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Strasbourg Cathedral Mass for Europe-2011: Ready for all fights tells EF Vatican envoy Mgr Giordano

Written by ACM

Tuesday, 04 January 2011

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A "Mass for Europe", in Strasbourg's huge, emblematic Cathedral, at the beginning of EU Parliament's 2011 first plenary session, on Monday afternoon, January 17, as Vatican's Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe, Mgr. Aldo Giordano (an Italian polyglot with a PhD. on Nietzche and experience in Geneva's UNO premisses, etc) said to "EuroFora", can it really have a Topical meaning for European politicians and EU Citizens today, Months before pope Benedict's expected visit to nearby Freiburg ?

It's true that People's reactions and feelings grew recently, while various innocent Christians were recently killed in the Middle East (Turkey, Irak, Egypt, Nigeria, etc), threatening to provoke a similar "Ethnic" or "Religious Cleansing" as in nowadays Turkish area, where, from Headquarters of Millenary Christian Byzantine Empire, it was notoriously forced to become a ..99% Muslim country, provoking growing reactions from the European and International Community, and mainly from French President Sarkozy and German Chancellor Merkel.

Symbolically, Giordano was speaking to "EuroFora" on the nearly 1 km. high Mountainous peak of Saint Odile's Monastery ressort, giving a superbe overview over Strasbourg and Rhine's area, despite icy-cold weather counter-balanced by striking Sun-light beams piercing Clouds and enlightening Giant Rocks and thick Mountainous Forests. There where it was natural for "Light" to be at the focus of a passionate Homelie by the Head of France's Christian Catholic Church, Mgr. Vingt-trois, in a Mass celebrated by Strasbourg's ArchiBishop Mgr Gralet, close to Rossheim's closter, dedicated to work for the re-Unification of Europe by late Strasbourg's ArchiBishop Mgr. Brand since the 1988 landmark visit of late pope John-Paul, with whom Benedict collaborated closely together for many years.

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The Date chosen by Giordano : January 17, 2011, coincides both with the start of the 1st EU Parliament's Plenary session in Strasbourg, and with a Week dedicated to Christians' Unity : Both are Pope Benedict's well-known favorite issues :

* The vital need to re-launch Europe can be succesfully met by defending fundamental Human Rights of the People : This was, in substance, the main message of Pope Benedict XVI in his 1st speech in France, at his meeting with President Nicolas Sarkozy, when he chaired the EU, at the Elysée in Paris (See "EuroFora"s 8+9/2008 NewsReports from Brixen/Bressanone, Paris and Lourdes) :

- "When Europeans will see and personally experience that the inalienable Rights of the Human Person .., those of their free Education, their Family life, their Work, ..their Religious Rights, ..are respected and promoted, then, these Europeans will fully understand the greatness of the European construction and will be actively involved in it", Benedict XVI stressed.

Sarkozy had replied by welcoming Christian and other religions' contribution to indispensable Public Debates on crucial issues which affect Human Dignity, Europe, even Humankind, as BioGenetics : A topical matter both for France, considering the imminent review of its BioEthical laws, as for Germany, given a recent Constitutional Court's ruling on controversial pre-implantation diagnostics and governing party CDU Congress' subsequent debate recently at Karlsruhe (See "EuroFora"s NewsReports from the event).

This overall problematique emerged again at the forefront now, in a Letter written by Pope Benedict, on the occasion of the "closing of the Compostela Holy Year", at New Years' eve (31/12/2010) :

- There, the Holy Father expresses, indeed, the Hope that "this Light" "may also be perceptible in Europe", with a crystal-clear message :

- "As an incessant Call to strengthen its Christian Roots, and thus increase its commitment to Solidarity, and the Defence of man's Dignity", (i.e. the very Foundation of all elementary Human Rights : See supra).

* It's also undeniable that pope Benedict, (who, being of German origin, knows perfectly well the issue of relations between Catholics and Protestants), has personally done much for the re-Unification of Christians in Europe, as it is proven by many Facts.

F.ex. :

- It's immediately after his emotional call, urgently launched from Brixen-Bressanone's Mountains on early August 2008, to prevent a fall-back to brutal conflicts, bloody and destructive Wars between Christians in Europe, that EU Chairman-in-office, French President Sarkozy, in agreement with German Chancellor Merkel, who was staying at a nearby ressort of the Dolomites Alpish Peaks, decided to break bureaucratic rules and rush immediately to Russia and Georgia for a series of bilateral Summits with Presidents Medvedev and Shakasvili, succeeding to broker a cease-fire Peace Deal.

Some opponents had already reacted negatively, from that August 2008, against prospects that they feared about the Franco-German Political Leaders, Sarkozy and Merkel, coming closer to the Spiritual Leader Chrisitian Pope Benedict, less than a Year before the June 2009 EU Parliament's Elections, which gave an exceptionally strong Majority to ChristianDemocrats/EPP and other MEPs opposed to Turkey's controversial and impopular EU bid, in the most important EU Member Countries, soon spreading also soon afterwards, in various ways, to several EU Member Countries' National Elections, (f.ex. Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Sweden, Holland, Belgium, etc).

