Franco-German continuity, but differences on the table. Next weeks crucial for June EU Summit

*Berlin/15-16 May 2012- German Chancellor Angie Merkel and new French President Francois Hollande declared a Strategic will for "Continuity" in  EU-crucial Franco-German close relations, but didn't hide also current "Differences" in certain concrete, topical issues, from Economy up to Afghanistan, etc., for which the "Next Weeks" will be Crucial, because "each side, (France and Germany) will put at the Negociation Table its Proposals", in view of EU decisions on Growth, etc. in the forthcoming Brussels EU Summit in June, including on the Debt provoked in Greece currently seeking to form a New Government, and various other topical issues, perhaps in a way which, according Hollande, might be more "balanced" vis a vis other EU Member Countries and EU Institutions, as he added (see infra).
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Exceptional Weather events faced by Hollande, don't block the Franco-German summit...
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- "We are particularly glad that Mr. Hollande came to visit us (in Germany) ... even despite a ThunderStorm which stroke his Airplane ! Perhaps, it's a good omen for our cooperation", observed from the outset chancellor Angie Merkel, trigering widespread Smiles for that unprecedented incident which reportedly obliged the new French President to urgently return back to Paris and change Plane, arriving in Berlin with a Delay of more than 1,5 Hour... 

But Hollande, notoriously had, already previously to face an exceptionaly adverse Weather also inside Paris, where he was reportedly obliged even to "change clothes 2 or 3 times in a row", after standing against a heavy Rain in a Convertible Car and afterwards in an Open-Air event, finding Rain again, later the same day in Berlin, before spending there with Merkel an apparently more calm evening, (at least from the Natural Weather point of view)..

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    Hollande, who had already made it known earlier that he would come to Berlin without any future Minister, but only with one Counsellor, in order to keep entirely free and personal his 1st meeting with Merkel, nevertheless, suprised twice by searching and sorting out of his Coat's and Pants' pockets 2 different sets of long Notes, (a Yellow and a White one  successively), that he carefully placed in front of him, before he started to speak...

    If rumours that among his main Ministers (f.ex. on Foreign Affairs, etc) would be Fabius and Moscovici, both Experienced Politicians who have held important positions in the Past as former Prime Minister/President of National Assembly and fomer EU Minister/EU Parliament's vice President, respectively, (Comp. their earlier Statements to "EuroFora"s co-Founder in the Past), are confirmed, then, it's obvious that the appointment of Ayrault, a former Professor of German language, as new Prime Minister (as German Press already noted), might not be enough in order to equilibrate Fabius' notorious involvement in the "No" movement against EU Constitution, back in the 2005 EuroReferendum, nor  Moscovoci's strong Criticism against the "Fiscal pact", (and particularly against the "Golden Rule" with the obligation to work towards a Balanced Budget in the Future, that he stressed that it "must be abolished") in statements made earlier in Strasbourg. So that Hollande himself might have to add his Personal authority as President in order to avoid eventual misunderstandings...

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Crucial Discussion on various Proposals during Next Weeks
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    - "Each side, France and Germany, will put at the Table its proposals", in order to "prepare intensively the (EU) June Summit" in Brussels, Merkel anounced from the outset, warning that "we have an  Intensified Agenda on EU issues", into which "we entered Quickly" .

    - "We discussed and agreed that that we'll prepare closely the forthcoming ( EU) Summits (i.e. "an informal Diner on 23 May", and the "late June Council") with our collaborators, and that, Each Side, the German and the French, will put at the Table their Proposals for the Agenda of the June (EU) Council", Merkel anounced  - "It will certainly be very Important that Germany and France present Jointly to this (EU) Council in June their ideas", she stressed, pointing a the classical Franco-German "joint" method of stimulating EU's way forward.

    - Hollande also acknowledged that "the Method which seems better to us, is to put all at the Table" (of Negociations), but he went on to add that  he would like for this to be done "on the occasion of the Informal (EU) Summit of May 23", i.e. apparently collectively, in front of all the 27 EU Member States, (for which he "thank(ed)" Merkel to accept his proposal to "postpone" it until the middle of EU Parliament's Plenary Session, next week in Strasbourg, "in order to allow me to be able to prepare it better", as he noted).

