newsitems

*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- The paneuropean trend is for a New Era geopolitically, with EU - Russia closer agreements, including on Sea - River Ship Transport of Energy, on the condition that Security and Environment issues find some Guatantees, replied to "EuroFora"s question Victor Orban, the Prime Minister of Hungary, the strategically located Central Europe country at the heart of Danube river, speaking at a Press Conference in EU Parliament in Strasbourg.

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 - Raising a "differend" Question on "Economy", (See other "EuroFora" NewsReport on our 1st Question to Victor Orban, on EU's Identity and Future, debate), "EuroFora" reminded to the Prime Minister of the Strategically located Country for PanEuropean Danube - Rhine Enerhy a.o. links, (See relevant, previous "EuroFora"s NewsReports, including of 12/2010 from Brussels' EU Summit), that, "at the end this Month (January 2012), will be hold the 1st EU Summit on Growth, a factor of which is Energy".

    - But "in Budapest you have the important Danube International Commission,  (equivalent to Strasbourg's Rhine Navigation International Commission), "and a growing number of People speak about the possibility to transport Liquified Natural Gas by ships through Danube and Rhine Rivers, (whose interconexion for grand gabarit Ships  has opened since 2001), at the (mainly Franco-German) industrial Heart of Europe, from Central Asia,  Russia and may be also other Countries", "EuroFora" observed.  

    -"Apparently, there are some Moves going on about it", (f.ex. with recent developments concerning the AGRI project, which has startezd between Romania, Georgia and Azerbaidjan, in concertation with Hungary, etc : See statements made earlier to "EuroFra" by Romanian President Basescu, Georgian President Shakashvili, Moldovan Presiodent Lipiu, Azeri Ministerr for European affairs, etc). "Do you thing that s something New will really emerge from that ?", we asked Victor Orban.

    Replying to "EuroFora"s questions in the most official manner, the popular Prime Minister of this obviously strategic EU country from geopolitical point of view, speaking at a Press Conference at EU Parliament in Strasbourg, was both careful and positif, chosing to put the accent on Hungaria's potential contribution to EU - Russia strategic links prospects, and starting,for the 1st time, too enter into concrete details ;

    - Orban diidn't exclude at all the obviously immense potential of Black Sea - Danube - Rhine Sea and River Ship transport of NLGas from Central Asiaa directly to EU's Industrial centers, but asked, as part of an overall economico-political deal, to have also some energy and security/defense "guarantees" in exchange of a possible Hungarian key contribution at the center of the geopolitical mecanism required for it in order to function properly and at the interest of all countries involved :

    - "As far as I'm concerned, Europe has no other option, but to come to some sort of Agreement with Russia, in a medium term", Victor Orban replied to "EuroFora" on the occasion of Energy geopolitics, but looking at a wider, Historic spectrum.

    => - "This (an EU - Russia Agreement, f.ex. triggered on the occasion of the Black Sea - Danube + Rhine river Energy transports by ships, etc (comp. supra)- is going to be a completely New Era in EU Politics !", the Hungarian Prime Minister positively stressed.

    - Evenmore, "I think (that) this is a PanEuropean trend", he observed.
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    + Moreover, "Danube is very part of our (+ Hungary's) Identity"  and "for the Hungarians any such Invetsment, if you touch upon River Danube this is very Sensitive",  "it's one of the most Sensitive issues", he added.

    -Already, "Danube played an important part during Communism", he reminded. But it was  f.ex. "because they wanted to build a Hudro Plant on", (i.e. another, old project, differend and unrelated  to Ship transport of Enzergy).

    - On this differend, particular point, "we should treat (such issues) Carefully,  and I share the opinion of the Environmentalists", the Hungarian PM. observed, since, "politically, I think that the arguments of Environmentalists are more convincing", as he said on that.

