f. EU Convention Chair, f. French President Giscard : Economic Governance is due since €uro's start

EuroZone Leaders have the Will and the Responsibility  to launch now the Economic Governance which was already expected since the Creation of Euro Currency, stressed the experienced former EU Convention's President, and former President of France, Academician Valery Giscard d'Estaing, speaking in a meeting attended by EU Parliament's President Jerzy Buzek, and focused on the need to develop Europe's Historic Scientific, Cultural and Technologic Innovation Potential, as a New Fabric for European Society and the Winning recipe in the galoping World Competition during the next Years and Decades. (See infra).

 

 - "Those who were at the Origins of the Creation of Euro, had always said  that Euro wouldn't succeed if there wasn't an Economic policy symmetrical to a Monetary Policy", Valery Giscard d'Estaing (VGE) pointed out from the outset  

 - In almost "all the Speeches which were pronounced from the Start",  ("i.e. from the Maastricht Treaty  until the adoption of Euro" Currency), "this was frequently reiterated", the experienced VGE reminded, speaking in Strasbourg where, precisely, EU Parliament had held Key Debates on Europe's Future as early as since 1995, "EuroFora"'s co-Founder remembers well, (comp. also other relevant "EuroFora"'s earlier publications).     

-  "But, this was never done yet", VGE criticized, attributing mainly to the delay of such Historically necessary developments the current Problems of the € Currency, in the midst of a Global Crisis, which must and can be overcome.      

 - So, "Now, we must return back to the (original Euro) Project, and better define its Rules", resolutelly, VGE advised. That's precisely what was decided at the latest EU Council. "But the Markets are not convinced that what was decided will be realized and put into practice. So they prefer to bid on a lower Euro's exchange rate.        

- "However, I believe that, now, both the EU Institutions and the EU Leaders are really determined to act", VGE observed.  So that we should normally see soon a "Calm and Stable Reconstitution of Euro's rang inside the International Monetary System, where it is destinated to become the World's 2nd Currency", he optimistically predicted.
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    To attain this aim, today, "the 16 Euro's Member States have a very important Responsibility", VGE stressed.
    
    - Because "Europe is in Crisis, it's even at Risk". "Europe isn't going very well" at this moment, EU is in a rather bad shape". "Usually, we are not usually Aware of the Danger. But when we hear such a thoughtful personality as the former US Federal Reserve President, Paul Volker, ...speak in Public about the "Dislocation of Europe", it means that there are currently very serious problems in our Continent and in our (EU) Organization", he warned.

    - "What we currently read at the International Press is what they call "EU's Crisis, illustrated by Euro Currency's lower market exchange rates". However, "already some Months earlier, people spoke about EU's "Dispersal" between various Groups, which didn't react in the same manner on this issue (€). "But what is New these last Days, is that now it entered in a New Phase, where there is even a Doubt about the System's Survival", VGE warned. "Such Doubts are expressed more of less carefully, but it's now that (former US Federal Reserve's President) Paul Volker spoke about a "possible Dislocation of the System" (Comp. supra).
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    - "What we observe is, at first, that, vis a vis this (Global) Crisis, Europe is not Homogeneous" : It heads towards being Divided in 3 Groups":

      (1) -  "First, a Group with the UK, which has just held its (National) Election, it has a New Government, but already before that, (i.e. during the former "Labour" UK Governments), it heads towards putting itself at the Margins of EU Integration's process", VGE denounced.

    "According to the (Conservatives-Liberals) Coalition's Program, the UK would stay.. out of the EuroZone during the 5 next Years of this Legislative period (2010-2015). And its New Foreign Minister, (Mr. Haig), is ....known... as an EuroSceptic", VGE regretted. Meanwhile, the UK didn't take part, in real practice, to last week's debates on the Support to  Greece's Finances and to EuroZone, he added, (i.e. citting also Labour's out-going government. But without realizing that, at any case, UK has an interest for EuroZone's Growth, which absorbs more than 50 to 60% of its Exports).