- After 2001's late John-Paul's Historic visit to Greece (See also infra), it's for his long-time close collaborator, current pope Benedict to visit in 2006 the Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomeos at the Millenary (330-1.453) Constantinupolis, (currently Istanbul, since the 1453 Turkish Invasion/Occupation, and the 1922 and 1955 Pogroms), and the 1st Country to become officially Christian (since the 4rth Century) : Cyprus, on June 2010, where he held a landmark Synod of Bishops from all over the Middle-East.

In fact, the move appeared to be more ... Russian than Mediterranean, since Cyprus is well known for its particularly close relations with Russia, where, after the 2007 (?) visit of late Russian ArchiBishop Alexis to Strasbourg's CoE's Headquarters and in Paris, pope Benedict's visit should logically follow in Russia during his successor Archibishop Cyril.

+ In his famous Regensburg University speech on "Reason and Faith", back in 2005, Benedict highlighted the late Byzantine Emperor Konstantinos Paleologos, galoping in Trapezunta and Cilicia (current Asia Minor), while in his landmark Paris 2008 open-area Mass, at "les Invalides" square, he commemorated John Chrysostomos and "Church in the rock". Cyprus' born founder of Stoicism, Philosopher Zenon, has, meanwhile, been hailed by the Pope as vital part of the Movement of Ideas which contributed, also from the Ancient Greek Civilisation, to the emergence of Christianism.

His faithful defense of Family Values, Poor and/or Persecuted Persons and Peace, criticism of some Global Financial abuses and Wars, etc. progressively makes Christian catholics a.o. more popular among proletarians and/or proletarisation-threatened Middle-Class People, particularly during this period of Economic Hardship and aggravation of internal contradictions after the Global Crisis.

Meanwhile, Benedict's close relations to Jewish thinking and appeals to Dialogue and tolerance with Muslims, are added to his notorious, systematic efforts to link Faith and Science together, (as his Brixen/Bressanone's Historic Library's emblema : "Faith and Knowledge"), in a way able to appeal and stimulate real Intellectuals.
One of the topical, important issues on which Benedict's catholic stand was revealed to be very close to that of Alexis the orthodox (as well as to many Evangelists, both in Europe and in the U.S., etc.) was BioEthics, which is one of the most crucial issues today for all Humanity.

It's, indeed, in his latest Encyclique "Caritas in Veritate" (7/2009) that Benedict warned People to be ready for "a particularly Crucial Battleground in today's cultural Struggle" between Human Values and some abusive Technocratic "supremacy" chimeras, mainly on the field of Genetic and/or Brain a.o. Manipulations on Humans, from Embryos up to Adults, daring even to stand up and openly criticize current US President Barak Obama's controversial decision to obey to some Lobbies and cancel former US Presidents' George Bush and Bill Clinton's refusals to allow Public Funding for risky Genetic Manipulations of Human Embros, which may be dangerous for all Humankind.

It's "in this most delicate and critical area", i.e. in "the field of BioEthics, where the very possibility of integral Human Development is radically called into question", he had warned, pleading for "Reason and Faith" to advance together, and not alone.

It's a fact that this Brave stance was followed, shortly after, by a series of unprecedented even physical Incidents and/or Aggressions, (f.ex. breaking his wrist shortly after the Obama meeting, and throwing him down afterwards, with a threat to break bones, as for another, older Bishop who was standing besides him, etc), and by a sudden Mass Media-relayed systematic Slandering of the Church, sometimes out of trivial and/or old accusations steming from a remote Past of more than 20, 30 or even 40 Years ago (!), that he strived hard to wipe out by bringing in Reforms today, also by imposing strong sanctions to those rightfuly suspected of errors, sometimes even minors. In consequence, Honest People were inevitably surprised by the otherwise unexplained fact that such an unprecedented series of Physical and Moral Attacks was suddenly triggered shortly after the Pope dared to start becoming clearly outspoken on some key BioEthical issues notoriously linked with Big Lobbies' interests...

But Europe, hasn't it always been precisely the Continent whose intellectuals and politicians are traditionally enclined, throughout all History (from Ancient Greeks Philosophers, Rome and Jews' Diaspora, up to Alexander the Great's attempt to unite all developed Civilisations known at his times, to Marco-Polo and the Renaissance, Galileo, Columbus, the Spanish discoveries and the Portuguese trans-continental Ocean-crossing, including the Century of Enlightnement, Darwinism and Marxism, Fascism and Nazism, 1st and 2nd World Wars, as well as Human Rights' and the neo-Democratic and various Civic/Citizens' movements recently, etc), to strive to think and act from a Universal viewpoint ?

