's Difficult for many Persons, from various points of view, but the Challenges that our Continent faces, don't allow any Hesitation, nor Delay", he underlined.

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 Schäuble (+ Samaras) on Greece
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 - Concerning f.ex. Greece, Schäuble acknowledged later the fact that Athens' Government "made clear Progress, even More than many expected from that country", so that, "if .... the (recently achieved : See Infra) Budget Primary Surplus" is confirmed, "and if there is another Demand for (EU) Funding, then, we (EU) are Ready to do something More" to help the Economic Recovery, (even if "that would certainly be a much Smaller Sum than the previous Aid").  "We (EU) shall see if it's Necessary, in the Middle of the Year" 2014, he promised.

- "But", for that purpose, Athens should "Honor all its Commitments until 2015" : "Now, Greece has to honor, at First", the Obligations that it has assumed , i.e., In particular, to "Continue its Structural Reforms and put an End to (Public Sector's) Appointments", he pointed out,

obviously speaking of the notorious problem of those surnumerary Cushy-job holders and/or Political Lackeys of former (mainly PASOK) Clientelist/Nepotist Governments of the Past 30 Years (1981-2011+), widely unpopular given various Corruption Scandals and/or other Crimes, several of whom apparently remain still non-elucidated or even unpunished, often under pretexts of strict Bureaucratic Time Deadlines...

- Simply because, without an Efficient and Moral Purge of the Greek State's sector, the excessive mass of Salaries and/or Pensions would make it practically imposible to Maintain  "a Primary Budget Surplus for 2015" too,  as Schäuble also asked, since, in order to become really Sustainable, it had to be a Stable result of necessary Structural Reforms. Otherwise, it couldn't be but only an Exceptional consequence of merely 1 or 2 Years of Heavy Deprivations imposed, if not to Productive Businesses, at least at the expense of Poor People's Health and/or Family Homes, etc., (who are by definition Innocent, i.e. Not Responsible of that Huge Debt notoriously provoked by the Excessive Number of counter-productive, and often Corrupted and/or Abusive, State Agents for more than 30 Years : Comp. Supra). Something which seems to have reached Crucial Limits, already since the previous 2010-2011 Government, as f.ex. the recent Tragic Deaths of a Young Girl after the Electricity was cut in her Family Home, and/or of a Poor Old man Aged 66 after Hospitals reportedly refused to provide much needed Health Care, (etc), inciting the present Government to immediately take at least some Urgent Practical Measures to prevent such Unjust Losses of Human Lives among some Poor, Innocent and fragile People, and Prime Minister Samaras to repeatedly stress recently, both in Brussels and in Athens, that his main Aim is to face and "overcome Unemployment and Injustices", as he resumed in a nutshell.

     + Indeed, looking well Conscious of the main needed Changes, the incoming EU Chairman-in-office, Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, in a joint Press Conference with EU Commission's President José Barroso yesterady,  noting the Fact that, in addition to a 1st Primary Budget Surplus for 2013, (i.e. "a Year Earlier than scheduled by the (EU) Program", in a Fast-track Financial reform),  as well that International Financial Markets' "Spreads" were radically reduced since "Interests for Greek Bonds became 3 times Lower from what they were in the Past, (i.e. 3 or 4 times Higher)", as he reminded, while the Greek Stock Market  is currently "at its Highest level during the last 35 Months" (i.e. in almost 3 Years : 2010-2013), observed in Conclusion that  "the Markets picture a Greece which is going out of the Crisis, even if People are still Suffering, since a Process has Started to Reduce UnEmployment, to create Investments, and a (New State) System which won't be Bureaucratic and against Citizens, but Liberal and Citizen Rights-Friendly".           
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    Topically, Schauble arrived in Strasbourg only a Day after a meeting with US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, where he has just justified Germany's particularly succesful Export-oriented Economy, supported by a strong but careful Internal Consumption, vis a vis USA a.o. inspired criticism, mainly by observing the Fact that, compared to USA's 350 Million People market, EU's 500 Million-strong common Market still has, in overall, a rather limited Exports' result until now, while, in addition, some €uroZone Member Countries, despite recent progress, still face Financial Hardships during their on-going Reform processes, (while also inviting Washington DC to better face its notoriously huge current account's Deficit and controversial Monetary Policy, criticized even by numerous American sectors as too loose).   

