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Home arrow newsitems arrow Merkel on EU Election (while Ukraine challenge erupts) :"We must Listen to what our People tell us!"

Merkel on EU Election (while Ukraine challenge erupts) :"We must Listen to what our People tell us!"

Written by ACM
Friday, 21 February 2014
 
 angie_merkel_ok_400

*Strasbourg/(NewsViewpoints)/- "We must advance forward Together" with "the People of our Countries", who "want a Europe which Cares, about what matters most" for them, stressed in substance German Chancellor Angie Merkel, in an impressive Conclusion of the joint Franco-German Inter-Governemental Council's Press Conference, with French President Hollande, in her reply to a Question on the current Challenge of the focthcoming May 2014 EU Parliament's Elections, where Polls notoriously warn about risks not only of a repeatedly massive Abstention, as since 1999, but even or  Rightist ad Leftist tides, some of which apparenty risk to be exploited by a  more or less Anti-European mood, exacerbated after 1999-2005 GeoPolitical Errors (f.ex. on Turkey's controversial and unpopular EU bid, etc., back to which some want to progressively return), to which was added also the too slowly outgoing Global Economic Crisis, etc.


    But, astonishingly, at the same moment, the recent Events and Canges in Ukraine, obviously present another Big Challenge both to the EU and to all the European continent, as several mainstream German Media like "Die Welt" and others, stress now, which also needs both Urgent and Serious as well as Creative Ideas for a "Sustainable and Comprehensive" Response, able to "encourage" both Ukraine and Russia, not to close the Door, but to safeguard the PanEuropean area from any risk of Conflict; i.e. something which would not deceive "as it was done before", the Ukranian People's aspirations, whle also working closely together with Moscow for adequate political solutions, as Chancellor Merkel herself repeated several times recently on the occasion, precisely, of Ukraine, both on December 2013 during the EU Summit in Brussels, (Comp. f.ex: "EuroFora"s NewsReport from the spot : ....), as well as now in Paris and Berlin anew these days.

sochi_olympics_europe_wins_most_gloden_medals_400

    In fact, seen from a Global Perspective, even American "Wall Street Journal"'s Graphics, published at New York, clearly indicate that, despite some errors and/or division, the Potential of the PanEuropean area  of De Gaulle's "Great Europe, from the Atlantic to the Urals" Mountains, etc, (i.e. including both Norway/Switzerland and Russia, etc), can be much more Important than some believe, compared to the rest of the World, as even WSJ's overall GeoPolitical Picture on the ... Golden Medals that each Continent of the Globe succeeded to get at Sochi's Olympics, clearly indicates, (See relevant PHOTO)....

sochi_olympics_gold_win_medal_400

------------------------------------------------


     - "Sometimes, there is a Legitimate Criticism on  something in that Europe which is as if one threw spans on the wheels", particularly some decisions, either taken by us, National Governments" inside EU Council, "or by EU Commission", etc. "We must not assimilate a Criticism on some Special Points, as if it was equal to a General Criticism against Europe as a whole",  Merkel observed from the outset, speaking on the 1st point, (Comp. Supra).


    >>> In particular, it's true that "Europe needs to become Better on certain key points, because it needs (f.ex.) to Reduce Bureaucracy, and to become somehow more (EU) Citizen-Friendly", the experienced and Popular German Chancellor, stressed, putting it at a nutshell.


    - "And, here, we (EU Political Leaders) must Listen to what the Pëople of our Countries, when they tell us that this or that (choice) doesn't work properly" yet, she added in this regard.


    - Because, in fact, "People want that Europe Cares about the things which matter most for them", stressed Angie Merkel,


    => And,"in this sense, we shall Advance Together ("Gemeisam") towards the European Elections" of May 2014, the German Chancellor invited, in conclusion.


    I.e. something which obviously reminds her Famous Moto during her Succesful Campaign for the September  2013 National Elections in Germany, whee she notoriously Won an unexpectedly High Score of Popular Votes, which was :  - "Gemeinsam Erfolgreich ! ", meaning : "Together Succesfuly !".