Thus, Benedict's recent symbolic references to Family a.o. moral Values and Europe's Historic Identity, particularly during his landmark visit to Spain's unfinished majestic Modern Architecture Cathedral of Sagrada Familia in Barcelona (2010), shortly before another Historically Symbolic country such as Hungary (the 1st in History to succeed to unite nearly all free European Nations under the banner of Christianism already since 1.600-1.700), takes over EU's rotating Presidency from the beginning of 2011 with a timely thirst to evoke Europe's Identity, (See Prime Minister Victor Urban's replies to "EuroFora"'s Questions at Brussels' EU Summit 12/2010), followed by Poland (2011), before Denmark and Cyprus (2012), become more and more topical today, at the eve of the 2011 World Youth Days (also in Spain), due to be prepared by European Young People earlier next year in Strasbourg, long before the holly father's expected venue, during his Autumn 2011 official visit to Germany, also to nearby Freiburg .

- "We are Ready for all Fights", energetically replied to "EuroFora" Mgr. Aldo Giordano, when we warned about some "Cloudy" or thorny issues (some of them probably due to be provoked by certain lobbies, out of the blue), which could be in the waiting list.. But, Europe's History and Identity, Human Dignity and basic Freedoms, or protection of Humankind from modern a.o. new risks, (etc)., seem to be sufficient motivations, able to stimulate moral and spiritual battles at various noble fields.

- Particularly if "People have the Courage of their Convictions", added to "EuroFora" on the occasion of the crucial BioEthical issue, the Head of France's Christian catholic Church, Mgr. Vingt-Trois at that same occasion..

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"Angels Chapel'"s "secret" Light ?

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Meanwhile, during that same exceptional Mass at the majestic Saint Odile Mountainous Closter's anniversary, on a particularly snowy mi-December 2010, with the Head of France's Christian catholics, Mgr Ving Trois, and Strasbourg's ArchiBishop Mgr. Grallet, while rare but brillant Sunlight beams transperced, from times to times, the heavy, gray clouds, the focus was naturally put on "Light", calling Christians to act also in order to transmit "light" to other People who need it.

But it was also said that, most of all, it's the transformation of our own eyes' capacity to "see", in a crystal-clear way, a light, that is of crucial importance.

A good Symbol for that point was given by the famous "Angels' Chapel" : a Tiny Room at the Edge of the Highest peak of that Mountainous closter, inside which most superficial, hasty Tourists usually can't see anything in the Dark, so that they are obliged to pay some Money and wait for a loudy Machine to open some Electric Bulbes which briefly splash a few Artificial beams over the Ceiling for a while, before "disappearing" all out of a sudden. Apparently, without an available coin of 1 or 2 €, nothing could be seen in the dark...

But, in fact, the reality is absolutely differend, as "EuroFora" found out : If People stay awhile in the "Dark" Room (which has a tiny semi-closed window, leaving just a few Natural light-beams enter inside), then, their eyes really "change", and start seeing, more and more clearly, one after the other, all the original Celestial Figures pictured at the Ceiling, overhead, (including a Stary Symbol close to what became, meanwhile, Europe's flag !). Thus, thanks to this gradual, Voluntary Natural Transformation, (probably facilitated also by some substances in the original Materials selected for the "Angels' Chapel"'s ceiling), indeed, simple Human eyes CAN start to "see", even in the "Dark", and for as long a time as it might be needed !

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Popular support after Heads of Christian Minorities attacked in Iraq/Turkey ask EU help +speak to EF

Written by ACM

Tuesday, 21 December 2010

An unexpectedly wide Popular support was spontaneously given, indirectly but surely, to the plight of Christians recently murdered and/or threatened in some Middle East areas, from Iraq to Turkey, etc., by an impressive gathering of many Thousands of People massed in Strasbourg's huge Cathedral despite an exceptionally cold winter, to hear and see old Franco-Brittish actor Michael Londsdale, recently awarded Cannes' International Film festival 1st prize for "Mens and Gods", where he played the role of an old Missionary doctor, who had consecrated his life into healing poor people in Northern Africa before being atrociously massacrated allegedly by "Islamist" Extremists in Algeria on 1996, as it was timely reminded just a few days before a 2010 Christmas due to be celebrated scandalously among fear and even quasi-clandestinity in Mossoul, Kirkuk, Bassorah or Bagdad and elsewhere, as denounced also a strong Ecumenical Denunciation signed by all Christian Communities in France and other EU Countries, Catholics, Protestants and Orthodoxes all together, added to growing criticism inside EU Parliament.

Christian Communities which often have a more than Millenary History in key crossroads of the Middle East Region asked help from Europe to face harassment and brutal, deadly attacks, as that who recently killed dozens of innocent simple Peope, worshipers inside a Church in Bagdad (Iraq), provoking strong condemnations and solidarity, including an EU Parliament's Resolution in Strasboutg asking for measures to protect Religious Minorities, find and punish those responsible for terrorist agressions, and guarantee an elementary freedom and tolerance throughout the area, shortly before Iraq negotiates an Economic package deal and other relations with the EU, reportedly before Spring 2011.

After centuries of harassments, dirscrimination, even murders, until recent years in Turkey turned an area which was Historically a Christian Capital like over Millenary Constantinople into the Smallest community in all Middle East, (while, on the contrary, in Egypt, Syria and Jordany the situation is, reportedy, quite better), concerns focused now on Iraqi Mossul, Kirkuk, Erbil, Bagdad and Bassorah cities, where Forced migration by systematic terrorism threatens to provoke "Ethnic Cleansing" emptying historic landmarks, as particularly Mossul, from their lawful inhabitants transformed into refugees/displaced persons seeking to escape brutal violence.

