De Gaulle vision on EU-World Future wins Franco-German People at Ludwigsburg Hollande-Merkel Summit

*Ludwigsburg Castle (Germany)/Angelo Marcopolo/- Charles de Gaulle's Historic 1962 message to Young People in Germany and France,  became, even more than expected, the most Important issue, and more Topical today than ever, which was re-discovered anew at Ludwigsburg's 2012 Franco-German Summit with Chancellor Merkel and President Hollande, thanks also to the local organization of this 50th Anniversary's by Baden-Wurttenberg's Prime Minister Kretschmann, who surrounded that huge and splendid Palace's gardens with Big Photographs of De Gaulle, whose original, full text, both in German and French language, was distributed to the Public in leaflets available also at the Internet, while the participants to this September 22 event had a rare opportunity to See and Hear all the French General's landmark Speech in amazingly fluent German language at an authentic Film projected on 3 Giant TV Screens, (that you can also find now in ARTE TV's website at : http://videos.arte.tv/fr/videos/le-discours-de-charles-de-gaulle-a-la-jeunesse-allemande--6911792.htm l )
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De Gaulle had just concluded his "1st visit to Germany", after travelling at Koeln, Bonn, and Hamburg, by both Political and Popular meetings in Bavaria, before concluding by arriving near Strasbourg, at Stuttgart's neighbour village of Ludwigsburg, in the huge Castle of which he made what is probably his most inspired, Visionary speech, initially addressed to Thousands of Young German People, but also to their French friends.
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    - In fact, in front of a "great Fight of the Universe, which Divides it in Two Sides", what is really at stake, is no less than the "Freedom" of the whole "World", whose "stronger Support" is "the Union of Europe", "which can and must be built on the Basis" of the Franco-German integration, thanks mainly to People's "Friendship, appreciation and Trust", according to the main thrust of De Gaulle's Historic speech to German and French Young People on the 22 of September 1962 at Ludwigsburg.

     - "Humankind starts a New Life", "at the same moment that you", "Young People of the present Times", "start being active", he observed from the outset :

- "Pushed by an obscure Force, of an unknown law, everything concerning the Material world is Transformed at a constantly Accelerated pace. Your generation sees, and will certainly continue to see, the multiplication of the combined results of Scientists' Discoveries and of Machines' combinations, which profoundly Change the Physical condition of Humans", De Gaulle noted in this regard.

 - "But, for the New and prodigious Area which opens thus in front of your lives, it's up to those who are Today at your age, to act so that it becomes the conquest, Not of a Few Privileged individuals, but of all our Brother Humans. Your should have the Ambition for Progres to be a Common Good, so that everyone can have his share, in order to make possible to augment what is Beautiful, Just and Good, everywhere, and particularly in the Countries which, as ours, make the Civilisation, so that it can provide to Billions of inhabitants of under-developed regions what is needed to win, themselves, against Hunger, against Misery, Ignorance, and to accede to full Dignity", he urged.

 - "However, life in this World is Dangerous. Even more since, what is at Stake, as usual, is Morality and Society", the experienced EuroPolitician Warned.

 - Because, in fact, "it's about knowing whether, during the Transformations of the Century, Man will become, or not, a Slave in a Collectivity, if he will be reduced, or not, in a state of a wheel permanently caught up in the system of a Huge Ant-Hill,

or, on the contrary, if he shall have the Will and the Capacity to Master and use the Material Progres in order to become more Free, more Dignified, and Better", De Gaulle clarified.

=> - "That's the great Fight of the Universe, which Divides it in Two Sides", and "makes it necessary for the People, as in Germany and France, to put their Ideals into Practice, to support them by their Policies, and, if needed, to Defend them and make them Win by Fighting !", according to the call launched at Ludwigsburg by the old General.

 - "Governments' task", is to "Organize" this "natural Solidarity, from now on", and to "develop the Economic, Political, Cultural Cooperation between the two States", he noted.

+ "But we also need  to bring all that to Life" in real practice, "and this must be, above all, the task of Young People", De Gaulle pointed out. That's why "you (German and French Young People) should act in order to always Rapproach our respective Societies, to make them more Familiar to each-other, to Link them closer !"

- Because,  "the Future of our two Countries, the Foundation on which can and must be built the Union of Europe, (which is) the stronger support of World's Freedom, is the Appreciation, Trust and Friendship among French and German People", De Gaulle concluded.
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- Kretschmann, (a "Green" politician, and Christian Catholic, who is personally well aware of the even more crucial today importance of BioEthical and other related issues, f.ex. on controversial Genetic Manipulation of Human Embryos, etc, as he had earlier stressed to "EuroFora" in Replies to our Questions in 2 exceptional Events at nearby Freiburg city : German "Green" Party's Annual Conference of 2010, and Pope Benedict's 1st official visit to Germany on 2011, (See relevant "EuroFora"s NewsReports from both events, on the spot),

recalled today (2012) that he personally was "just 14 Years Old" back on 1962 when he had been surpised to hear "De Gaulle pronounce his entire speech in Gerrman, without reading any note", as he reminded.