    Already changing methods, Hollande had earlier met, in Paris, with the Heads of collective EU bodies, such as the Presidents of EU Council and Commission, van Rompuy and Barroso, even before taking over oficially his new job, and this was also reflected in his statements at Berlin :

     - "We (France and Germany) have strong links and an important Responsibility", paticularly because of "our contribution in the construction of Europe". But "the Meaning that I give to the word "Friendship" between our 2 Countries", implies "a Balanced relation, which respects our Political Sensitivities, (i.e. ChristianDemocrats and Socialists), and also our European Partners and the (EU) Community Institutions" (such as EU Council, Commission and Parlement, stressed  Hollande from the outset. *- "We (certainly) want to work together for Europe's General Interest, but also by stimulating all other EU Member Countries' too,  he added.
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>>> On EU/€urozone Economy :
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    - "As it's well known, on March (2012) we had signed the Fiscal Pact" (included in the New €uroArea Treaty), for which Negociations had been Completed Earlier, (See "EuroFora"s NewsReports from Paris on 16/8/2011, and Brussels' EU Summits of December 2011 and January 2012), reminded Merkel from the outset.

    => "Now, this work of the January and March (EU) Councils is Culminating in the June (2012) Council, above all, concerning the issue of Growth", (as it had been already scheduled since December 2011 and January 2012), the German Chancellor observed.

    + Replying to Press Questions on whether she might be "afraid" of "Differences" considered to "Separate" the Socialist and ChristianDemocrat Franco-German leaders, particularly on Hollande's pre-Electoral promisses to "augment the number of Civil Servants, to slam the Pensions' Reform (recently made by the out-going French President Sarkozy, who prolonged the Time for 2 more Years after the age of 60, except in Hard/Dangerous Jobs, in order to ensure the Amount of Money needed for each pensioner and for the whole system even in a period of Global Economis Crisis and longer Lifespan), and, more generally, on "Increased Spending in France", Merkel appeared adamant :

    - "It's not my habit to be"afraid", at any case, since that's not a good guide in Politics", the German chancellor laughed back. + "Moreover, each Country has an Autonomy of Decision, and, as such, this is not an issue for me". Merkel pointed out.

    + Because, "at 1st, we agreed that there is an Obligation to Work Together", she reminded, as a matter of General Principle on Franco-German relations affecting all Europe. "2nd, we now talked for about 60 Minutes : There were Similar, and may be Differend approaches for the Perspectives, but that can also be interesting". "3rd, I don't know if, perhaps, sometimes, more Divergences appear in Public, than there Really is", Merkel downplayed the issue.

    => F.ex., "as I've always said : On one side, stands the Fiscal Pact", as she called the New €uroArea Treaty, (proposed by France and Germany on August 2011 : See "EuroFora"s NewsReport from Elysée Palace on 16/8/2011, discussed, decided and signed by EU Brussels' Summits on December 2011, January and March 2012 : See "EuroFora"s NewsReports from Brussels' EU Summits of 12/2011 and 1/2012).

    + "And, on the other hand, we have already started to work in January and March (2012 EU Summits) on the issue of Growth, as well as before that, so that, now, we have to work in this direction also on June'"s EU forthcoming Summit, "and this is not the problem", Merkel reminded the overal context.

    >>> Now, "the Question is : - "Who has which (concrete) Ideas ?". Because "Growth" is, indeed, a Generic term. But Growth has to come from the People. Therefore, I'm delighted that we have Agreed that we Shall Discuss between us Differend Ideas on how Growth can be created, and I don't think that we might not have any similar approach. May be some Differences of Views could exist, here or there, but that's all, and I look forward to work further together", the German Chancellor replied with realistic optimism, at least for the basics.

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    Questioned by the Press on his earlier anounced intentions about the "Fiscal Pact" in the "EuroArea Treaty", and particularly if he wanted  to "ratify the Fiscal Pact as it is, or, if, on the contrary, he wanted to Change its Content", Hollande simply confirmed the Reply that he had given to "EuroFora"s question, back on March in Strasbourg (See relevant "EuroFora"s 3/2012 NewsReport, with our Questions and Hollande's Replies, on this and other topical issues) :

    - "I want to ReNegociate what had been established at another moment, in order to integrate inside it a Dimension of Growth".

    + But, "the Method on which we agreed (with Merkel) is to put all Ideas, all proposals on the (Negociation) Table, and to see, afterwards, how they can be Leggaly transposed, in order to be implemented. So, it's only at the end of this work that I could reply to your question", he added, apparently opening a window for some "softer" versions of his stance, from the way that it was initially interpreted by most People and Media...