EuroMPs from various Countries, spreading from Scandinavia to Central and Southern Europe, led by Italian Mario Mauro, met with a High-level Delegation of Christian Minorities in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Turkey last week in EU Parliament in Strasbourg, who spoke with its President Joseph Buzek from Poland, and was received by the largest Group of MEPs (ChristianDemocrats/EPP : chaired by French MEP Joseph Daul), including the Archibishop of Mossoul, (the landmark city which suffered the most attacks, particularly since 2006), describing their feelings and exchanging infos and key, original Facts also with "EuroFora".

- "Since ..2005, Pressure becomes more and more Bloody over Christians to flee big cities of Mossul and Bagdad. Bombed Churches, Destructions, Kidnapping or killing of Priests or Bishops, Students kidnapped or attacked in their route towards Mossul's University, Hundreds of Christians killed, mutilated or robbed.... The Massacre committed in the Church of Our Lady of Salvation last October isn't but an uncomprehensible Paroxysm of these accelerated and hellish sufferings. ... It was even followed up, a few Days later, by Killings of Christians inside their own Homes or at their Workplace". Already, "an estimated 50% of Christians left Iraq", the worse being (as "EuroFora" had guessed : See previous, related NewsReports) "Mossul city which wouldn't maintain, no more than only 1/3 of its Christian Inhabitants", denounced a comprehensive Report presented at EU Parliament by Mossul's Assyrian-Catholic ArchiBishop Basilios Casmoussa : - "We are still feeling the Shock : Shall we live again the Genocide and the Massive Evacuation of our Ancestral Lands, obliged to abandon our Churches and Monasteries, as in Turkey after the 1st World War 1914-1918 ?", he wondered.

Among various other Paradoxes from a hard-hit region, almost all populations of which notoriously suffered from manifold brutal upheavals particularly during this last Decade, and badly needs to make good use of any link it might have with Europe and other developed Regions around the World which might help local People, a young girl who was reportedy obliged to flee in the EU, described to "Eurofora" how her Family, originaly from Diyarkabir (Kurdish area in Turkey - not far away from where Head of the Turkish Catholic Church, Mgr Luigi Padovese, was atrociously murdered while preparing to join Pope Benedict's 6/2010 visit to nearby Cyprus, in the latest in a Series of brutal attacks against Christians in Turkey, including the Murders of Father Santoro on 2006 in Trapezunt and of 3 Protestant printers of Bibles on 2007, etc), had to leave for Northern Iraq and afterwards Bagdad to escape from harassment and/or discrimination, while some went, astonishingly, even as far away as in Islamic Iran !...

Most millenary Christian Minorities of Iraq live close to Oil-Gas rich areas of Mossul and Kirkuk, which are recently disputed in part also by Turkey, through revendications for a so-called "Turkmen" Iraqi group there, and Facts communicated recently at EU Parliament in Strasbourg show that most Deadly Terrorist Attacks against innocent Simple Civilian People augmented particularly since 2006, by a coincidence the same year that Ankara inaugurated a controversial, too long Oil Pipeline Baku-Ceyhun, (the same week that violent clashes had been provoked in Lebanon, pushing Syria against Israel, etc). While now, in 2010, Turkey is notoriously searching desperately to find some Gas to fil another, even more controversial, too long zig-zaging, expensive and risky Gas Pipeline project pompously named "Nabucco", Iraqi Christian leaders, speaking to "EuroFora", could not exclude the possibility for some Oil-Gas dark interests to be eventually behind recent attempts to brutally provoke an "Ethnic Cleansing" mainly at the Mossul area, as they ignored the real motives of those who were behind the Deadly Aggressions against unarmed and peaceful People. Assyrian Christian Minorities historically located around Mossul might indirectly facilitate (f.ex. by Cultural links, Technical know-how, etc), among others, also an eventual renovation of a Short and Cheap Iraq-Syria Pipeline towards the Mediterranean Sea, from which EU Ships could directly bring Energy to Europe, alleviating Iraq's Economic hardship. Rumours attributing the recent attacks exclusively to "Al Quaida" appeared less credible to some Iraqi Christians used to live peacefully together with Muslims, etc. for many Centuries, than the old complaints f.ex. of some former Algerian Intellectuals who had already warned "EuroFora"s co-founder since the 1990ies that they were worried by reported former U.S. Administrations' attempts to divert opposants from classical political views by pushing them towards an artificially provoked and exploited "Islamic" extremism, as initially in Afghanistan.

It is obviously difficult for EU's predominantly Judeo-Christian and Greco-Roman over-Millenary Historic Culture People, nurished by Renaissance and Democratic Enlightnement, as well as Human Rights' ideas, to understand how it comes, particularly when several Muslim Mosques are currently being built for the 1st time in central Europe, (even helped with Taxpayers' Public Funds, including in Brussels and Strasbourg), on the contrary, peaceful Millenary Christian Minorities in some Middle East Countries as Iraq and/or Turkey are brutally aggressed, again and again, by some shady, violent terrorist groups, threatening to oblige them to flee away and abandon their Family Homes and Ancestral Lands.