- Today (in 2012), "We need more Europe : Return back to Nationalistic Antagonisms would be Anachronistic", on the contrary, "We need both more Solidarity and more Stability in order to give Europe all its Potential strength", "which must win back the Trust not only of Financial Markets, but mainly of EU Citizens", stressed from the outset Baden-Wurttemberg's Prime Minister, applauded.

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 - "De Gaulle made an Interesting speech on a rather Unexpected Issue : He spoke about the Possiblities of Technology, that could Shape Generations". - "He said to Young People : - "Watch out that Technique doesn't dominate you". On the contrary, "You should master Technology in order to Use it" for the General Good., observed from the outset German Chancellor Angie Merkel, in her speech to the 50th Anniversary of that Historic event.

- "If we consider just what we are living today, (i.e. also which crucial Controversies are now topical : F.ex. on recent Technologies able to Manipulate Human Genes, Brain, etc., on Bureaucracy/Technocrats, Climate Change, etc), you have to say that this was a Tremendous ForeSight", very Visionary, she rightfully pointed out.

 - "Thunderous applause and loud shouts Enthusiastically Welcomed" De Gaulle's speech then, also reminded Merjel, who has recently faced crucial Bio-Ethical debates and controversies in Germany, as it clearly appeared also during the Governing Party, ChristianDemocrat's Annual Conference at nearby Karsruhe as early as since 2010, where is also located the Constitutional Court of the country, already involved in delicate affairs in this regard, (f.ex. on the occasion of the Pre-Implantation Genetic Screening controversy, etc. : Comp. "Eurofora"s NewsReports from Karlsruhe's CDU 2010 Annual Conference, etc).

 - "I was at the time of de Gaulle's speech 8 years old". But "1962 was only a year after the construction of the Berlin Wall" and "Division of Germany appeared to be sealed for ever. It all looked as if the whole World was irrevocably Split into 2 Camps".  But "the peaceful end of the East-West conflict and the further integration of Europe opened a door that promised to enter an era of Peace, Freedom and Prosperity - on a continent which had been  repeatedly ravaged by War and Violence" for two Centuries, Merkel reminded.

- "President de Gaulle and Chancellor Adenauer  laid the Foundation for the Reconciliation of our peoples 50 years ago". Today, "the Franco-German Friendship is the best example of how to overcome decades of conflict and resentment", she noted.

 - "But it Needs a Political Will to do so. And, like any friendship, it should always be maintained by Good and Trusting relations", which "are not given", but "must never cease to be kept alive in real practice by each generation", so that France and Germany come closer together, and therefore Europe can be developed", Merkel warned.

- "Dear Young People, the Future of Europe is in your hands". - "Vive la jeunesse franco-allemande", and "Long live the European Youth !", the German chancellor concluded (in French)...
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    - "More than 50 Years ago, .... General De Gaulle", had stressed in his speech that "Mutual Friendship between the French and German Peoples, was at the Basis of what could built Europe's Union, but also the Freedom of the World", added French President Hollande.

    => - "He had to be Audacious, in order to call our 2 Countries to become United, just 20 years after the most Horrible World War", and "in order to Believe in Europe, the continent which had just been tragically divided", so that he could succesfully Change the mood from Ressentment to Hope. This raises a Big Question to all of us, Today, European Leaders, and EU's People : Are we, still, as Audacious as that ? Can we overcome  what might separate us, in order to be anew United in a New Project ?" In fact, "we all stand in front of History", Hollande warned, (asking not only to "keep the Flame alive", but also "to light a new one each day")..

  - In fact, "the Solution to the present Crisis is called "Europe", which is able to Win this Crisis", since, as "its Founders, Adenauer and De Gaulle stressed, we are Stronger Together, than Separated, .. able to conciliate Market with Progress, to create Jobs, and also to promote Democracy all over the World", he pointed out with voluntarism.

    - So, "today, together with Angie Merkel, we are working for  the expected Changes, ... in order to Win against the Crisis, .. and "Time has come to Deepen our Franco-German relation, in order to allow Europe to have Institutions and a Political Decision making, compatible to Economic and Social needs", Hollande stressed.

- "Our Predecessors were Able to create the Common Market, the €uro Currency, and to Enlarge the EU to Countries which had just got out of Communism", as he said. "Now, we must Invent and stimulate Hopes, on our turn, becoming able to establish, naturally a Budgetary Union and a Banking Union, but also a Social Union, and even a Political Union", he added.