    => - "Everything must be put at the (Negociations') Table, from all sides, everything which can contribute to Growth : (I.e.) Both the Competitivity's ameliorations, and the Investments for the Future (on High-Tech Research/Development, already started by Sarkozy-Merkel earlier), and the mobilization of Funds, and EuroBonds (that Merkel and Sarkozy had refused until now) : In Brief , All that must be put at the Table", added Hollande, apparently pointing at a somewhat variant, new, collective EU method at the concluding stage.
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    - However, as Merkel's Spokesman, Seibert, revealed to Journalists in Berlin the next Morning, "discussions, even after the Press Conference", during Diner,  didn't go beyond "Project-Loans", while, on the contrary, "EuroBonds did not come to the Table", and weren't discussed at all.

    + Moeover, the German Government's basic view on Growth, which was also discussed and decided by the two last EU Summits (January and March 2012), is that Growh can be produced by "Structural Reforms" , Investment in Science and Research, (as he said after just presenting Germany's Annual Report on RST, which advances further an Augmentation of Funds for RST, which rose, between 2005 and 2010 from 2,51 to 2,82 % of GDP, i.e. "the strongest rise among all EU Countries", as he said.

    + Nevertheless, "Discussions with our (EU) Partners" will take place in view of the June 2012 EU Summit, Seibert added carefully, (i.e. apparently not excluding a compromise)
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    + However, later-on, replying to another question, Hollande added that, in his view, "on Growth, it's true that the Word was already writtenin the Fiscal Pact, but it wasn't really explicit. I'm glad that the French Presidential Election's campaign allowed  - the situation in Europe helping also - to put the issue of Growth at the Heart of our Debates", as he said, referring to his own, as well as Sarkozy's relevant declarations, (See "EuroFora"s NewsReport from his speech at Concorde square for "a New Model of Growth"), but apparently skipping the January and March 2012 EU Summits' referernces to Growth and to the already agrreed Rendez-vous of the June Summit for that purpose, as Merkel just reminded (Comp. supra).

    => "I know that, behind the Word "Growth", there can be Differend appoaches", Hollande acknowledged. - "But I am in favour  of a more Productive Economy of the Offer, and for Supports to the Demand, (as he said, adding a point apparently incompatible with the German Government's strategy , and which might boost Foreign Imports, instead of EU exports), which can't, no more, be exerted by National States, given the Budgetary situations, taking into account the  Debts. So that Europe will have to undertake its responsibilities, and that's what we are going to Discuss together during the forthcoming Weeks", he revealed.

    - "We must create Growth, at a National level, and at a European level, even at the Global level, and we shall discuss that during the (forthcoming Summits of ) G8 and at the G20". ... "It's because I'm in favor of Budget consolidation, that I'm also in favour of Growth", since, "if there is no Growth, then, whatever might be our efforts, we'll never reach the Targets that we've fixed in terms of Debt reduction and in diminishing our Deficits".

    - Thus, "concerning the (Economic) situation of France, where (a Journalist of the new version of "Le Monde" Newspaper, recently controlled by 2 "Socialist" Millionaires) wished to remind the Heritage that I received today (i.e. at Hollande's official Inauguration, 1 Day before Sarkozy's term as President ends), i.e. almost a Zero-like Growth during  the 1st Trimester" of 2012, .... in order to take into account the effects of a(n eventual) Slow-down in Growth, .. the (French) Government .... will ask from the (National) Court of Accounts (notoriously headed by a fomer "Socialist" Expert), to make, very fast, a Report of evaluation of the 2012 (French National) Budget's execution", Hollande went on to say. In so doing, he obviously skipped  the well-known Fact that most Forecasts had already predicted earlier that, after Austerity Measures taken by most EU Countries recently, in order to absord the Debts provoked by some 30 Years of Deficits (1980-2911, i.e. almost since the former Socialist President Mitterand) and the 2009-2011 Global Crisis, (which necessitated a Succesful Economic Stimulus policy), a new kind of Growth, much more sustainable, i.e. generated by augmenting Exports, thanks to a stronger Competitivity, (based on Structural Reforms to cheapen Labour's cost and on Investment for High Tech Innovation), was due to start progressively during the 2nd Half of 2012, slowly but steadily Augmenting all the way through 2013, 2014, etc, both in France and most other €uroArea Countries..
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>>> On Greece :
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- "Of course we dealt with the issue of Greece, which was at the center of many discussions during these days : I want to confirm, as far as I'm concerned, and we quite agree on this point, tthat we want for Greece to remain inside the €uroArea", and "we also know that this is the wish of the Majority of People in Greece. The (EU/ECB/IMF) Troika has agreed, since long, with the Greek Authorities on a Memorandum, and we believe that this Memorandum must be kept", Merkel pointed out.

