EUParliament Press Director Duch to EuroFora: President Hollande Debate both on EU Present + Future?

*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- In addition to the fact that "Mali is also a European issue", as experienced EU Parliament's Spokesman and Press Director, Jaume Duch, stressed in reply to an "EuroFora"s Question, and to what can be expected by the forthcoming EU Summit's 2nd attempt to broker a deal on EU's Financial Perspectives 2014 - 2020, nearly all the issues that may be debated during the French President Hollande's 1st official appearance to EU Parliament's Plenary Session, tomorrow, Tuesday late morning in Strasbourg, are a surprisingly inevitable "Mix" of  matters of "Present", almost Urgent and Topical importance, with matters of Strategic, Long-term Perspectives linked to the "Future" of Europe, which can have Deep and Structural repercussions on EU Citizens' lives, in line with the series of Top Political debates that EU Parliament had just started,  as an innovation in the preparation of the exceptionaly crucial 2014 European Elections.

Perhaps the most Surprizing Fact, is that a similarly striking "Present/Future" Mix apparently goes also for several other topically Important issues currently related, in one way or another, with new French President François Hollande (See Infra), revealing so many "coincidences", that it's hard to say, at first sight, which one among all those issues, in fact, Tops the others...

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Duch had just observed that EU Parliament's Conference of Presidents (composed by the Heads of all Political Groups of MEPs) had requested and obtained a chance to raise various Questions to the French President, instead of limiting his visit mainly into a Speech, and this had been accepted : The move could normally give a chance for various Topical mini-Debates on several currently important issues.

  - "EuroFora" asked Duch "just a precision, (on a point which) seems almost obvious" : - "The Speech of (French) President Hollande, and the Questions/Replies (with MEPs), would be mainly about the Present (situation), to simplify things, i.e. not about the "Future of Europe" debates, as it had started (to be done in EU Parliament's 2013 Plenary Sessions) with Austria, on January ?", (when Chancellor Werner Faymann, and MEPs had clearly adopted a Prospective stance, focused mainly on the Future Horizon of EU's potential).

    We naturally referred to what EU Parliament's President, Martin Schulz, had officially anounced on December 2012 at the latest EU Summit in Brussels, in the wider but Topical Framework of the preparation of 2014 EU Elections, as well as in view of EU's aim to recognize to MEPs a more important role as a Democratic Legitimation of forthoming EU advances towards a strengthened Economic Governance and a Political Union, (comp. relevant earlier "EuroFora"s NewsReports from Strasbourg or Brussels).

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- "President Hollande will come (to EU Parliament) as a Head of (an EU Member) State, and, at the same time, as Member of the European Council,  and I'd say that the Logical, General Line, would be about EU Future", Duch agreed with "EuroFora", as  a matter of principle, in relation to EU Parliament's generally schedulled work for this year (Comp. Supra).

 - "But, just 3 Days before the (forthcoming) EU Summit, it's well obvious that he would probably wish to speak about the perspectives of this European Council,     (mainly focused on a new attempt to broker a deal on EU's 2014-2020 MultiAnnual Framework on Financial Perspectives),

    This February 2013 EU Parliament's Plenary session in Strasbourg "is, indeed, practically joined to Brussels' EU Summit, from Thursday to Friday, which was organized at the invitation of EU President Van Rompuy, in order to try to find a Compromise on EU's MultiAnnual Financial Framework for the period between 2014-2020, and this should be debated Twice this week, at first when the Heads of MEPs' Political Groups will have an opportunity to discuss with the President of the French Republic, François Hollande, who will be here on Tuesday, but also, in a more specific way, during Wednesday's debate on the forthcoming EU Summit", as Duch also explained earlier.

    + Moreover, "and, knowing that he (French President Hollande) arrives back from Mali, and that this is not only an International or Bilateral, French issue, but also European one, it's clear that he's due to evoke the situation in Mali and the results of the French intervention in front of MEPs", EU Parliament's experienced Spokesman and Press Director topically added in Conclusion to his Reply to "EuroFora"s Question (comp. Supra).