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+ EU's Franco-German motor + Strasbourg City
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    + French Senator Fabienne Keller, anouncing her intention to focus on creating Jobs and developing Europe mainly by fully activating all the potential of its Franco-German "motor", stressed that she intends to follow much more German Chancellor Angie Merkel's and Finance Minister Wolfgang Schauble's Economic Policies, than those currently practiced by French Socialist President Hollande, with controversial or limited results until now, while also acknowledging Germany's currently "Leading" role inside €uroZone, in the present Economic and Political circumstances.  

    - Meanwhile, speaking at the beginning of the Anniversary Year of 1 Century since the 1st World War of 1914, Schâuble reminded the fact that, during the two particularly Deadly and Destructive World Wars, "more than a Million of Young German and French People lost their Lives at the Battlefield, while, on the contrary, Today, 100 Years later, (on 2014), any such War between France and Germany is absolutely Unthinkable, all former Hostilties of the Past have been thrown to the Waste-Baskets of History, where they belong, and, Now, all Polls show that nobody feels so Close to the French People, than Germans do !".

    - Instead, it's here, in this Superior Rhine Region (OberRhein : French Alsace and Germany's Baden-Wurtemberg, as well as Switzerland's Bale), which had Changed Nationality many times in the Past, and where People had Suffered a lot from 2 World Wars, that Europe's Peace and Freedom main principles, allowed EU Citizens to benefit the most during many Decades afterwards. + Moreover, Germany is grateful to France that it agreed, on 1990, to the ReUnification of Germany, which notoriously stimulated also the subsequent European ReUnification, Schäuble went on to add in his Speech. That's why Strasbourg, as the City of Franco-German Reconciliation and European ReUnification, is "the European Capital of our Hearts", even if there are several other Metropoles in Europe, as he said.

    - Thus, f.ex., the Borders which used to Separate People in the Past, now are becoming more and more Crossroads of Modern Communications and Citizens' meeting points, as the "Garden of two shores", the "Tram which shall soon unite Strasbourg to Kehl", the "High-Speed Train Bridge over the Rhein" between France and Germany, etc., so that "here, in Strasbourg, the Franco-German core of the E.U., European Integration takes a very Concrete Shape : With almost 6 Million of People, OberRhein has become a Region with one of the Strongest Economies in the World, right on one of the most Developed and inhabited European Areas, going from Rotterdam to Lyon and Northern Italy, the German Finance Minister observed.
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    +- Pointing at a Topical Link between European and Local Politics in 2014 in several EU Countries (France, Germany, Greece, etc), Schäuble observed, in Conclusion, that, "In a few weeks, we are going to elect the representatives of 500 Millions of EU Citizens in EU Parliament, headquartered in Strasbourg", and also "the Municipal Elections will take place exactly the same Date in Germany : on May 25, while in France, they are scheduled on March 2014.

     - "Cities can give to EU Citizens Roots and Participation to cells of Democracy", Schäuble went on to add, in view of German and French Local Elections,  noting also to the fact that, "in Democracy, few mandates give so Large Competences, as that of Mayor : Everything that is at Stake, from Europe to a Region, etc., is concentrated in One Person"...  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
    - "With Fabienne Keller, Strasbourg would have a new a Strong and Experienced Mayor, for all Citizens, who has already served in various Mandates, both here, in this City, but also in the Region, in France and Europe", Schäuble advised, speaking "as a Friend, and Neighbour", but also "Political Parties' Ally", as he said, after reminding, also her Senate Report on "TransBorder Regions in Europe", her participation in a "France in 10 years" prospective Group, etc, in addition to her 1st Electoral Mandate as Strasbourg's Mayor, during which even her Socialist Competitor Ries admitted that many Important Infrastructures had been built, critics having focused in the Past rather to relations with Citizens and even Friends or Allies, (something that Keller has admitted a long time ago, and vowed to Change this time, by trying to stand closer to motivated Citizens in the Future).

