Governing French Party Head Bertrand to EuroFora: EU Future needs Debate on Ideas +Political impulse

- "EU needs a Political Impulse" on key, Strategic issues, and, therefore, Public Debates on Ideas about main Issues affecting EU Citizens' lives, including, naturally, on "Europe's Future", which notoriously spreads from Economy and EU Democracy up to Turkey's controversial EU bid, etc.  : - "We (elected Political Leaders) won't let some Technocrats take over People's power !", stressed the Head of France's Governing Party UMP, Xavier Bertrand, in reply to "EuroFora"s Questions, at the eve of EU Parliament's plenary weekly session in Strasbourg, where its President, Jerzy Buzek and EU Commission's Chair Jose Manuel Barroso are due to meet with the Prime Minister of France, François Fillon on Tuesday, while out-going EU chairman in office, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero visits to debate the Conclusions of a Semester of Spanish EU rotating chair, followed by Belgium's Prime Minster Yves Leterme, next day, to start debating the chairmanship the 2nd Semester's chairmanship (July - December) 2010.

This was said shortly after Bertrand, (who spearheaded, one Year earlier, the June 2009 EU Elections' win of the EPP/ChristianDemocrat MEPs and their allies in France, in oordination with their collegues from neighbouring Germany a.o. EU Member Countries),  anounced to the Press, before a Public Gathering at Brumath, near Strasbourg, the Governing French Party UMP's wider wish to "raise anew the Political Debate at a Higher Level".

That's why, the Governing French Party UMP is starting since this 2010 Summer "a Campaign of Ideas", and, the fact that this  "Ideas' Campaign" starts Today from Strasbourg's region Alsace, "is not a Coincidence, but a Symbol", he characteristically stressed, speaking at the eve of EU Parliament's plenary weekly session here.

 - "EuroFora" reminded that both "2007 (Presidential and Legislative) Elections" as well as 2009 EU Elections "were won in France mainly thanks to key Debates on a "Vision for the Future" also of Europe, symbolized also by Strasbourg today, and Europe was also present even in the 2010 Regional Elections for Alsace, through big Infrastructures' issues, Values, etc, (as we said side by side with new Alsace Region's President Philippe Richert). To these Facts were recently added also various other Electoral results throughout several EU Member Countries, where, in one way or another, in diverse but convergent manners, sometimes unexpectedly, but always visible to a careful eye,  appear to emerge certain Key Ideas notoriously supported by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and others EU Leaders, (as German Chancellor Angie Merkel, her former close Bavarian ally Edmont Stoiber, etc).  And we asked Bertrand if he thought that "the (EU) Debate on Europe's Future, that French President Sarkozy had earlier asked for", and promised to EU Citizens, "could be part of the Debates on Ideas that you wish to launch in the foreseeable future" ?

- "Certainly", the Head of France's Governing UMP Party started to Positively Reply.

- Because "this Debate always remains entirely Topical : Europe either will become Political, or won't exist at all" in the Future, Xavier Bertrand replied to "EuroFora"'s question.

- Indeed, "it's clear that a Political Impetus, a Political Voluntarism is needed : Everything derives from that", he stressed.

- F.ex., "we can't have an Industrial Policy in the EU, unless there is a Political Will.  We are able to have also in the EU a Financial Regulation policy, if Poliical leaders want : That's what is doing (EU Commissioner Michel) Barnier. "We shall have in the EU a Common Immigration Policy, a point that I find important, only if the Political Leaders want that, (etc). For all such issues, it's important to Strengthen a Political Europe anew".

- "What was true on 2007 (Presidential and Legislative Elections in France), what was true also in the 2009 EU Parliament's Elections, (brillantly won in France by the Governing coalition spearheaded by President Sarkozy's faithful UMP Party Head Xavier Bertrand himself : See, f.ex., Bertrand's statements to "EuroFora" during the 2009 EU Electoral campaign), remains always Topical", he ensured.

- "We don't travel a Sunday of July to meet and speak with EU Citizens, just to let the Power be taken over (usurpated) by some Technocrats !", the Head of France's Governing Party UMP stressed in his reply to "EuroFora".

- "It's not the Idea that we have of Political Life". "If MEPs (from EU Parliament) and MPs are present here, during a Sunday, it's because they believe that Politics have a Meaning".       

 
-  "It's out of question to let these Responsibilities to other Political bodies", he stressed at the eve of EU Parliament's July Plenary session in Strasbourg, giving a clear impression that he'd welcome vivid EU Parliament's debates.