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    The fact that the 1st among the 2 main Topical issues that he mentioned : latest developments on the forthcoming EU Summit, starting Thursday in Brussels, about EU's Financial Perspectives 2014-2020, just after Hollande's meeting with Italian Prime Minister Monti yesterday, Sunday, in Paris, and at the eve of his Tomorrow's (Wednesday's) meeting with German Chancellor Merkel, at another occasion, inevitably concerns both "Current" affairs, and EU's "Future", is naturally obvious.

    This basically goes also for Mali, mutatis-mutandis : Even if some People might have been surprized by the Moment Chosen by Hollande to start drastic action in SubSaharian Africa, when most Media were busy with a Popular Mass Demonstration of Dissidents in Paris about an absolutely differend issue, (... a campaign against a controversial project to introduce "Same Sex Marriage", probably accompagnied also by Adoptions, Fertilisations in Vitro, and other, "hotter", matters affecting Children), while Terrorists and other Opponents had reportedly taken over the Northern area of Mali already almost 9 Months earlier, since about March-April 2012, nevertheless, both National and European or International debates clearly showed that the Move (apparently motivated by some Informations about alleged attempts to attack and seize also the Country's Capital city, Bamako, Southwards, etc), succeeded, at least initially, to attract almosty at any level, a Wide, and rather enlarging, Support, as a matter of principle, with just a few critics, (f.ex. among the "Greens", some Leftists, or the Far Right, etc).

    Among many other reasons for that basically Positive attitude vis a vis the apparently succesful French initiative, (basically based also on a UNO Resolution, which has just inspired even a .. Russian subsequent move, as well as a welcome acceleration of various African and European Countries' manifold contributions, (even if rather insufficient, at least for the moment), "EuroFora" also understands that the Islamic Terrorisme-hit, contested area is of paramount Strategic importance also for Europe's Energy supplies, mainly through a planned Trans-Saharian Pipeline, which could link Nigeria's greatest recent Gas findings in the World, directly with the European Continent, precisely via Mali and Algeria, arriving at the Mediterranean Sea.

    + Moreover, the need to face the reported spread of various Islamic Extremist Groups of Armed Terrorists, after Afganistan and Syria, also around Sahel, etc., for the 1st time in History, particularly when Friendly States might face real Threats and ask for Help, obviously raised recentlky anew the important Structural issue of the Need for Europe to develop, at last, a real Security and Defence Policy, backed by enough capacities in order to have a credible say in the World, and become able to defend its basic Values, as both EU Parliament and CoE's PanEuropean Assembly in Strasbourg, as well as the latest EU Summit in Brussels, started to debate recently, (Comp. also another relevat "EuroFora"s NewsReport on the occasion of EUROCORPS' 20th Anniversary : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/eurocorpsandesdp.html , as well as President Hollande's almost premonitory reply to an "EuroFora" question during the December 2012 EU Summit in Brussels : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/hollandeandmavrogiannis.html ). That's naturally one among the most Topical but also Structural issues, notoriously concerning both EU's "Present" and "Future"..

    ++ However, it' s also a recent series of repeated Claims by various Turkish Officials, as reported by both the Turkish and International Media, which added, particularly some Days ago, another Topical, and at the same time, Structural, "Hot" issue : That of Rumours according which, Ankara would have convinced Hollande to seriously Change the official stance of France vis a vis Turkey's controversial and unpopular EU bid. Turkish Press initiated rumours even pointed at a supposedly crucial meeting, just last weekend, at the eve of EU Parliament's session in Strasbourg, in Davos (Switzerland), which sould have confirmed at least the Opening of Chapters to EU - Turkey Negotiations wich have been officially "Freezed" since many years ago, and dully endorsed in many succesive EU Summits, (mainly because they are considered as synonumous to a "Full EU Membership" for Turkey, an older perspective which has notoriously provoked 2 or 3 "NO" to EuroReferenda by a large Majority of People, in France and the Netherlands, back on 2005, followed later-on even, by Ireland). So that many EU Summits (even EU Parliament's Resolutions) have repeatedly confirmed that EU - Turkey Negotiations are, in fact, an "Open-Ended Process", (i.e. one which doesn't  necessarily lead to EU Accession for Ankara, but, possibly, to a kind of "Privileged Partnership" or other kind of Closer Relationship with the EU.