 

    - Meanwhile, Mrs Schäuble, who was accompagnying her Husband, together with some other German Euro-Politicians,  warmly Welcomed by the French People, speaking to "EuroFora", observed that she almost "didn't recognize" Strasbourg since the last time that she had visited the City, many years ago, (i.e. when Keller was Mayor)....

    + Keller confirmed earlier Today her intention to make at least some First Steps towards the Direction of what "EuroFora"'s Founders have been proposing already since 1997-2007, (See relevant Publications and Official     Texts, Audio/Video transcipts, etc), mainly by inviting Top Experts and leading Representatives of Interested Economic or Social Groups related to the issues dealt each Month by EU Parliament's Plenary sessions in Strasbourg, as well as to "Examine" former Vice-President Onesta ("Greens") suggestions for EU Citizens, as she said, (apparently not having been informed by anyone of the Fact that "EuroFora" had anew proposed in Public, during a Press Conference in EU Parliament with the EU Commission's vice-President responsible for Inter-Institutional relations and Communication then : Swedish Socialist Margot Wallstrom, back on 2006, following what, our main Idea (initially Highlightes even by writting , as early as since a 1997 collective Project officially presented by "EuroFora"s Founders and accepted by EU Commission in order to be examined in the framework of an EU Program for Innovative Social Utilisations of New ICT Technologies, then called "ESPRIT"),  had been only partly endorsed by the then "Green" MEP and fprmer EU Parliament's vice-President Onesta, who managed only to get a Budget  for a limited number of classical "Conferences" where just a few EU Citizens were "Invited" to participate, exceptionaly, in what he called "Agora", so that this attempt notoriously Failed, simply because, in fact, it was too far Away from "EuroFora"s original proposal : Which was, and still is, on the contrary, mainly to find adequate and Simplified ways (even costing nothing at all !) for EU Citizens interested by EU Parliament's  Decisions which affect their Lives, to have a chance, before Final Votes, to be Timely Informed and participate in Public Debates, expressing their views, and, eventually, in some kind of collective Dialogue with Key MEPs, thanks also to the Modern Information and Tele-Communication Technologies, etc : I.e. a "living" and Timely InterAction on what is really at stake during the EU Decision-making process, and not a mere bla-bla Disconnected from Topical Political Realities and People's real Interests...

    "Fabienne", as Keller is familiarly called by local People,, had initially surprized by winning at the 2nd round the 2001 Municipal Elections, but lost their 2008 follow-up, was meanwhile elected Senator, and recently managed to get on the Main Opposition Party UMP's support for a New, 2014 bid to win back Strasbourg City Hall, for which she started to work earlier than others, attracting in the rush a potential competitor : Robert, turned into Ally as a Party Faithful, while also facing Strong Competition by the outgoing Socialist Mayor-Senator Ries, as well as by Center-Right candidate Loos, current President of Alsace Region's Economic Committee, and experienced former Minister, as well as former Director of France's National Agency for the protection of Natural Environment, (with whom she could form a United Team during the Elections' 2 stages), followed by a surprise former mainstream politician Candidate for the Rightist "National Front", the "Greens",  but less by the "Left" and/or other fringe candidates of minor but not negligeable groups, etc. She might notoriously gain some Votes for her LGBTI Rights-Friendly stance, but lose others for her controversial vote in favor of an unpopular Law imposing Homosexuals' Mariage and even Adoption of Children, against which both her Party, UMP, and a Majority of French People are concerned for risks of various Abuses, according to all Polls, even if a possible late Alliance with Loos (who said that he was opposed to that law) might eventually bridge that gap.        

(../..)

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(NDLR : Fast Translation from the Original in French or German + partly Updated on 10/1/2014)

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("DraftNews", as already sent, earlier, to "EuroFora"'s Subscribers/Donors. A more accurate, full final version might be published asap).

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