    - But, "I'm not cfompletely deaf to the arguments of Industry", Victor Orban also added.
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    - However, the real thing rather is to alleviate any fear that, "for us, in Central Eastern Europe, alhough we have some Experience on what it' s like, when the rest of Europe strikes a deal with Russia, usually we are at the bitter end of the stick, when such a deal is made", he reminded for the Past, in order to explain why, today, Hungary "would like to see Guarantees", as he asked :

    => In particular, "we'd like to see Guarantees, for Security, for Transport, (etc), the Hungarian Prime Minister explained in concrete terms.

    - "And Guarantees that make sure that our Enrgy supply is secure, because this makes us able to maintain our Independence, in terms of Energy, and Military capablities, and so on", he went on to analyse, adding also security/Defense parameters, (perhaps not so far away from the overal, PanEuropean Security strategic deal that Russian Prezsident Medvedev has been proposing recently through the OSCE, EU - Russia, G8,  and other diplomatic channels : Comp. relevant "EurpoFora"s publications)..

    - "But", at any case, "I don't think that my position - concerning the strategic links between EU and Russia-  should be the cause for the Criticism against us", that the Hungarian government recently faced by some, mainly "Socialist" quarters on other, differend issues, mainly of internalo character, he concluded.

   

 

*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- EU's probably most important and topical, High-Tech. Space program, GMES, ("Global Monitoring for Environment and Security") may be threatened by costs' reductions for sums equal to ... Turkey's controversial and unpopular EU bid, revealed the replies to "EuroFora"s Questions by Inter-Group on "Sky and Space" leading MEPs, and EU Parliament's Rapporteurs on GMES, in a Press Conference in Strasbourg where the issue started to be discussed in view of imminent, forthcoming EU developments and decisions :

A group of MEPs from various political Groups and Countries recently wrote to EU Commission's President Barroso a Letter protesting against a Draft which is going to exclude, for the 1st time, GMES from EU's Multi-Annual Financial Perspectives 2014-2020, restricting its Funding to merely annual EU Budgets' decisions, with the obvious risk to provoke uncertainties incompatible with long-term Investments, and to leave the strategic High-Tech project, totally or partly, at one or another moment, in limbo.
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     "EuroFora"'s questions to EU Parliament's Repporteurs on GMES started by reminding the fact  that "there were also in the Past some Delays on funding another landmark EU's Space Programs, such as, f.ex. GALILEO (on Satellite Navigation Systems), and Europe lost an opportunity to have, f.e. China a.o. 3rd Countries paticipate for some 400 Millions €.. So that, now China has its own Satellite Navigation System.. Do you think that there might be similar, or even worse, risks now if EU delays also its GMES program ?", we asked the Inter-Party Group of MEPs.

    => But, entering substantial issues, "EuroFora"s 2nd Question concluded by asking the competent EU Rapporteurs from various poliical groups, to clarify "How much is the Money, what kind of volume of Money are we speaking of (in the case of GMES) ? Can we compare it, f.ex., with other (EU) expenses, for which the Money apparently exists, in order to have Debates about  real and concrete Political Choices  ?".
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    Norbert Glante, experienced former EU Parliament's Rapporteur on GALILEO, and current co-Rapporteur on GMES for Industry/Research, a German Socialist MEP, started to reply to "EuroFora"s question by observing, first, that "these are 2 Differend EU Projects : GALILEO is an Infrastructure project, that the EU Commission is funding wholesale"

    - "At the beginning, the GALILEO project was meant to be a Public-Private partrneship. Two consortia competed, but afterwards they went together, they merged, and there was, therefore, no more competition. With the consent of (EU) Parliament, the Commission decided, then, to fund  itself the program.

    - Now", ²"it's true that "we had Delays", but "they were not just for the Funding : There were (also) Technical Delays, there was f.ex. a Partner in China that steped out, etc.". However, "Today, our Hope is that EU Commission is able to send out 18 Satellites in orbit by 2014, and guarantee a 1st step. This is not the original idea, but hopefully it will happen", he concluded.