    Hollande had stressed, initially in Statements to "EuroFora" as early as since March 2012 in Strasbourg (See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/hollandeoneuturkey.html ), that, in his view, Turkey doesn't fullfil the required EU Criteria, particularly on Human Rights and Democracy issues, but that the existing "Process" of Negotiations with the EU would rather continue, as he told us in substance, leaving, however, "open", the obviously subsequent question about what might happen in the Future... He almost confirmed his earlier statement to "EuroFora", some Weeks later in Paris, in reply to our TV collegue Pujadas, who, therefore, went on to complete "EuroFora"s Questioning by raising also the crucial point which lacked in Hollande's initial statetements that he had given us, as we had immediately observed since then : Turkey wasn't due to enter the EU at least not during Hollande's 5 years term as President, if he won the 2012 Elections, he reportedly added to Pujadas.

    This naturally leaves also several other obviously crucial points Open to further Questions, Eventual Criticism, etc., therefore necessitating some more clarifications in order to be sure to alleviate the well known fears of a large Majority of People in France, Germany and many other EU Member States, but, at any case, inevitably leads towards the need to consider, discuss, and decide also about EU's "Future" :

    Not only because of Turkey's particular Geographic position, but obviously also because of various other Historic, Cultural, Economic, and mainly basic Human Rights and Democratic Values, which are widely irreconciliable with a Record High of ECHR's judgements condemning the Turkish Authorities for many particularly serious Violations of Fundamental Democratic Freedoms and Human Values, most of which haven't yet been implemented, in real practice, by Turkey, still "Pending" inside long and "heavy" files (several with Atrocious cases of Victims of the gravest Human Rights' Violations, such as : Murders, Torture and/or Inhuman/Degrading Treatments, Arbitrary Deprivations of Liberty, Oppression of Freedom of Expression, Usurpation of Family Homes and Private Properties forcibly abandoned by Refugees/Displaced People hindered to return to their Ancestral Land, Unfair Trials, heavy Restrictions of Religious or Ethnic Minorities' Rights, Numerous Elected Representatives detained and/or jailed sometimes for Years, Excessive Restrictions of Political Partiess, Trade Unions, frequent Violations of the Freedom of Assembly/Demonstration, etc). I.e. matters obviously Incompatible with any "European Dream" which would really have the ambition to attract EU Citizens' support...

    +++ Recently added to this list, came even  some particularly "Hot" .. BioEthical issues, which have just started to raise surprisingly Strong Popular reactions, sometimes for, but mostly against, throughout all France : Including, mainly, a controversial Draft Bill tabled and pending at the French Parliament, which claims to impose "Marriages" between Homosexuals, that recalcitrant Civil Servants would be Forced to "celebrate" in all Municipalities, even against their Moral and/or Religious Beliefs : According to converging Polls, most People are Opposed particularly on those issues which risk to abandon Children to Bureaucratic and/or Technocratic control, (i.e. "Adoptions" by Homosexuals, Subrogate Mothers' exploitation, In Vitro Fertilizations and Artificial Inseminations, as well as various other forms of Mecially Assisted Procreation, which threaten to marginalize Natural Births and Natural Families, etc). An exceptionaly large Mass Demonstration by many People Opposed to such plans, (almost 350.000 or nearly 800.000 according to the Police and/or the Organizers, at the January 13th, 2013 Popular Demonstration, in front of the "Human Rights' Square" of Trocadero -"Parvis des Droits de l'Homme"-, wasn't challenged at all by a subsequently Failed attempt to gather less than 120.000 individuals only,

    Curiously, while many other obviously Topical Issues affect the People throughout Europe and in the World (f.ex. Economy, Unemployment, Pollution/Climate, Extreme Weather Events, Terrorism, etc), on the contrary, it's mainly around those "Hot" BioEthical issues, that Controversial Reforms focused recently in Paris, triggering a series of Popular Reactions, (mainly motivated by perceived Risks to marginalize Natural Births and Natural Families, imposing more and more Technocratic Power over Childrens' Births, to the point that it might even become not only opposed to Human Dignity, but also Dangerous for all Humankind).