    => - "We, Germany and France, are able to support great Projects", f.ex., "first of all, for an Energy Community", by succeeding an Ecological Transition, with Renewable Energies, but also to Fight against Global Warming". "We must also do more for Scientific Research, since Europe, France and Germany, have a unique richness in the Number of their Scientists, Engineers, etc., that we should send back to Work, together with our Students, Teachers, Researchers, etc., in order to support New Projects", "And, then, we have also to give a Meaning to our Friendship", at best, "with a Cultural Project : Let's multiply Artistic Creations and Cultural Industries, mobilize Information Technologies", etc, Hollande suggested.

    + Also "a Project for the World", because "Europe should give a Hand to Poor Countries", be "strict in front of Fanatism, and Dictatorships", so that "all those who suffer from a Dictator should know that Europe will always stand by them", while Europe must also be exemplary "against Racism, AntiSemitism and Intolerance", becoming "a show-case of Living Together", as he added, changing several times his written Draft Speech, until he called the German and French Young People to "pursue the European Dream" : - "Ihre rolle ist es nun der Europaïschen Traum, Wirklichkeit und Zukunft, zu verleihen !", he read in Deutsch..
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    + De Gaulle and Adenauer also told us to "Dominate the Technology", addded Hollande, who is due to face strong Popular concerns (already massively expressed during a 2009-2010 Internet Consultation of French Citizens by the Government), against a controversial intention to massively allow and even impose Public Funding to controversial Genetic "Tests", including Destruction and/or Genetic Manipulation  of Human Embryos, widely opposed by CoE's International Bio-Ethics Treaty on "Human Righs in the field of Medicine and Biology (known as "Oviedo Treaty", from the Spanish city where it was opened to Signature from 1998), and probably incompatible even with EU Court of Justice's recent case-law at nearby Luxembourg, which linked such issues with the legally protected value of "Human Dignity", (on the occasion of Patents' incompatibility with Human Embryo's stem cells, etc).

    All this has just led EU Parliament, earlier this week in Brussels, to adopt an important Amendment in a Draft Resolution on EU's next Research Program, which reportedly opposes EU Funds for controversial Genetic Tests on Human Embryos. It was precisely based mainly on that recent ECJ's landmark judgement, that France will also have to respect, but also on the fact that, despite a lot of Millions € vainly wasted on Embryo stem cells' research, nevertheless, Nowhere in the World was ever discovered any, not even the slightest, breakthrough in protecting Human Health from any sickness, and certainly not from Cancer, which might, on the contrary, be even "provoked by abuse of Embryonic stem cells, because they can  grow chaotically", as certain Experts warned, in reply to "EuroFora"s questions in an EU Parliament's Press Conference last week in Strasbourg, wondering why some persist, nevertheless, to ask even more Money, and controversial, dangerous Genetic Interventions on Human Embryos, instead of developing various other, more efficient and acceptable Alternatives, including that of Adult Stem Cells, etc.... ------------------------------------------

    Merkel's and Kretschmann's apparently very Harmonious and Friendly meeting at Ludwigsburg, on the occasion of the Summit with Hollande, at the 50th Anniversary of De Gaulle's Historic Speech, inevitably stired anew Speculations about an eventual prospect to form, after Next Year's Elections in Germany, a "Black and Green" Coalition (possibly also "Yellow", i.e. between CDU/CSU - Greens  and Liberals, often called "Jamaica" by its colors), for which, such BioEthical issues could become of a great and Topical Political Importance :     

    Despite various Speculations either for a return back to a "great Coalition" between Christian and Socialist Parties, which wasn't popular, or, on the contrary, towards a new, Christian and "Green"  parties' Coalition, (comp. Supra),

    Merkel has recently said that, as things stand today, she'd prefer to continue her Coalition between ChrstianDemocrats/Socials and Liberals, because most of their relevant positions are comparatively closer to each-other, than vis a vis other political parties, but, nevertheless, she "doesn't exclude anything" in the Future, because, after all, "it's, at first, for the Citizens' to decide with their votes", f.ex. in the Next Elections at the End of Next Year (9/2013), when  a review of the situation will be made.

    Kretschmann, (particularly after his 2010 and 2011 statements to "EuroFora" and the 9/2011 landmark speech of Pope Benedict at the Bundestag in Berlin : See relevant "EuroFora"s NewsReports), is generally considered to be one among the most important German "Green" Politicians who would consider positively eventual agreements with the ChristianDemocrats/Socials, and, despite some differencies, he's not alone at all in his Party, ..particularly when crucial BioEthical and other Human and Social "Values" issues arrive at important Decision-time crossroads.