    + "GMES requires 5,8 Billions €, which means that we can get Satellite configurations in Orbit. National/Private Telecommunication Satellites could be added to. They could provide Data to create (New) Services. If you put the 5,8 Billions €, this is Money which should be ready to be provided during the next Financial Perspectives Period of 2014 - 2020,  and, if we have a Budget Debate, when we look at the Financial Perspectives, we know that the (EU) Parliament has significant clouts and influence."

    - "You have to set Priorities, of course you do. But I think that when it comes to Space, when it comes to Industrial Policy, I think that we (EU) have a Competitice Advantage to the World, that we need to keep that. "We need to keep our Technological Future in our own hands. We should do it here, and I think that we should do it in the EU, and, therefore, in the EU Budget". Because, "if we start to pull away, we'll end up with a situation where an American Ambassador will come to fruition and say : - "Just let Stop everything, and buy it all from the States !", Glante warned.
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    + But Italian, ChristianDemocrat/EPP MEP, Aldo Patriciello, EU Parliament's co-Rapporteur on Satellites, gave an even more specific answer particularly to "EuroFora"s most crucial, 2nd question (See supra) :

    - "I want to remind that it's important to think about the Funding, by considering (also) what it had costed until Today : GMES has costed 3 Billions € until Today. So, if we don't invest in it, this basically means Wipping away all those enormous investments and efforts made until today", he pointed out.

    - But "GMES is critical into tackling Climate Change, Environmental degradation, Border Control, Maritime Surveillance, Civil Protection, etc. i.e. ¨Priorities which are part and parcell of our (EU)'s overall Strategies"  => In consequence, "I think that here, we need to stand Firm in the (EU) Parliament. We need to make Sure that the EU Commission includes the GMES in the 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework with around 800 Millions € in order to get to the 5.8 Billions € which have been mentioned".

    - "But, let me remind you, that this Budget is important also because of the Economic Return for Europe : It is estimated that the Economic Return would be 69 Billions € in the long run. So, this is also going to help (EU's) Economic Recovery", he warned.

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    - "Just to make it clear", "EuroFora" questioned further Patriciello : - In other words, "this (GMES) means something around 900 Millions € per year, what Mr. Glande said.  i.e. just what EU gives f.ex. for simple Accession Negotiations with one Country, f.ex. Turkey", we observed.

    => -"Yes : It (GMES) is 850 to 900 Millions € per Annum", admitted Patriciello, i.e.  almost exactly what EU spends annually just for Turkey's controversial and unpopular EU bid !..
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 - "Let me give you un Example, which is the Conservation of Rain Forests", went on to add in Reply to "EuroFora" Questions, Professor Vittorio Prodi, President of the "Sky and Space" InterGroup, and EU Parliament's Rapporteur on GMES and Environment : "Those Countries where Rain Forests are allocated, if they want to help the rest of the Planet, then, they have a Right to Compensatory Payments. Now, all of this could get into the parts of the (CO2) Emissions' Trading Scheme. And this is a contribution which could mean that the GMES has a real boon in terms of Financial Resources, so that, basically, this Infrastructure will pay for itself, in very short order"...

    - "Therefore, I think that it's absolutely Right that we focus on these Points" (on comparing Funds, as "EuroFora" suggested : Comp. Supra). "Not only this program will pay for itself, but it will also have an immediate counter-cyclical impact", Prodi concluded.
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     - "On issues like GALILEO and GMES we always had the large Majority of EU Parliament with us. So, we intend to ask to (EU) Member States to put the Money where their Mouth is, and to recognize where the Value is", particularly when they speak about (EU) Industrial policy, Growth, etc., Glante anounced about forthcoming MEPs debates and Votes.

 - "These are precisely the kind of projects where there is a Time Gap between the Investment and the Return. .. So, if an IPP doesn't work, then, we have to insist on Project Bonds : This in a European Value Infrastructure !", Prodi concluded.

