Van Rompoy succeeds to make a British EuroSceptic use a Pro-European Vocabulary...
(+Opinion). A 1st succes by EU Council's first President, the serious, profound and concise Herman Van Rompoy, wasn't only his obvious Pedagogical capacities, in the crystal-clear and substantial presentation he made to MEPs after the Solvay Library's EU Summit of February 11 in Brussels, both of the New EU Institutions, created by Lisbon Treaty's entry into force since December 2009, and of EU Heads of State/Government discussions how to draft EU's New Economic Strategy up to 2020, in addition to immediate concerns over the financial Crisis in Greece and elsewhere.
Van Rompoy made it clear that his "full time" role, after being elected by the 27 EU Countries' Governments for the next 2,5 Years, is mainly focused on EU's "overall Strategy", organizing and following up "Collective Decisions" of the "European Council" (i.e. the highest Summits of EU Heads of State/Government, able to reach official decisions each 6 Months, in addition to Informal Summits for political discussions), while also representing it both in Internal and External High-level meetings, (in the latter case by "working closely together" with EU Commission's vice-President on External Affairs, Barones Ashton, Head of EU's new Foreign policy service).
But it was more the frustration provoked to various MEPs by his careful abstention from early public appearances and frequent noisy statements on various current affairs, (as they were accustomed), which apparently created opposing, but strong feelings in some at EU Parliament.
From the one side, new leader of the French Governing Majority Party's MEPs, (UMP), Jean-Pierre Audy, who had vainly called for Van Rompuy to start debates at EU Parliament since December 2009 (see Audy's statements to "EuroFora", published then), friendly regretted that EU's 1st President didn't come first to speak to EU Citizens :
- "We can't do Politics without Democracy, and the Democratic Lecons of the 2005 French and Dutch Euro-Referenda, as well as in many other Countries, if People were consulted, is that EU Citizens are not against Europe, but feel that it's working without them, sometimes against them". That's why German Chancelor Merkel and French President Sarkozy tried to put EU Citizens back at the heart of the European construction : Nothing will be done without EU Citizens, nor without Member States' Governments, he said.
- "You have a duty to give a Meaning, to fix an Aim, to convince that Europe brings Solutions, protects, acts", Audy advised. - "EU walks on its 2 feet : Governments of States, and People. You should play the role of its Head, and it's from your capacity to attract States towards a Political Union that depends EU's Future", he concluded.
From the other side, British EuroSceptic MEP Nigel Farage, Chairman of the EFD Group, notoriously over-reacted, on the contrary, by a personal aggression against Van Rompoy, insulting his look as if it reminded a "damp rag" or a "low-grade Bank Clerk", and calling his Country, Belgium, "a Non-Country", (etc)... provoking protests from other MEPs.
Many Media pubished Farage's incident versus Van Rompoy, but nobody noticed yet what is perhaps the most important :
- For the 1st time in his career, Farage, whose party wants for the UK to withdtraw from the EU, instead of restricting himself only in his usual anti-EU criticism, on the contrary, now, speaking of Van Rompoy, he was incited to use an astonishingly .. pro-European Vocabulary :
- F.ex., he spoke about "the Peoples of Europe", praised "European Democracy", and practically supported that a "President of Europe" should be "Voted" by EU Citizens, and be someone "heard" allover Europe, as "a Giant Global Political Figure", a "Political Leader for 500 Million People", strengthened by a "Vote" giving him "Legitimacy", in order to "speak on behalf of the Majority of (EU) People", (etc).
I.e. by accusing Van Rompoy, in his view, not to fulfill yet the Promises made to -and not to meet yet the Expectations of- the People of Europe, Farage was surprisingly obliged to refer to even stronger pro-European Political integration aims than those contained in EU Lisbon Treaty, (which, f.ex. , does not provide yet for a direct election of an "EU President" by EU Citizens). And, indirectly but inevitably, (contrary to his own beliefs), attributed a great importance to such extremely advanced pro-European expectations...
Farage" even ..praised Van Rompoy for being "Competent and Capable", and therefore .."dangerous" for "Nation States"", as he said, returning back to a traditional EuroSceptic point of view.
But, meawhile, Van Rompoy's unexpected "miracle" had worked : His serious, reserved and careful personality, had obviously frustrated even an openly declared anti-E.U. as British "Independentist" MEP Mr. Farage, to the point to make him, unwillingly, adopt a pro-European Vocabulary valorizing EU Political Integration...
Smart move, President Van Rompoy !
***
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The recent paradox of freezing EU Talks with front-runner Croatia, while continuing controversial EU - Turkey talks, despite Zagreb's acceptance of Refugees' Human Rights to return, that Ankara refuses fex. in Cyprus, while both have "Good Neighborhood" problems vis a vis Slovenia, or Greece, Cyprus and Armenia respectively, can it be justified by the non-fullfilment of EU criteria, as Slovenia says, or, is it "Double Standards" ?
The question became unavoidable after statements by Presidents of Slovenia and Croatia, Tuerk and Mesic, respectively, to "EuroFora", exclusively or among Strasbourg's journalists this week at the CoE, on the sidelines of its 2009 Summer University for Political Schools, which topically brought them together as successive key-note speakers.