      (2) - "The Second Group is composed mainly by several "New EU Member States", mostly former "Eastern Countries", which are "Not Homogeneous" and "evolve in somewhat Various ways", but haven't yet all felt what EU's "Solidarity" really means" : - F.ex., "nobody" among them "didn't suggest to help Greece, nor anyone else, f.ex., at a slighter degree, Portugal, or even, perhaps, at least partially, Spain, etc., VGE noted."It seems that most of them aren't really Concsious about what Lisbon (EU) Treaty means" : In other words, "they entered the EU as a Trade area, with some Cooperation structure, but not as a community for Political and Economic Integration, as Lisbon Treaty implies", he criticized.

While, in the contrary, there are "interesting developments in the (EU) Texts signed and endorsed also by EU Parliament, as f.ex. the Maastricht Treaty, which already anounced a "Political Union", a "Common Foreign Policy", that EU is setting up now, and even a "Common Defence policy", supported by more than 60% of Europeans according to the Polls", (etc). Such EU "Integration" trends are obviously developed even further with the new EU's Lisbon Treaty", VGE observed.


    (3) - Then, we have the "EuroGroup" Member Countries : - "The 16 "EuroMembers have a very important Responsibility", VGE stressed, "which is to keep Euro's rang".

 - "During recent Years, the perception of Europe was largely made through its Currency". And the rapid progress of Euro, which became in a few years the No 2 World Currency was an Expression of the Vitality, of the Modernity of EuroZone".

- But,"those who were at the origins of the creation of Euro, had always said that Euro couldn't succeed if there wasn't an (EU) Economic Policy, symetrical to the Monetary Policy. If you look at all the Speeches which were pronounced from the Start", you shall see that "this was frequently reiterated. But, this was never done", (i.e. until Today's Crisis arrived).

- "In fact, the (initial) Rules were (rather) Modest : It was the Stability and Growth Pact. It wasn't neither respected, Nor Monitored. If we look at the Curves of Developments in all Member Countries, during recent Years, we see many Growing Disparities in Stability and Growth, but Not any Sanction was ever imposed. I.e., the the Rules were not well defined, nor well applied".

- "So, we must get back to work and review " the system "resolutely". That's what was decided at the last EU Heads of State and Government in Brussels, whose Communiqué clearly describes what should be done":

- "However, the (Global) Markets, (which prefered to table on a lower Euro's price), were not convinced (yet) that what was decided (by the EU) will be indeed applied in real practice. They refer to the Precedents (See supra), saying that what happened to the Past, will also happen in the Future

- "But, (on the contrary), I believe that, now, both the EU Institutions and EU Leaders are really Determined to put into practice these Measures", VGE observed. - "So that we would attest, in this case, a Calm and Stable Restauration (Reconstitution) of Euro's rang in the International Monetary System, where the Euro is destinated to be the 2nd World Currency", he concluded.

    However, for Valery Giscard d'Estaing, the real, profound signs of possible Crisis and the ways to ovecome Historic Challenges seem located at other Levels :

    - "This is barely mentioned in the Press", but, in fact, "what is currently very Worrying, is that, even at the last (June 2009) EU Elections, the Decline of EU Citizens' Participation persisted",  VGE added, (pointing at a fundamental "EuroFora" project's parameters, that we highlight since many years).

    "In all Democracies, a Measure of Vitality is Citizens' Participation", VGE stressed.

    - But, "since 1999",  (i.e. since Turkey's controversial EU "candidate" bid), which marked the 1st Majority Abstention in EU Elections), they continue to reveal a Downfall trend in Citizens' Participation".  

    - "I.e. there is a growing Distance (Gap) between the European People and their Democratic Representation", which are "moving away". But, "since it's, at the last resort, the European People who will decide whether, or not, EU should undertake one or another Direction, this fact (EU Citizens' Abstention) is Worrying", VGE denounced..