 

Clearly and pedagogically replying to MEPs' questions in EU Parliament's Economic and Monetary Committee, the new ECB President, Mario Draghi, carefully but optimistically,  focused mainly into stressing that, despite the "Serious" risks at the present Global Crisis, €uroArea can succeed to face the challenge "if" it acts with "a well-coordinated, coherent and properly timed strategy", as it has already started to do, at least during the recent Months. While controversial UK-USA Rating Agencies should not be taken so seriously and would better face some Competition as French a.o. MEPs ask. And Greece's controversial PASOK Economic Plan on how to meet the overal Financial Targets agreed with the EU on October 2011 had better be reviewed, as he observed, after reiterating the general ESRB's call launched since late December 2011, as "EuroFora" had immediately reported (see relevant previous NewsReport).

 

After concluding, a smiling Draghi tried in vain to pose a while at least for an "EuroFora" Photo, but was immediately '"bombarded" by several more MEPs' questions up to EU Parliament's long corridors... 

In particular :

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UKUSA Rating Agencies lost Reputation
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Replying to a critical question by EPP Party representative, mainstream French MEP Gauzes, on the 3 UK-USA Rating Agencies, President Draghi observed from the outset that "all the Rating Agencies had a terrible Loss of Reputation, over the last (Global) Crisis,
Therefore, we should learn either to live without them, or to use them only at a lesser extend, among many other information sources. So, much less Mechanical reliance on them", he advised.

And the fact that we don't have Competition in the Rating Industry, is really an issue,  Draghi criticaly observed.

=> - "So, whatever we do to increase this Competition, is well done", ECB's new President stressed, speaking in Strasbourg the same Day that the Leader of French Governing Party UMP's MEPs, Jean-Pierre Audy, just reiterated his call for the EU to support the Creation of a European, Independent and professional Rating Agency, while also advancing the idea for the establishment of a New, World-wide Rating mecanism supported by the IMF and/or the UNO.

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Draghi : 3 steps Plan for €uroArea, (focused on Structural Reforms)
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But, the most interesting of all was Draghi's overall presentation on what shoud be €urozone's overall Action Plan, that he highlighted in reaction to the claim launched by Socialist MEP Bullmann éthat, "WIthout Investments, people have said that we'll slip in a kind of visious circle", as he had said...

 - "We have 3 sets of Actors ; If they all do and act consistently and effectively, then, we [EU) will reach Stabilisation", ECB's new President highlighted in reply :
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1st, National Governments. They have to put into place serious Fiscal Consolidation Plans.
What one sees accross Europe is Encouraging. Basically, Governments show a will and a Determination in pursuing Fiscal Determination in different (EU) Countries.

However, we shouldn't deny the Truth  : Fiscal Consolidation, if it's strong, as needed, this will have a "Short Term output Contractionary effects", as he noted.
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=> So, what can we do to Mitigate these efffects ?  An answer is that Economic Reform should be made also with Structural Reforms that increase Competitiveness, enhance Growth, and create Jobs.

Growth and Job creation in a area where Unemployment aproaches 10%; becomes more and more an objective to be pursued, together with consolidation of Budgets.

In fact, Growth and Stability are Complementary to eachother. Because there can't be any Sustainable Financial Stability without Growth", (as f.ex. the case of Greece also proved recently).

That's the 2nd part.
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+ The 3rd Actor, is a sort of "FireWall" , in the sovereign bonds' Market, ECB's new President added.

Because, we started this situation when Debts became big, but, during a certain period of Time, Markets are still "fragile" ("not only in Europe, but all over the World"), and, clearly, more than 5 Years ago, you practicaly didn't have but only some tiny spreads, since they were Not reflecting the Differend Risks.

But, then, after the Lehman brothers' crisis (in the USA), the perception of Risks Hightened, Investors started thinking that some had lied to them, Spreads started to grow dramatically, and, from Under-Shooting, (as previously), now they went towards Over-Shooting the differences in Interest Rates.

=> Therefore, there will be a Time when a "FireWall" would be really Useful, Draghi warned.