    + "However, as I also said, in Phone Calls with Greek Politician Samaras (the Leader of the Biggest Greek Party, that of "New Democracy", ChristianDemocrats/EPP), or even with the (take-care) Prime Minister Papademos, (former ECB vice-President, a "Socialist" Expert), : We intend to do whatever we can to Help Greece re-Structure (its Economy and mainly State sector), to help Growth, and to help Organizataion", because we agree with the EU that Greece is an €uroGroup Member State, and we want to strengthen that too", she concluded.

    => To put in a nutshell, "we have to respect the new Elections in Greece". But "we clearly say that we Hope that Greece can remain inside the €uroArea", i.e. "that the (Greek) People will also vote for the conditions in the Memorandum to be complied with". And, "second, we are Ready, whenever Greece might want,  to review  Opportunities for Additional Growth, if such a Wish is  expressed, and, if they contact us, we may also make such new Proposals to Greece", Merkel resumed.
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 - "I'm in favour for us to say to the Greecs that Europe is Ready to add Measures for Growth, for Aides to (Economic) Activities, in order to bring Growth back to Greece, instead of the present Recession. But, at the same time, the Commitments which have been undertaken must be kept", the new French President declared from the outset, expreshing the "wish that the Greecs will be able to confirm in these (June 17) Elections their attachment to €uroZone", as he said.
+ "My Responsibility is to send a Message, also, to the Greeks. I understand the sufferings that a part of the Greek People faces today, and its Doubts, Concerns for the Future. Greeks must know that we (EU) will come towards them, by Measures for Growth, by supporting (Economic) Activity, in order to make possible to ensure their presence inside EuroArea".... "I must sent a certain number of Messages, and these messages are those of Growth, of (Economic) Activity, of Support", he promissed.

- "The Greeks are invited to pronounce themselves on Political Parties, some of which are in favour of Greece staying inside €urozone, while others don't, and, therefore, I'll respect the vote of Greeks, whatever might happen", Hollande added, leaving, indirectly but inevitably, a kind of Threat to oust the EU Country from €uroZone if its People votes for parties that he considers opposed to €urozone, (despite the fact that most Greek Parties are in favor of €uro, except from the Communist Party, and, eventually, only partly, SYRIZA, while the real, objective opposal in Greece today runs accross those who are for efficient Measures to eradicate Corruption of the 1980-2010 period, or not, as a necessary condition in order to become able to absorb Debt and create healthy Growth).                                  
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    + Questioned by Journalists in Berlin, next day, Merkel's Spokesman, Seibert, said that Germany's position is that "Commitments must be kept" as far as Greece is concerned, independently of possible "Proposals" to "stimulate Growth" :

    - "We are Open to hear Proposals if there are additional possibilities to get Growth stimulation in Greece by supporting Greek efforts, perhaps also to make Proposals ourselves", and "this can also be a topic of future EU Discussions", he added, in view of the May 23 and June EU Council's RDV.

    - "However, the commitments flowing out of the Memorandum signed with Greece must be kept", he reiterated. "I dont' want to interfere into the Greek Electoral Campaign", but it's clear to all that these Commitments are not so much about Economies, as about Necessary Structural Reforms", he stressed. (Given, in particular, the well-known excessively staffed Public Sector controlled by the Greek State, compared to the country's GDP, specially since former "Socialist" Governments of the 1980ies, whose clientelism and nepotism notoriously provoked a growing Debt, scandalously Hidden back on 1999-2000 in order to ease Greece's Earlier than normal Entry to €uroZone, even before doing necessary Reforms, in exchange of Turkey's unopposed, but controversial and unpopular EU "Candidate" status. That Debt "explosed" during the 2009-2010 Global Crisis, worsened by the then PASOK Government's Clumsy Management and by the Global Speculation against €uro, triggering €uroZone's Financial Crisis).
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* Hopes that the Franco-German EU motor will work, despite Political differences :
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Both on these, and on any other issues, the German and French leaders naturally confirmed the need for the Franco-German EU "motor" to become anew functional, despite some initial politico-economic differences :

    - "We acknowledge the responsibility that we have, as Germany and France, for the satisfactory development of Europe. I believe that if we are sustained by this Spirit, then, we can also find solutions for individual issues", stressed from the outset Chancellor Angie Merkel.