(NDLR: Full draft Texts earlier sent to "EuroFora"'s Donors/Subrscibers + More due to come asap., according to developments)

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2011 EU Chair, Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban to EuroFora on EU Identity and Energy

Written by ACM

Friday, 17 December 2010

*Brussels/Angelo Marcopolo/ Incoming EU President from Jan. 2011, Prime Minister of Hungary, Victor Orban (a brillant winner of 2/3 Majority in Budapest), speaking to "EuroFora" in Brussels at the conclusion of the December 2010 EU Heads of State/Governement Summit, stressed the crucial importance it has for Europe's present and future to develop its Cultural, Historic Identity able to boost Citizens' Enthousiasm, also in order to fully exploit its huge Economic Potential, f.ex., inter alia, by building Direct Energy Networks, as that of Natural Liquefied Gas' Ship transport from Asia, through Black Sea and Danube/Rine rivers :

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Topical Questions on EU Identity + Energy

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Orban was replying to 2 Questions by "EuroFora" in his Post-EU Summit Press Conference, where we observed that, in his Introductory Statement, he "spoke well about the need for Enthousiasm in EU and its huge Economic Potential" in general, while being also, in fact, "very close to both, even in concrete, practical points of view" linked to recent on-going events :

- "One of these is that you are reportedly considering in Hungary to introduce into the Constitution a reference in the Millenary History of the Country, including its Cultural/Religious aspects (f.ex. on its Christian roots, etc). Do you think that the Debate on the Future of Europe, which includes Culture, History and Identity - as, inter alia, also French President Sarkozy (who notoriously has some Hungarian links) has already advised - might be an interesting topic today for (EU) Citizens ?", "Eurofora" asked at first. + At the same time, "on another, Economic issue, in Budapest you have also the Danube (Navigation) Organisation, and your (2011 EU) Presidency comes at an important moment :

- What are currently the perspectives, via TransEuropean Networks, to use New Technologies on Liquefied Gas, in order to enable Direct Energy Transport from Asia into the EU, thanks to Ships crossing the Black Sea, afterwards Danube and Rhine rivers (in EU's Franco-German industrial core), even up to the Northern Sea, towards UK-USA ?", "EuroFora" asked the Hungarian Prime Minister.

(EU) "Energy Commissioner Oettering is well aware about this, (See relevant Oettering's statements to "EuroFora"), and recently you visited the AGRI project, initiated by Romania, Georgia and Azerbaidjan. But there are also other Countries, such as Russia (member of the Danube Organization), etc., who could benefit from such projects", we observed in this regard.

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* Victor Orban on EU Identity :
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- "Cutural Identity ...is a very important issue, as well as Cultural Diversity, for the Hungarian (EU 2011) Presidency", Victor Orban replied to "EuroFora"'s 1st question from the outset.

- "The fact that, today, it gets less attention, overshadowed by another issue (Global Economic and Monetary Crisis) which covers the Sun, and keeps all other topics on the shade, it doesn't mean that it might have decreased the importance of the issue", on the contrary, he realistically but critically observed.

>>> Simply because, "obviously, "without having an (EU) Identity, EU Citizens won't be able to create a succesful Europe !", stressed incoming 2011 EU President Victor Orban.

- "This is the Philosophical Conviction that I believe in", stressed the Popular Hungarian Prime Minister, who won a landmark 2/3 Majority in recent Elections : As an Historic Figure in the Hungarian History had said : - "I am a good Hungarian, and that's why I am a good European. If I hadn't been a good Hungrian, I couldn"'t be a good European", he reminded.

- "I think Hungarian Identity is very Easy to link with the European Identity and feelings", observed Orban, indirectly but surely referring to the History of a Country which had succeeded to stimulate so deep and large Solidarity and common Conscience of what is realy at stake for most EU Nations, that it had, in fact, almost managed to inspire the creation of a ...1st European Defence, when Armed People from all over Europe (f.ex. England, Sweden, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, etc) had converged towards Budapest in order to help liberate Hungary from the Military Invasion and Occupation by the former Ottoman/Turk Military, (as "EuroFora" had earlier discussed with an Hungarian Official who appeared well aware)...

This was crystal-clear in the astonishing Historic resume and Cultural/Religious Symbols which had been spectacularly put forward, already as early as since 1999 by the former Hungarian CoE (i.e. PanEuropean) Presidency, with a similar Government based on Prime Minister Victor Orban and Foreign Minister Martonyi, when it had hosted CoE's supreme body : its Committee of Ministers from 47 Countries and invited Journalists, including "EuroFora'"s co-founder, to a special session in Budapest.