Because you'll have to avoid a moment when the Cost of Credit would be geared not to the Short-term, as we (ECB) do when we lend to Banks, but to the Alternative Investment, which is a Government Bond. So that the Cost of Credit would reflect the Higher level : i.e. the Government Bond, and not the Lowest Rate that we (ECB) ask the Banks to pay for that, he explained.
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=> As for the 500 Billion € move made recently by the ECB, (See 12/2011 "EuroFora"s NewsReport), it "is functioning", but we have to give it some Time yet. We (ECB) actually view it as being an Effective Measure, and we have several Proofs about it, he added.
Let me resume the Measures we took during the last 2 Months :

- We launched the unprecedented 3 Years Liquidity Facility, at 1% interest rate,

- We have halved (-50%) the Minimum Reserve requiry Ratio, from 2% tp 1%, so that it wil Free more than 100 Bilions € in collateral.

- We have broadened the Collateral Rules so that even Banks which are not Big enough, ca, actually access to the collateral, to the ReFinancing Facilities. (The reason being that the Traditional conceptions of collateral were only accessible to the very Big Banks).

So, we've done this for 2 main Reasons :

* 1st of all, we see that the key Refinancing Markets for Banks are Blocked.

=> So, we think that (with the December 29, 2011 Measure : See "EuroFora"s relevant NewsReport then), "we have avoided a Major Credit Crush", as there was an Emergency, (particularly with 200 Billions € Bonds coming in the first of theses two months). ...

* 2nd aim of that was to reach the target of Small-Medium Banks, who mainly fund SMEs, responsible for 60% to 70% of Jobs.

+ Some claim that the Money wasn't used because it was largely deposed back to the ECB. But, in fact, it's not the same Banks who took, and those who deposed Money back. So, meanwhile, the Money has circulated.

>>> From many points of view, we (ECB) are Satisfied by the efficiency of that Measure", Draghi concluded in reply to an EuroSceptic British Conservative MEP.
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Last but not least, questioned by MEP Lamberts on the situation of "Private Debts" in EU Countries, Draghi replied that there are All sorts of very Differend Situations, in this regard, going from those where the situations seems "out of control", up to EU "Countries which have the Smallest Private Debt in all the Western World", (i.e. a Record- High Private Lending Capacity), such as, notoriously, Italy and France, etc., which reportedly have among the Best and Strongest Private Savings in the World....

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New ECB President on "Greece" : Review the controversial October 2011 ("PASOK") Economic Plan on how to meet the Financial Deal agreed with the EU
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+ Finally, making just some "General" comments on Greece, in reply to a Question by MEP Chountis, (Left), ECB President started by observing that the October 2011 apraisal (of sustainability of the Greek Debt) had to be reviewed, "in view of the Fact that the Greek Program (which had been presented by the former PASOK Prime Minister Giorgos Papandreou, provoking unprecedented Popular Revolts and worse than expected Recession), both because of Lack of Growth, and of some non-implementation in part, is Not Delivering as expected", and this is part of the current Negotiations with the Private sector".

The controversy seems to focus on the controversial and inefficient, concrete Economic Measures and the practical way with which the G. Papandreoy "PASOK" Government had sought to meet the overall Financial Targets agreed with the EU, and not these targets in themselves, (Comp. the "Cannes Formula" suggested by "EuroFora" since the November 2011 Top meetings on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, and apparently endorsed by French President Sarkozy and the main opposition leader Samaras, etc).

Thus, a Realistic outcome would be an outcome which would guild, with a sufficient degree of realism, a Debt with a GDP Ratio of 120%, by 2020. This is a "realistic" outcome in the case of Greece, Draghi stressed in this regard, but without Time to explain in detail.

However, the overall estimation of ECB's President was that, in principle, a realistic outcome in the case of Greece was "possible". (Comp. "EuroFora"s latest NewsReport from Berlin+).