    - "In fact, European Policy has become much more than the traditional Foreign Policy's diplomatic issues, exchanges of views and ways to deal with each other. We (EU) have become a much more inter-Connected Area : We have 1 Currency, and that means a lot more of Shared Responsibility. One of the Reasons for the creation of the €uro is that it makes European Integration Irreversible : €uro is not only a Monetary project. It's also a Political one. And €uro's Political project's Message to the World was to say that "We are Determined to follow the Path into the Future Together... In front of 7 Billions People in the World,  the 500 Millions of Europeans, w'ed better have as much in Common as possible, because we are committed to Common Values : Democracy, Freedom of Expression, of Religion, etc. These are our Values, that we want to live with", Angie Merkel stressed in addition. - "This is part of a big project, which is also expressed in a Common Currency, that many People have promised, after the 2nd World War, in those Countries which have a Common Currency, to Never wage War against each other" : Instead, they said, "we shall be Connected  Peacefully,  and we shall Find Common Solutions. In this sense, the introduction of the €uro and the (Global) Crisis that we have now succeeded to face together, have become also Domestic, Home issues", the German Chancellor explained, as a matter of Principles.

    => Thus, it works as "a very Honest Discussion, as it also happens usually inside a (Governemental) Cabinet, and this will normally be kept also in Domestic policy, precisely because it's very Hard to Find the necessary Solutions", Merkel warned.

    - "Now, it's well known that we belong to Different Political parties' Families, (ChristianDemocrats and Socialists), but that does not mean that we can't work together", she added. F.ex., "in Germany, for some Decades, even when there might not be a Great Coalition at the level of the Federal Governent, nevertheless, the Bundestag and the Bundesrat (the Parliament and the Senate), can have Differend Majorities, so that we are always committed to Consensus and Balance. And it's like this also throughout all Europe, between the various (Political) parties' families. It has now become a Long History in Europe, that we are in a situation which allows us to Find Good Solutions in each case", Merkel concluded with voluntary optimism.
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    + "Well beyond our Differences", and "without hiding anything from what might separate us sometimes", "I wanted to give a (symbolic ) Image of Trust in the work that we can engage in, an image of Cohesion in the Franco-German remation, of Continuity also in the History of our 2 Countries inside the EU", so that "we can convince the Europeans that France and Germany have the Will ... to work Together, for our 2 Countries, for the Franco-German relation, and for Europe as a whole", Hollande added in a transparent way.

    - "It's not the 1st time that the relations between France and Germany are led by Heads of State/Government who are not of the same Political feeling  : It already happened with Helmut Schmidt and Valery Giscard d'Estaing, François Mitterand and Helmut Kohl (Socialists and ChristianDemocrats), and afterwards Jacques Chirac and Gerhard Schroeder, (ChristianDemocrat and Socialist), he reminded in reply to Press questions, (ommitting however to add that in most if not all of those cases, the Franco-German Leaders normally used to prepare together and anounce jointly their common decisions, as even Chirac - Schroeder did). - "In fact, it's even Exceptionally that we had Heads of State/Government with the same Political feeling", claimed Hollande, (apparently underestimating the De Gaulle - Adenauer, Chirac-Kohl, Chirac - Merkel and Sarkozy - Merkel periods..)

    + Independently of this debate, "what I know is that we have a Common Duty     : Our Countries choose their Leaders, and we have to work Together to accomplish the (Political) Mandates that have been given to us, and, mainly in order to make Europe progress and respond to the big Challenges of the World. We'll meet anew, by the way, soon during  the G8 and NATO Summits, and we'll have to work together", he ensured.