    A strange Hurry to Accelerate things, by several exceptional measures taken during the on-going votes inside the French National Assembly, (forced to work, reportedly, even during Week-Ends and up to the Evening), Refusal of demands for a Popular Referendum, rejection of Public Consultations, not even Public Debates open to Citizens, etc., added to the Coincidence of Days between the mediatic Mali move (after Months of hesitations) and the 1st huge Mass Demonstration (comp. Supra), were curiously added to even more exceptional coincidences, for an issue which, normally, could Wait for a longer, more mature, consultative and conciliatory process ,: F.ex., this hurry to end faster than expected  the vote of such controversial measures inside the French N.A., was added even with another coincidence, these same Days, between French President Hollande's 1st visit to EU Parliament, and a similar Final Vote on Same Sex Marriage, etc., for the 1st time in History, also inside the  .. British House of Commons, tomorrow, Tuesday, February 5, 2013, against which various Groups of Opposed People have also launched several Protests.

    Brittish People are reportedly astonished by a sudden U-turn reportedly attributed to the entourage of UK's Prime Minister Cameron, while, in fact, he hadn't even mentioned such a Controversial Reform at all, not even in the slightest portion of his Conservative party's pre-Electoral Programme which had been presented and voted in the 2010 Elections...(Almost, mutatis-mutandis, as French President Hollande, is presented by some as being pushed by some Lobbies which had already imposed such Controversial Reforms long BEFORE he became the No 1 Candidate of the Socialist Party, pointing, in particular, also to the obviously exceptional activism of an old homosexual Millionaire, who recently bought a declining but still influential Newspaper)..

    + Added even to another Sudden controversial ruling by an Italian Court on a similar issue of Homosexuals' "Marriage", just a few weeks ago, inevitably observers wonder about the real reasons which might stand behind all this strange Rush, this curious Hurry, in at least 3 main EU Member Countries, to immediately impose such Unique, Far-reaching, Structural Societal Mutations affecting People's everyday Lives and even Beliefs and Moral Values, which seem to dangerously converge around Risks to give to some Technocrats unprecedented Powers over Human Children (Comp. Supra), exactly during these Same Days, at the eve of the forthcoming EU Summit on the 2014-2020 MultiAnnual Financial Perspectives, where Strategic choices have to be made on which Directions wil be allocated considerable EU Funds for many years...

     Indeed, all those, above-mentioned Factual Coincidences, are so many, and so astonishing, given also the Highly Controversial and (if not Carefully managed) possibly Dangerous aspects in such Suddenly converging moves, which can have some far-reaching, long-term consequences to Society and Humankind (Comp. Supra), that the inevitable Question Marks about any eventual Shady Lobby's Interests undue influence over so Sensitve Issues which should be reserved only to transparent and totally irreproachable Democratic Decision-making, to the point that, Now, apparently the Need has become obvious for a Salutory Clarification vis a vis EU Citizens...

    A PanEuropean written Declaration, recently lodged at CoE's Assembly in Strasbourg by many Top MEPs from various Countries, asks to respect International Law for the protection of "Natural Family" and Childrens' Rights, as "EuroFora" already ,noticed, (See earlier NewsReport at : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/coeprotectionofnaturalfamilyandchildren.html ).

    Could EU Parliament's occasions for Debates and other Questions/Replies, precisely, contribute to help start finding some adequate Solutions, on how to address this and other outstanding and controversial issues of Wide Popular interest ?
  

 (../..)

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