*Mulhouse/Angelo Marcopolo/- Symbolically speaking in one of the Historic places of Workers' Social Reform movement, as well as of Industry and Science at the European crossroads of Switzerland, France and Germany, just one Day after meeting with Chancellor Merkel in Berlin (See "EuroFora"s NewsReport from Berlin), French President Sarkozy presented a comparatively Solid Balance sheet on concrete Social policy Measures during his first 4 Years of term, and highlighted further needs and Future Objectives, starting by those Urgently needed in order to Safeguard France's and EU's Social Protection Model and basic Values of Human "Solidarity", as well as Economic Efficiency, in an ambitious but also realistic way in the middle of the Global Financial Crisis and the galoping, World-wide Competition, which will need Decisions, both at National and €uroArea or EU level, etc., starting as early as from the End of January 2012, close to the forthcoming EU/€uroarea Brussels' Summit.

 Rarely the most Tragic Human issues, as that of Life or Death, productive Health or sufferings by illness, Handicap, Age, Poverty, etc., came so close, in such a crystal-clear way, with Financial and Political, as well as Human Rights' Strategies, not only on a National but also European level, in the middle of a galoping Globalization, as Facts reveal in the case of French President Sarkozy's speech on "France's solidarity" mainly "to those who are more in need", i.e. People threatened by serious Health Problems and/or extreme Poverty.

Focusing from the outset to the "importance" it has, particularly, "in times of (Global) Crisis", to "give Time and Energy to serve those who are most in need", showing "particularly Humanity in front of Distress and Sufferings", Nicolas Sarkozy reviewed main developments and perspectives throughout a large Horizon made of "Social" issues, spreading from "Family policy", and care for the Poorest People, up to Health care and Workers' Social security funding, etc, stressing his "profound attachment to our Social Protection System", which "ensures Solidarity, contributes to Protect People against Crisis, and allows to those who are hit by Handicap, illness, or Exclusion, not to be rejected by the national Community".
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In this regard, among various concrete Promisses fulfilled, Sarkozy observed, f.ex. :

- "The Success in Family policy", with more "200.000 places for Young Children created in 5 Years", allowing to Mothers and Fathers to pursue their Professional Careers", since "in France, the percentage of working Women is among the Highest in Europe,", while the Country also reached, today, "the most dynamic  Fecondity percentage in Europe", with "an active Population augmenting by + 130.000 persons more each Year" ;

- "The Augmentation of Solidarity, in times of Global Crisis, to those who are most in Need, as, f.ex. Families in precarious situations, Homeless persons, the Poorest, etc", with + 116.000 covered places permanently opened, (an "augmentation of + 25.000 places in 4 Years : some + 30% more"), reaching an unprecedented level in the total Number of covered places, added to a recent "exceptional Plan to Humanize and reNovate" them. The Construction of 130.000 Social Housings each Year since 2007", ("i.e.  Building + 300 % more than 10 Years ago"), despite a Strange Augmentation of Houses' Prices in the private sector in France, regardless of the Crisis and contrary to other Countries, where Prices are lowering, on the contrary, as Sarkozy denounced. + "150.000 Persons were helped to get out of Extreme Poverty by giving them Complementary Revenues via the RSA, (where started to be locally  "experimented" a system of obligatory "Counterpart" in terms of "Remunerated Work of 7 Hours per Week", due to be Generalized this year (2012), "not as a punishment, but as an act of Respect, for the Dignity and the Re-Integration" of the persons concerned, as he said). The Monthly support to Handicaped Adults rose + 25%, i.e. for + 150 € more each Month per person, between 2007 and 2012, as well as "the Minimum for Old Age". The "number of Handicaped Children welcomed in Schools augmented up to unprecedented levels, reaching some 215.000", (i.e. "+ 60% more than back on 2005"). (etc).
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But the most impressive number revealed by the French President is obviously that of the Health Care Public Funds which grew, "each Year, since 2007, even during the recent (Global) Crisis, in average,  almost Twice More (X 200 %) than the Economic Growth !". F.ex. "even in the worst Recession of 2009, with a GDP droping down to -2,5% less, on the contrary, the Health Budget augmented up to +3%", as he noted. This represents an "Augmentation of some + 5 Billions € more, each Year, since 2007", the French President counted.