    (Without noting, however, the Fact that, at least, in 2009 EU Election, despite the persistence of anti-European "submarines" undermining EU Democracy as in the Past, nevertheless, some new trends managed to Decelerate the previously growing Abstention Trend, cutting it almost to Half of what it was before : i.e., instead of -4% or -5%, it was just -2% this time. Even if this isn't obviously enough, pointing at necessary developments before 2014)

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 This is so more important that, in order to create a "Fabric of EU Society", VGE advised to "rely on EU Parliament", which is, comparatively, "in a Better situation among all European Institutions", and "the only one to be based on the Direct Democratic Elections of MEPs", being "Democratic from the 1st level", while all other EU bodies are based just in a "2 Levels"' or indirect Democratic Legitimacy, i.e. they are appointed by those previously elected by the People.

    VGE said that at a meeting of EU permanent Platform "Atomium Culture", which aims to link Top innovative Scientists, Industry and Media, and presented in Strasbourg an interesting Report on EU's 2020 Policy, symbolically placed under Jean Monnet's Historic statement that : - "If I had to start again the work of Bridging the Gap between the European People, I would not start from Coal and Steel, but from Science and Technology".   

 -"Scientific Research and Innovation aren't among the issues often seen at most Mass Media headlines, but they certainly are the most important questions for Europe's Future", underlined  VG, who is also "Atomium Culture"'s honorary President since November 2009. 

    - "In this Wider Context, it's easy to understand that one of the great  Lacunas in the European System is that we didn't develop enough the "Internal Fabric of (EU's) Society", the experienced former EU Convention's President observed.
"Social, Intellectual and Scientific fabrics continued to Co-Exist, side by side, somewhat better, but without creating a common tissue". Now, we need Projects able to deal with "one of the major Lacunas of the situation (existing) in Europe today".

    - "Europe was, from its Origins, the Greatest Concentration of Cultural, Intellectual and Scientific ideas in the History of Humanity", and this represents "a considerable European Potential", VGE optimistically notd Among various European Discoveries of the past Centuries, we have there, (in addition to EU's Greco-Roman and Christian roots) also Polish, Italians,  Spanish, Dutch, (German), Brittish, French, and many others, he observed.

    But, "the Competition in the forthcoming Years or Decades will be totally won by those Countries who will pursue major Scientific and Technologic Developments", VGE warned.  F. ex. at a recent meeting with a Chinese Think-Tank consulted by the Chinese Government, they warned me that EU risks to lose the race before 2040 : If we look at the Proportion of what is devoted intellectually in (EU) Universities and Labos for the Progress of Science and Technology now, compared with what happens in other major players in the World, there is a risk of delays difficult to catch up.
 
    - "It's by thinking at all that", that VGE launched an EU-wide call to "participate, encourage and cultivate exchanges of views ... in the Time and Space required by Intelligence", praising  the European Think tank "Atomium Culture", which is destinated to work "in a purely European space, focusing on Excellence", with the "aim to help create a Network of direct links and relations between the Best Universities, Media and Innovative Enterprises, in a transborder way".

    - "The Aim is to make known the best achievements in Scientfic Research, mainly by Publications to the Media, in order to inform both EU Citizens and Enterprises". F.ex. creating also 2 on-line Networks, between the 120.000 Scientific Researchers of Partner Universities, Media and Enterprises. At the beginning, this doesn't have to disperse action to all European Universities, but to start by focusing on EU's Best Universities, from the point of view of Science, Research and Innovation. In parallel, we'd better focus also on serious Media, favorable to Publications on Science, and whose Readers are interested not only by Football, but have an Intellectual curiosity in European Science and Technology, adding also "Quality" to their influence : A Media Network which should be further completed, VGE added.

    Giscard spoke in a meeting introduced by EU Parliament's President Jerzy Buzek, to which participated also the New EU Commissioner on Scientific Research and Technology Maire Geoghegan-Quin, representatives of the Spanish EU 2010 Presidency, Top MEPs, Businessmen, Experts and Journalists (including "EuroFora").