- "This requires certain Efforts, and Constant Involvement, but we are always standing (steady) along this particular Line", Betrand concluded.

Turkey's controversial and notoriously impopular EU bid is, as it's well known, a main part of French President Nicolas Sarkozy's 2007 and 2009 appeals for EU-wide Debates key Issues from which depends Europe's Future.

These points were also made, later-on, during Bartrand's subsequent Speech at a Public Gathering :

- "People tell us that France must remain an Important Country", and, indeed, "France wants to continue to be a a respected Country, and ensure  respect also for its (Republican) Values", That's one of the reasons for which we must make f.ex. the necessary Reforms to Reduce Public Debts in times of Global Crisis, .ex. control Public Spending,  Outlaw Islamic Burqua in public areas, etc.

- "Among those Reforms needed in order for France to be respected, there is also an important European and International Dimension", Bertrand added, shortly after welcoming also the President of EU Parliament's largest Group, EPP/ChristianDemocrats, Joseph Daul.

- "Because I believe that the Franco-German couple will always be Europe's motor, and we must always take Care for for the Solidity of this Couple,  for Solidarity among our Peoples and Leaders", he confirmed.- "And because we believe also in a Political Europe : Europe will be Political, or won't exist : Around me, there are various Political representatives", who have been elected by the People and "are not ready to leave it to some Technocrats to decide fcr us. The People who voted on (June 2009) EU Elections, who helped for the Victory of the UMP and its Allies, did so because they also believe in a Political Europe" , Bertrand reiterated also in Public, speaking here 1 Year after the June 2009 Electoral Win of the EPP/ChristianDemocrats' Group and other center-right movements in EU Parliament.
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- "Some want to Hinder us to speak" about real issues which affect People's lives, denounced, however, the Head of France's Governing Party UMP, (pointing f.ex. at some members of the French Socialist party). "Every Day, they either ask the Resignation of someone, or launch (Personal) Accusations  and False Claims, Lies, etc". But "this never made a Truth". "Nobody is  dupe". In fact, "a Socialist Party which has, today, failed on Ideas and Propositions, .. suddenly orchestrated a campaign of Harassment, relentlessly,  against others", i.e. persons with differend political ideas, he complained.

- "But", all these Personal Attacks, are "Useless. We intend to Speak" about real issues, starting from "this (2010) Summer", Bertrand firmly stressed, starting from grassroots meetings with Youth and other engaged Citizens, as well as the Media, MPs and MEPs.

 - "Avoid Debating" on serious, substantial issues, and "Hide them behind some Trivial matters" : This resumes all the attitude of some "Socialist" parties, also added Strasbourg Region Alsace's recently elected President, Philippe Richert.

 - Regarding Economic issues, "in times of (Global) Crisis, we must become more Efficient than in the Past, and better use Public Funds : Thus, Strasbourg's Alsace Region decided not to augment its Budget during all the following 4 Years (2010- 2014), Richert anounced.

- And "when they claim that we don't need (even in period of Global Crisis, with Debts remaining from the Past, and a longer Life expectancy) to work more, while all other EU Member Countries are engaged in this direction", "we, here in Alsace, where we see also what Germans and/or Swiss are doing", cannot believe it, added Richert.
Moreover, some political opponents falsely accused the French Government to deprive from retirement at the age of 60 even People who had started working early, since 16, 17 or 18 years of age, while they know perfectly well that this is simply Not True at all, since we have already made it clear in our Legislative Bills that all People who started working earlier than usual will keep their right to retire at 60 years of age, Xavier Bertrand denounced.     

Sometimes, certain quarels about augmentation of Salaries, expensive Retirement Benefits, etc., give a  sad, apparently egoist spectacle, particularly vis a vis Young jobless People, threatened to be condemned to never have viable retirement benefits early enough, and/or to People working hard even at their 70ies or more. This concerns not only Intellectual workers, who may like to keep a Socially useful and interesting job,  but even hard-working People, as, f.ex. that good and honnest, old New York Taxi Driver, who helped once "EuroFora" catch up with an urgent Airplane for an important trip to Chicago, at the very last minute, (a unique chance to meet also close Family members, Old people from whom we were separated for Decades),  efficiently taking risks in order to succeed to arrive on time at a far away Airport, without asking anything special in return. Such Hard-working, simple, honest People, should obviously be honoured, and, whenever possible, retire Earlier than some cushy-job holders paid expensive salaries (sometimes even with a  ..."14th Month" !) for easy jobs of dubious productivity, even when Efficiency and Solidarity is obviously needed inside Europe in the middle of a Global Crisis.