- "So, I believe in the fact that we shouldn't be afraid of being good Christians, and the Leftist interpretation that would consider National Identity as a Threat, rather than Energy, is something which I cannot accept", Victor Orban clearly stressed.
+ This goes even more when "in this identity, for us, we should be able to identify points or issues on which we can able to cooperate. This is what is taking place right now, and this is very good", the incoming 2001 EU President intelligently added (See infra). Of course, there are some debates, but we would keep them in" an appropriate way, he concluded.
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Significantly, it's at the eve of the 1st official Public Debate on the Hungarian EU Presidency's Program, at EU Parliament in Strasbourg, on January 17, 2011, that an exceptional "Mass for Europe" is scheduled in the impressive, huge Historic Cathedral of the city, as Vatican's Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe, Mgr. Aldo Giordano, (a polyglot speaking fluently Italian, French, German, English and even Flamish !)

All this acquires today even a practical a Key-importance for the full activation of EU's Economic Potential, because, inter alia, it also facilitates a necessary close Cooperation between several National Governments of similar Political orientation (Center-Right, and mainly ChristianDemocrats, etc) which were recently voted in power by the People of most of those Countries which can be involved in the Trans-European Direct Energy Transport from Asia to Europe via NLG carrying Ships through the Black Sea and Danube/Rhine rivers, on which "EuroFora" had questioned Orban, as he observed himself :
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** Victor Orban on direct Energy transport :

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- "Now, as regards your 2nd Question, (on the current prospects to build Direct Energy Trans-European Transport Networks from Asia to the EU: See supra), "I am very Grateful to you for having mentioned this issue, (because) this is another Major Issue which has not yet got all the attention it actually deserves", went on to reply the incoming 2011 EU President to "EuroFora": - "If we look at the (GeoPolitical) situation of Hungary in the Carpathian bassin, what we see is that, whether we might be ready to bridge, or not, negotiations with SLovakia, there were conflicts there, but we'll be able to have a Breakthrough on Energy", he optimistically declared.

- Because, "if you look at our Neighbours, I have to tell you that the situation is the Best in Decades", the Hungarian Prime Minister observed.

- "So we have joint and shared objectives with the Romanians, the Slovakians, and others. And I think that (even if in the Past) ...(in) this area may be some existing Nations have had conflicts, the situation can be remedied by the Center-Right (i.e. mainly ChristianDemocrat : See supra) Governments which we now have in these Countries, so that this can create a new possibility" for close and systematic cooperation, Victor Orban pointed out.

- (F.ex.) "we (Hungarians) work far together with the Romanian President (Traian Basescu : who has already stated, many times to "EuroFora"s co-founder, his strong interest for the Black Sea - Danube/Rhine Rivers Ship transport network for Liquefied Gas from Asia directly to Europe), to enter the (EU's) Shengen area. (etc).

+ Moreover, today, "we : Hungarians, Romanians and Bulgarians can have Gas supply systems which are inter-linked. That has a great importance", he observed. - "In addition, we are able to deliver Gas .. at the end of this pipeline" - Ship transport Network, "from the Black Sea to another region" inside the EU, he added.

=> In consequence, "This project has a European Value by aiming to transport Energy from Azerbaidjan to Europe without the participation of (other) Major Political Players", (i.e. DIRECTLY), Victor Orban underlined, speaking of a factor of obviously crucial importance :

- Otherwise, "it's well known, that, if you have a 3rd Major Player in an Energy Program, then, other Political Issues, other than Energy, will be involved", threatening to weaken EU's Energetic Independence (f.ex. a Political Blackmail, as Turkey notoriously often does), the experienced Hungarian Prime Minister pointed out.

- "Well, this Energy transport" Network project " is without Turkey and Russia", he observed, even if "it does not mean that we should forget all about Nabucco, Turkey, or the South Stream, that is important for the Russians, a big partner".

- But it's currently a fact, (among many other Criticisms against the controversial, too long, too expensive, and too dangerous Turkish Nabucco Gas pipeline old project, zig-zaging far away from Europe, through areas facing Risks of Violent Conflicts : f.ex. Kurdish, etc., of EathQuakes, Political/Commercial Blackmails, etc., without even having ensured enough Gas to transport... ), that, "according to Forecasts, Gas prices are not going to rise, so that Businessmen are reluctant to invest in big (and uncertain : See supra) infrastructures", and "that's why Nabucco is suffering", as he observed later-on.

- For all these reasons, the examined alternative Project to use New Technologies of Liquefied and/or compressed Gas (i.e. easy to transport also in Containers), to transport Energy directly from Asia to Europe, by Ships crossing the Black Sea and Danube/Rhine rivers and/or related pipeline networks, (See supra) "is a Project which adds to Competition and increases Freedom" of choice for the EU, Victor Urban concluded.

These, and various other topical Energy issues, are due to be discussed during the February 2011 EU Energy Summit, organized under the auspices of the Hungarian EU Presidency, he also anounced.