Such astonishing Facts (often seen during last Decades also in many other Countries, including USA, etc), particularly in the absence of any Major Medical Breakthrough or Discovery radically ameliorating People's Health recently (f.ex. against Cancer, Heart diseases, etc., which remain largely Stagnant), and contrary to the normal Productivity Gains by Innovations and/or Experience in any other organized activities, is a Strange, but real Question Mark almost Worldwide today...

Nevertheless, Cancer continues to be the No 1 Mortality threat, still affecting f.ex. more than 350.000 People each Year in France, so that, after a "2nd Plan Cancer, already launched back on 2009, will come also a 3rd Plan Cancer with some 2 Billions € more, to be invested in Research and in order to alleviate the adverse secondary effects of the treatments to patients, Sarkozy anounced.

Moreover, "Alzheimer" ilness affects Today some 800.000 People in France, where ("even if the word might not be precise in Medical terms") it is curiously spreading almost "like an Epidemics", as he warned, so that in order to fight against this Brain disease, which threatens even to "break up Families, (since "the person affected becomes as a Stranger, losing his Identity and erasing even the Memory of 30, 40 or 50 Years of common Family Life"), "Society must Find Remedies, for which Considerable Means are needed", according to Experts.
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In addition, even if, at the same time, "we never had so many Doctors of Medicine (f.ex. currently 210.000 in France), but, also, never before so many Regions anxious to ask if they will have enough Medical Doctors in their territory !", denounced Sarkozy as a modern Paradox, which reveals a deepening Territorial Inequality de facto.

Particularly to the detriment of certain "Regions or Poor Quarters contrary to the "Equaliy of Acces to Health" that Sarkozy's Draft Speech strongly defended, going even as far as to clearly underline the fact that "this is an issue of Fundamental Importance, in which I will be personally committed", as promissed an initial Draft, which was finally among many ommitted in the final speech, much Shorter, perhaps because of a longer than expected Delay provoked by earlier visits to Mulhouse's Hospital/University).

In consequence, those accepting to work in difficult regions or quarters will be better remunerated, as if they participated in a Public Service Mission, he stressed. In addition, some 230 "Health Houses" were created since 2007 in various regions, and about 500 more are currently demanded.

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    - Nevertheless, "since 1974", (i.e. for more than 37 Years), "we (France) present Budgets in Deficit". But, today, during the present (Global) Crisis, "we must reduce Public Spending", as we have just started to do, wiht "-4 Billions € of Deficit less" this year, (See Merkel and Sarkozy's meeting in Berlin, yesterday, with "EuroFora"s NewsReports from the spot), the French President reminded, (while several EU Countries are still under threat to have their borrowing capacity downgraded by the 3 main Anglo-American Rating Agencies).

    In this regard, there si a "Question raised today both in our Country and in most or all European Countries", according to the French President's initial Draft Speech notes for  the Mulhouse event, precisely at the point where he referred to "some very Important Decisions that we shall have to take towards the End of this Month", (January 2012), "including on the (Future) Funding of our Social Model" :

    >>> When, "for a Salary f.ex. of 2.500 €, the percentage of Employers' Contributions (to the various Social Security schemas) in France is DOUBLE (X 200%) of that which exists at Nearby Germany", as Sarkozy observed, then, "how can we continue to play a Leading Role in the Global Competition, instead of limiting, on the contrary, ourselves (EU Countries) into merely watch those Giants who emerge today, as China, India, Brazil etc. progressively take over our places in the group of Important Countries ?", he wondered, (according also to his Draft notes).

    => Obviously, by "enlarging the Fiscal Basis of our Social Protection system's Funding", as Sarkozy's initial Draft suggested, in a crystal-clear manner, various other Sources of Public Funds could be added to Employers' contributions, so that, according to the concrete way in which a Future, New Funding mecanism might be shaped, this could help both to find enough Money for Sustainability, and in order to combine differend sources allowing "Equality of Access to Health Care", according to the above mentioned Draft (comp. supra), i.e. real "Solidarity", according to the main flagship of Sarkozy's 2012 Mulhouse speech.