    - But "this (1st, Merkel - Hollande) meeting wasn't due to settle all issues, but had, first of all, as a primordial aim to better know eachother, to establish a relationship, to determine a way to advance forward, to undertake a Method of Work in order to find Solutions Together. That's the meanig of our meeting tonight", Hollande concluded carefully.
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    + Replying Next Day to Press Questions about the Hollande - Merkel working Diner, her Spokesman, Seibert, indeed said that "yesterday it was a 1st acquaintance meeting", and "a good Start for a Future Work relationship. But it wasn't a meeting in which something had planned to be Decided. .. So that they did Not yet discuss all topics in Detail", since "the (new) French President had not even appointed still any Government yesterday. It was his 1st Day in office". That meeting served, above all, to approximate, for the 1st time, the Personality of each other and his way to work", and it offered also an opportunity for Collaborators from both sides to take a 1st Contact with one another, since they are due, from now on, to hold the most "Regular and Intensive" Contacts.

    - Thus, it's understandable that, during last Evening, it was first of all the Basic positions on the most Important topics related to both Countries (France and Germany) which were discussed" only. "Thus, f.ex., the topic of Greece was naturally discussed, but Not in the last Detail".

    Compared to similar meetings between f.ex. former leaders Chirac with Kohl, Schroeder and Merkel, as well as Sarkozy - Merkel, etc., that "EuroFora" had a chance to cover in the Past at various occasions, in Berlin, Paris, Strasbourg, and/or elsewhere between 1997 - 2012, this 1st Hollande - Merkel meeting appears, indeed, somehow a litle "light", but we should also take into consideration the fact that Hollande, contrary to all other French and German previous leaders, is just Starting his EU/World political career.

    + Moreover, most of the "Small Differences or Nuances here and there, that they (Hollande and Merkel) anounced themselves, "always existed between Germany and France", even if "they never confessed that in such a way" in the Past, as both of them did now, Siebert tried to minimize. In fact, "there were much More things in Common, concerning European and Global Politics", he stressed.

    - "Now, our collaborators are due to work intensively  to put at the Table our Proposals and "Adjust" them among us, in order to bring them into the EU Discussion at the May 23 Informal (EU) Council", next week, "so that Resolutions can be decided on the way up to the EU Council at the end of June", he added, evoking the traditional Franco-German method (Comp. supra).

    => This naturally augments the crucial character of the forthcoming few Days/Weeks, after the Mexico and Chicago "G-20" and NATO Summits next week-end...

    + Moreover, the German Government wants to push for the Ratification by the Bundestag of both the "Fiscal Pact" contained in the recent €uroArea Treaty, including the "Golden Rule" (See "EuroFora"s News Reports from Paris on 16/8/2011 and from Brussels' EU Summits of December 2011 and January 2012), and the European Financial Stability Mechanism's augmentation, before Summer, i.e. practically speaking, before July, because it considers that, basically, "Solidarity and Financial Stability must be closely Linked", as it was replied to other Journalists' questions, in a way obviously relevant also to Foreign affairs, as well as to domestic issues..
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+ On Afghanistan :
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+ Meanwhile, on Afghanistan, despite Hollande's unilateral anouncement to withdraw French soldiers "at the end of 2012", instead of the collective 2014 deadline earlier agreed by all Countries participatants to the International Coalition which has progressively joined the USA on the spot, (i.e. practically 1 year before all others), which goes contrary to the "Principle" : "All together in, All Together Out", decided by the Allies, as USA's under State Secretary Philip Gordon recently stressed in a Hearing by the Senate's Foreign affairs Comittee, anouncing that he'd visit Paris, "to speak about that", spending there "as much Time as needed", given that "until now, Everybody has kept that Principle, despite the Economic Crisis, despite political pressure", and that Hollande had promissed earlier that "he remais commited to the aim that the Internatiional Coalition must Win", German Chancellor Merkel, who met with Afghani President Karzai today, officially confirmed that "Germany remains committed until the 2014 collective (Military) withdrawal".

However, even if the new official Agreement signed Next Morning in Berlin by German Chancellor Merkel and Afghani President Karzai, clearly refers to the collectively agreed "End of the Transition phase in 2014", nevertheless, in strictly Legal, and not political terms, the 2012 text notes that "Cooperation in the Military field shall be accomplished through ....bilateral annual Programmes", which "will be Renegotiated Annually", (i.e., the next being scheduled for 2013).

It remains to see how Hollande wil handle the issue of the French rotating chairmanship at EUROCORPS, whose current Chiefd, French General  Bavinchove, heads ISAF's Joint Staff Headquarters at Kabul until the first Months of 2013, (comp. EUROCORPS' Head's statements to "EuroFora" since September 2012, as well as those given to us later also by EUROCORPS' deputy Chief, German General Spindler, on January 2012)...

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