    In this regard, in addition to many other, Historic German "Green" MEPs (as f.ex. former long-time MEP Hiltrud Breyer, etc), recently came also the active participation of new German "Green" MEP Gerald Hafner, with several interesting remarks, working closely together with ChristianDemocrat MEP Dr. Pieter Liese, Member of EPP Group's Bureau and EPP Spokesman on BioEthics, as well as various other MEPs and Experts from Poland, Ireland, Slovakia, France, etc, at a joint EU Parliament's Press Conference last week in Strasbourg,

    when they replied to "EuroFora"s Questions on the topical issue of EU Funds for controversial and until now non-efficient, but even potentially dangerous, Genetic Manipulations on Human Embryos, instead of various other, more acceptable, safe and useful, alternative Scientific and Technological Research areas.

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    De Gaulle's almost Premonitory, quasi-Prophetic concern, in this regard, (See above), might surprise, unless one considers also the fact that 1962 is the year in which De Gaulle gains Direct Popular support, by being triomphally elected by a large Majority of Citizens, despite an opposal by most old Parties, for the 1st time in Direct Voting, after which he notoriously started what some called a "Grandiose Policy" leading towards a "3rd Way".

The Franco-German reconciliation by De Gaulle and Adenauer on 1962-1963, (immediately after the recognition of Algeria's independence, which stopped the last bloody War affecting Europe), is followed, in 1965, by an European Treaty which realised the "Fusion" of Coal and Steal, Nuclear Energy and Common Market policies' administrative and inter-governemental structures inside a Unified, "European Community"'s Council and Commission in Brussels from 1967.

Moreover, De Gaulle's "3rd Way" Geo-Politics, led  him, soon after the Franco-German "Elysée Treaty" of January 1963, to visit Moscow (1964 and recognize China (1964), to travel to Mexico (1963) and Argentina (1964), as well as to his famous Phnom Penh speech against an unpopular Vietnam War (1966), while also withdrawing from the Military part of NATO (1966), and giving in Canada a "Vive le Quebec Libre" message (1967), shortly after being brillantly re-elected by the People in 1965. Meanwhile, he refused twice UK's demand to enter in the EU (1963 and 1967), but also launched the Franco-British High-Tech "Concord" supersonic Airplane, as well as a precursor of AirBus, and developed Nuclear Energy and a strategically Autonomous Defense, invested in big Infrastructures, transformed Agriculture, etc., soon boosting Economic Growth at one of the highest levels in History, before being reconciled anew with the USA on 1969.
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Thus, never mind if anyone might, eventually, here or there, simply mispronounce a letter,  as some  too rigorist observers noted, f.ex. by spelling the word "Zukunft" (Future in Deutsch) as .."J"ukunft, * (etc), while reading a text of 1 line, unlike De Gaulle's Historic long Speech 100% in Deutsch language, without reading any notes, obviously focusing on the main poilitical issues that he wanted to raise, going straight towards a new Horizon.

in fact, ensure the continuity of a well-functioning Franco-German motor obviously is a Vital matter for Europe in today's World, and, it must go on in the Substantial issues, regardless of more or less differences in various details, which have to be bridged by constant Compromises or Synthesis, as both Merkel and Hollande have already said at another occasion recently, and as the Historic Documentary Film projected in the ceremony prepared at Ludwisburg's Castle by Kretschmann clearly indicated, also by showing a series of Photos of all the former Franco-German Leaders' "couples", during all these 50 Years (1962-2012), independently of the Political family of each of them, from De Gaulle and Adenauer, up to Pompidou and Brandt, Giscard d'Estaing and Schmitt, Mitterand and Kohl, Chirac and Schroeder as well as Merkel, Sarkozy and Merkel (paticularly Applauded by the People today), as well as Hollande - Merkel now.
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Finally, Ludwigsburg itself, is an exceptionaly important City, mainly because it was often symbolicaly linked with much wider European/Paneuropean stakes, and was created from scratch, with a Voluntarist Decision starting ex nihilo since the Beginning of the Enlightnment (1704), around its Castle, which was itself Extended several times, according to Historic  developments.

Adoptive Home of a growing Jewish community during the 1800ies, the City figured at NAZI propaganda's Film "The Jew Sush", but was also linked to several Concentration Camps' prisoners, while it's a former Resistant against NAZIsm, arrested and jailed at Concentration Camps, Julien  Tharradin, who, after becoming Mayor of the French City of Montbelliard, created the 1st link of "Jumelage" with a German City, choosing Ludwigsburg.

 That's why, French Economy Minister Jean-Pierre Moscovici told Journalists, including "EuroFora", that, when he was a simple MP, he was coming and going here for years, in relation with City to City common projects, f.ex. in College Education, etc., without anyone from the Press ever noticing such "grassroots" activities, which patiently and systematically contribute to build a new Europe...

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