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EPP preSummit: Merkel, Buzek, Orban for a Stable and simplified action on EU Economy with solidarity

Written by ACM

Thursday, 16 December 2010

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*Brussels/Meuse Castle/EPP pre-EU Summit/Angelo Marcopolo/- Decided to find practical solutions to strengthen and develop a sustainable EU Economy out of the Global Crisis and able to prepare a long-term Future in a simplified manner, appeared mainstream EU Leaders, most of whom belong to the ChristianDemocrat/EPP Party, the big winner of the 2009 EU Elections, as well as of several National Elections in various EU Countries recently, which is meeting at Meuse's Castle just a few hours before the official EU Summit starts in downtown Brussels

EU Parliament would be ready to discuss a deeper and more comprehensive Economic Governance in 2011, while a "simplified" modification of EU Treaty could make legally possible, meanwhile, the Permanent Anti-Crisis, Stabilisation Mechanism that EU Heads of State/Government currently prepare to decide at Brussels' European Union's Council, stressed from the outset EU Parliament's President Jerzy Bouzek, at his arrival at the ChristianDemocrats/EPP Summit at Meuse's Castle, a few kms away, which actually gathers most EU leaders, including EU President Van Rompuy, before the official procedure starts afterwards downtown.

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Buzek pussed aside questions on "EuroBonds, etc., preferring a thorough picture of all the means used at a precise moment : EU's Economic policy should be taken as a whole, without isolating one element out of many, he underlined. German Chancellor Angie Merkel, who arrived unusually late (perhaps because of ast-minute contacts with her close ally French President Nicolas Sarkozy), but just after Buzek, confirmed that EU Summit should succeed to find "a strictly limited" change of EU Treaty.

Merkel expressed the hope that the December 2010 EU Summit sends a '"clear signal" for a strong and stable €uro in a stabe EU, as she stressed, adding also that solidarity is already implied as part of the overall EU Mechanism currently finalized.

Earlier, incoming EU Chairman, Hungarian ¨Prime Minister Victor Orban, alike Buzek and earlier Merkel and Sarkozy, dropped a question on 'EuroBonds", saying that "they are not included at our Program", for January - June 2010.

On the contrary, Orban focused on an agreement, recenty discussed also with other Heads of State from Central-Eastern EU Countries (of the Visegrad circle) on concrete detais of the forthcoming February 2011 EU Summit under Hungarian chairmanship, consecrated on Energy.

Both EU Commissioner on Energy Oettinger and incoming EU Chairman Urban are well aware of the enormous potential for Danube River (whose navigation is monitored in Budapest by a special instition) for strategic Energy Transport of Gas and/or oil by ships, thanks to new liquefied Gas technologies, particularly because of the topical possibility to import them from Central Asia directly towads the EU via the Black Sea, up to the Rhine River and even the Northern Sea, crossing via the most Industrialized areas at EU's Franco-German core, (See relevant EuroFora's Newreports).

Meanwhile, Greek main Opposition Leader, former Foreign Minister and former MEP, Antonis Samaras, met earlier with the President of EuroGroup, Luxembourg's Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, the 1st Head of State to arrive on the spot. Samaras was distinguished earlier for denouncing the fact that the reportedly huge Public Debt with which previous Governments had burdened Greece had nothing to do with a supposed "Crisis" of the €uro, but much more with an earlier, mis-management by former "Socialist" governments dating back to 1998-2001 and even 1982-1988, (covered up only thanks to a back-room deal to close eyes on Turkey's controversial EU bid in 1999) that he criticized.

Therefore, Samaras, speaking to "EuroFora", agreed that, "of course", the 2009 problems in that country were, in fact, unrelated with the introduction of the €uro, since their main cause was very much anterior to that. He concluded by an appeal to revitalise Euro's "Political" dimension also, and, while safeguarding the necessary monetary stability, to keep aware of Europe's need also to make key investments for its future..

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EU Parliament and EPP Presidents Buzek + Daul to Eurofora: Upbeat on €uro and Financial Perspectives

Written by ACM

Wednesday, 15 December 2010

Both EU Parliament's President, Jerzy Buzek, and the Chairman of the biggest Group of MEPs (ChristianDemocrats/EPP) Joseph Daul, replying to "EuroFora"s questions appeared upbeat on recent, crucial EU Economic and Financial developments, spreading from the Euro currency up to EU's MultiAnnual Financial Perspectives, while also being deeply conscious of the big efforts which have to be made in order to face current challenges and start to materialize EU's potential :

- "EuroFora" observed that, "In addition to the expression of a strong resolution to do anything to defend the €uro, German Chancellor Angie Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, during last Friday's Inter-Governemental Summit at Freiburg (See "EuroFora"'s Newsreports from the spot), also anounced their political will, and launched a call or invitation, to advance in EU Integration on factors which determine EU's Competitivity at a Global level, starting from the beginning of 2011, i.e. shortly after the forthcoming EU Brussels' Summit". Therefore, we asked Daul about his view on that, and how EU Parliament might follow up this kind of topical issues.

- "On the Economic Governance", what you said, "is not ony for France and Germany", reacted from the outset Daul.