    On the contrary, a system exclusively based only on Employers' contributions, would be both opposed to Competitiveness, and exposed to obvious risks of Individualistic Egoism, incompatible with the Official main aim of "Solidarity" in a "Universal" Social Protection system, as that of most EU and particularly France's tradition and values, particularly vis a vis Health care, (which, by the way, is also the only really compatible with the Medical Deontology Historically expressed, until today, Worldwide, by the famous "Hippocrates' Oath", that all Medical practitioners are due to respect and apply)...

    But a new, differend system, could include, among Social Protection's Funding, f.ex., also part or even all the product of the famous "Financial Transactions' Tax", that Sarkozy has repeatedly promissed to establish, according also to a recent EU Commission's proposal which has just been tabled at EU Parliament for January 2012, receiving, already, a crystal-clear support also from German Chancellor Merkel,  yesterday in Berlin. Questioned by Journalists precisely on the destination of these Funds, Sarkozy had exceptionaly preferred to elude any concrete reply, except by pointing at his "End of January" meeting with "Social Partners" in Paris, where he reportedly will discuss the overall Social Protection funding.  ( Comp.  "EuroFora"s NewsReports from Berlin).               

    Significantly, Today, in his Mulhouse's speech on Social Protection, Sarkozy even added, at the conclusion, a last minute reference to "France's will to Tax Financial Transactions", timely reminding   also, the German Chancellor "Mrs Merkel's support", as he said.

    Merkel has pleaded, yesterday in Berlin after her meeting with Sarkozy,  in favor of : - "facing the same Challenges, raised by Globalisation : I.e., from one side, (EU) States need Revenues in order to fullfil their Tasks, provide the necessary services, etc.". But, "from anOther side, we must also be Competitive on Labour Costs, in order to avoid, precisely, Outsourcings", went on to agree also German Chancellor Angie Merkel.

- "It's a Challenge that we (EU) all face, and that's why, during the Next (EU/€uroarea) Summit, (Jan. 30, in Brussels), we want, precisely, to speak about all that, examine the Lessons that we can take from that, and that's why I expect with Interest, a great Interest, the Decisions that France is going to take. As for us, in Germany,  naturally, we take Care so that Indirect Labour Costs remain as Reasonable as possible, in order to avoid, precisely, these OutSourcings and Job losses", Merkel clarified, (according to yesterday's "EuroFora" NewsReport from Berlin).

 

    + All this obviously meets also Sarkozy's New Years' eve message (See relevant "EuroFora"s previous NewsReport, including Statements that have us one of his experienced Counsillors), where he anounced the intention to start establishing legitimateFinancial Sanctions against "Social Dumping" or "Unfair Competition" by Imports from some Foreign Countries which commit Gross Violations of even Elementary Human and/or Social Rights, contray even to the recent G20 SUmmit at Cannes (November 2011), which explicitly called all Countries involved to respect at least some Basic ILO's Rules, (See "EuroFora"s NewsReports from the "G20" Summit and on its aftermath).

    => In other words, a move apparently inspired by a Healthy will to create a Rock-Solid, real-politics' Alliance in practice between Fair Trade and Balanced Budgets' concerns, from the one side, and Social/Human Rights' values, particularly in the crucial Human Health care and Social Protection fields, from the other side.

    Or, in other words, at last, a hope to start putting in real practice from 2012 a good idea that Sarkozy launched as early as since 2009, at nearby Urmatt, (about defending modern and ecologic EU Industry against Environmental and Social Dumping/Unfair competition by some ruthless countries grossly violating even elementary Environmental and/or Social Rules that European businesses are obliged to respect, here).

    But, in fact, it all boils down also to the French President's crystal-clear Electoral Promisses for a Europe with a Cultural and Social Identity, having real Democratic  and Human Rights Values, in a Political dimension close to the People, which were highlighted in his landmark, Historic speeches on Europe, in February and July 2007 in Strasbourg, both before and after the Winning 2007 Elections, (comp. also "EuroFora"s co-founder's question-reply with Sarkozy and relevant Publications we made then).