Comming only a few Months before EU checks Turkey's compliance to its commitments on Cyprus, etc., scheduled for December 2009, this obviously has a special importance for the coherence of EU Enlargement's principles.
Suspension of EU Negotiations is a normal consequence in case of a Candidate Country's failure to fullfil EU Conditions, such as "Good Neighborhood relations", stressed at first Slovenian President Danilo Tuerk, current CoE's chair.
But, regarding EU's Criteria, there shouldn't be any "Double Standards", reacted Croatian President Stjepan Mesic, commenting the fact that Turkey's controversial EU negotiations continue, while they were recently "freezed" in the case of Croatia, an "unquestionably European Country", which oficially accepts to respect Refugees Human Rights, contrary to Ankara's notorious refusals or reluctance.
Questioned earlier what "consequences on EU's Enlargement policy" can have the "Ban on EU Membership Negotiations", imposed to Croatia, Tuerk replied that "this question comes down to the fulfillement of (EU) Criteria for membership. One has to look at each Candidate Country ., from the point of view whether it fullfils the Criteria that EU has set. One of them are Good Neighborhood Relations, I'd like to remind. And also, there are other factors, such as Justice, Home affairs, Rule of Law, and others".
- "Now, ..Candidate Countries are at Different Levels of fulfillement of Criteria", he observed.
- " Croatia is obviously the closest to that. I'm rather optimistic : I think that in the coming Months we'll have an opportunity to look at all these issues constructively and hopefully we'll be able to make progress". "My main concern, at this point, is the situation in Bosnia : We haven't seen enough progres domesticaly. We haven't seen enough during ..political parties within their country.We need a New Energy, a new energetic move towards the Candidature for EU membership. "Other (Western Balkan) Countries (Serbia, Montenegro, FYROM, Albania) have been making soaring Progress, and I think that they should be ready, in a few Years, for the Candidate status".
- "As far as the Western Balkans are concerned, .. nobody should be left outside" the EU, Slovenian's President concluded, ommitting to mention Turkey's controversial EU bid.
- "This process may be seen as Slow, but.. Slovenia has also has also been exposed to various "Booms of Slowness" in our accession period. But now we can say that the process was relatively quick, because changes which occur after becoming EU member, are quite large, and they require proper Preparations before the (EU) membership becomes a new factor, an impacting line for a new (EU) member country".
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EU "Solidarity" ?
------------------------------
Slovenian statements made some participants from certain 3rd Countries as FYROM, etc. claim that "the Principle of EU Solidarity" would "produce a.. rising European Union Nationalism (sic !), against Non-EU Countries", as they said, asking unhappy foreign countries to form a "bloc" to exert pressure on the EU...
But Croatian President Stjepan Mesic dismissed that, supporting "EU Integration", "after the Economy also in Political" issues, as "the achievement" of our times. In EU there is "diversity, but it's United", he stressed, "EU has to be United so that it can become a central factor of Peace" also at the surrounding areas, he replied.
Speaking later exclusively to "EuroFora", the experienced twice President of Croatia, former President of the International "Non-Aligned" movement, denounced "Double Standards" in the way EU treats recently Croatia compared to Turkey :
- "I think that there shouldn't be Double Standards", stressed the Croatian President, in reply to a Question comparing the freeze of EU - Croatia talks, with the continuation of EU - Turkey talks, despite the fact that Croatia is an "unquestionably European country", while Turkey's EU bid is notoriously controversial.
Mesic was reacting to the observation that, even if he confirmed his "respect of Refugees' Human Rights to return, etc. (See infra), nevertheless, EU talks are suspended with Croatia.. While for oher, controversial candidates, who refuse to respect Refugees' Rights to return, etc., as fex. Turkey does in occupied Cyprus and elsewhere, EU negotiations continue".
- "I believe that Croatia's accession will confirm that all European Countries who fulfill all of the Conditions and achieve European Standards, have to join the EU. There shouldn't be any Double Standards", went on to add in reply President Mesic.
In this relation, Croatia's President found "of paramount importance", CoE's "mechanisms enforcing ECHR's judgements"
- "On Refugees and Displaced persons, the process will be completed only after the last person demanding to return will be allowed to do so !", President Mesic Croatia stressed earlier, setting a general standard of obvious importance also for otherr candidates, as f.ex. Turkey, often accused to exclude or heavily restrict Greek Cypriot Displaced persons' return to their Family Homes and ancestral land, provoke difficulties to Turkish-Kurd IDPs return to their home regions at the South-East, etc.
Some "2.000 People are still reported Missing" in former Yugoslavia, for some Years, (as in Cyprus, modern Europe's oldest case, for 3 Decades. Nagorno-Karabach, Tcecnya in Russia, etc, more recently), and Investigations "will only be completed after establishing the fate of the last one of them", he added.
Speaking earlier on "War Crimes", President Mesic stressed that "Leaders are responsible for (the) Wars (of the Past), not the People", and called against Impunity : "Individuals have to be held Responsible for Crimes. International Penal Tribunals have to persecute those individuals", perpetrators of War Crimes, he underlined.
Such statements naturally made Mesic rather popular at ECHR, whose President, French EuroJudge, Professor Jean-Paul Costa, looked particularly smiling when he welcomed him later on Wednesday afternoon, after Slovenian President Daniko Tuerk earlier this week.