- "We've already said several times now, that if we want an efficient EuroZone we must have also a kind of Economic Governance, and ths is not done yet : F.ex., If I speak to a German who retires only at 67 years of age and has to work between 42 and 48 Hours per Day, according to his branch of enterprises, and a French who reads in the Newspapers that we have difficulties to fix Retirement age to 62 years, and that we can't even touch upon the 35 Hours (work per Day limit), then, this inevitaby becomes incomprehensible ! ", he critically observed in reply to "EuroFora"s question.

- "The 1st point, then, is that we have to discuss and make advances on this issue at the level of Governments", pointed out the leader of the largest Political Group in EU Parliament.

- In particular, "this means that the Social and Fiscal issues cannot be settled anymore exclusively at a level of Member States, and not at all here", i.e. on an EU level, Daul edded. - "I think that everyone starts to realize now, (even if they don't want yet all to admit it yet openly, that the Social and Fiscal issues have become parts of the Governance of a Currency" (as f.ex. the €uro), he stressed.

- "This becomes more and more" obvious, even if "we don't yet know how" exactly it should be organized, since "nobody wants to drop his country's social or fiscal" structure, "but all agree that it cannot go otherwise", Daul observed, after touring a large number of National EU Member States' Capitals to meet political leaders.

+ "The 2nd point is that we need a Growth, at EU level, and people agree today that we can make much more things, and much better with the (available) Money at EU level" united all together, instead of in each (member) country" separated, EPP Group's President pointed out.

- "On this issue also we (EU) are advancing forward", even if 'it's not fast enough yet : F.ex. we didn't yet speak about that on the level of the (EU) Governance" issue, "but, today, we are obliged to put it on the table" of EU Governance forthcoming debates, Daul proposed.

- "And that's a Good thing, both for the €uro and for Europe" itself, he concluded.
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Earlier, Daul raised "3 ('critical) Questions :

- 1) No other Currency would be more Stable than the €uro", he stressed from the outset, (almost agreeing in Euro's main advantages with Germany's Finance Minister, the experienced Wolfgang Schauble).

- 2) "Where comes this Speculation (against Euro) from ?" And, - "Who profits from this Crime ?". An Enquiry must be made, and we should all consider the Consequences of its conclusions", he pointed out.

- 3) Despite all that, the €uro remains more Expensive than the other Currencies : China's yen, and USA's $, etc., and this fact humpers our (EU's) Exports.", he observed.

=> Therefore, we shall speak again at the Beginning of Next Year (2011), because we need to open a Debate in order to have an overall view and see what else enters on the Economic Governance, Daul anounced.

Meanwhile, in a parallel move, EU Parliament's President, Jerzy Buzek, replying to another "EuroFora" question on the guarantees that MEPs got from EU Commission and Council about their demand to open an inter-institutional Debate on the Future of EU's Finances well beyond the 2011 EU Annual Budget, towards the Post-2013 Multi-Annual Financial Perspectives, (see earlier relevant MEPs statements to EuroFora), was optimist :

agg_quest_b_2011__perspectives_2020_main_guarantee_400

- In fact, "It's not so much a question of Guarantees" as such : "It's a discussion of all this, on the Budget, between (all EU) Institutions, but EU Parliament has always been for a reasonable financing of the EU Policies, which, because they are needed, we'd ike to feel as a Community. So, on this point, (it was recently confirmed that) with EU Parliament, from the very beginning, to the discussion of the MultiAnnual framework, it's an (EU) Team work. I'd like to say it's a guarantee, but (at least) it's a very Good Signal that we'll discuss deeply the financing of all EU policies" with the Commission and the National Governments, Buzek concluded in reply to "EuroFora".

buzek_reply_to_agg_on_bs__f_perspectives_400

+ EU Budgets' Commissioner Levandovski also stressed that, "of course, the B 2011 controversy was a fore-taste of Major Controversies over the Vision of the EU Budget for the Post-2013 period". Between 2000 - 2010, EU Budget was up for around + 37%, while National EU Member Countries' Budgets were up for 67%, he observed. Meanwhile, EU Cohesion policy needs are "moving fast", and "if we need more Money (for 2011), it was agreed (with EU Council of National Governments) that we could use an Amending Budget", he noted. At any case, "we are going to strongly defend Cohesion as EU Development policy, no charity", because "it's the most Visible EU policy" for Citizens, the competent EU Budget's Commissioner Lewandovski warned, while the President of EU Parliament's Budgets' Committee, Alain Lamassoure, anounced that MEPs "want a Discussion on EU's Own Ressources" for the Future years.

buzek_reply_to_agg_question_on_eu_budgets__financial_perspectuves_400

One of the points is that the current need for MEPs to ensure that EU will have earmarked enough funds in the foreseeable Futre for all its vital new policies of genera European interest, already decided politically, obviously doesn't leave room f.ex. for Turkey's controversial and impopular EU bid related recent claim to be "ready for EU Accession in 2014", (according also to an old pro-Turkish lobby target inside some EU corridors since 1999), since that would notoriously waste elsewhere an awful lot of EU Taxpayers' money (including Poor People obiged to pay VAT even for a piece of bread), instead of investingin EU Cohesion and infrastructures, innovative Industrial production, EU Scientific Research and New Technologies, and other EU projects of crucial importance for EU's Future Development.

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