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    Both then, and now, Merkel also observed that, even if France and Germany are both "Great Countries", nevertheless, even counted with all the 28 Member States of the EU, "we represent only some 7% of the Population of the World", while, "alone, it's almost 1%, facing 99%"... Therefore, it's obvious that, "if we (Europeans) want to become  Stronger, then we can do that only all Together", as she stressed.


    Having personaly followed the 1st Day of her Final Electoral Campaign then, since early August 2014 at nearby Ludwigshafen, "EuroFora" cannot forget, nevertheless, that, at the same moment, Angie Merkel  clearly observed, that, in fact, "the most important Strength for any Government,  is in the Strength of its People  !".


    A naturally good way to focus, thus, on the need to boost "Education" and the Spirit to "Innovation", foster "Strong Families", Moral "Values", Social "Integration" as well as Cultural and Historic "Identity", etc., which are also necessary infredients for a Strong Economy and Role in the World.


    I.e., mutatis-mutandis, precisely what most European People would like to debate and develop in concrete, efficient policies, at the forthcoming, May EU Elections !
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    + But, after the Historic developments of these days at Kiev, with all the promisses and/or risks that they present, it has become now obvious that these 2014 EU Elections, if they are to really affect Europe's Future, the cannot be limited merely into looking only inside the EU, without forging an adequate Overall View for  the E ntire PanEuropean area, Ukraine and Russia included.


    >>> - "A sustainable, overall Concept ("GesamtKonzept"), must come from the EU Capitals, able to  stimulate Democracy, Rule of Law, and the Market" Economy, "without pushing  Ukraine (contrary to what was done the last time), nor Russia, to the Door", stressed mainstream German Newspaper "Die Welt", which supports Merkels' CDU/CSU Governing parties.
    
    + "At the same time, the West, including Poland, realises', more and more clearly, 'that without Russia, there is- No Peaceful and Stable solution to the Ukranian issue".


    - In fact, "Russia expects to be respected", the German Media underlined, advising geopolitical deals and compromises, almost as Chancellor Merkel apparently tried to do.


    - Otherwise, the "Risk of Fire-sparks flying in all directions, is too dangerous, too high, too big", "Die Welt" warned in Conclusion.

    Indeed, as far as staying in Contact and Talking wih Russia on the main issues  is concerned,  this is a line that the German Chancellor apparently follwoed herself - and even advised openly also for other EU Leaders (See f.ex. Merkel's observations precisely ob Ukraine, as early as since the December 2013 EU Summit in Brussels, etc) - as her personal stance clearly shows  :


    - F.ex., even during her latest visit to Paris, for the Franco-German Summit, Merkel arrived, later at the Evening, at Elysée Palace, for a scheduled meeting with Industrialists on Economic affairs, together with French President Hollande, ready to insert, at the 1st point of her brief Speech, the anouncement that  she had "just had a Phone Conversation with Russian President" Putin, in order to "agree" on "excluding Violence"in Ukraine, but to push "the Political Process" ahead, as she reportedly said, (just before starting to deal with "Digital Economy", etc)...To this were added, when she returned at Berlin the next Day, another Phone call on Ukraine with US President Obama, Putin, Yanukovich, etc.


    => But, in fact, there where the situation has arrived Today, the main point about Ukraine is no more purely GeoPolitical... If the EU has indeed to find a Modus Vivendi with Russia, in order to keep Peace throughout the European Continent and bring Economic Development, at the same time, it has now become also true that The EU can no more deceive those Ukranian People who (rightfuly or wrongly) even Risked during these days their Lives in order to try to ensure to their Country a real prospect towards the EU in the forseable Future.


    Particularly No, at least as long as, at the same time, some inside the EU still insist to bring even ... Turkey's controversial and unpopular EU bid on board,

(curiously, while leaving Out an "unquestionably European" Country (as former French President Sarkozy had openly qualified Ukraine, speaking as EU Chairman then, already as early as back on 2008 in Paris' Elysée Palace  : See "EuroFora"s NewsReport from the spot : ....), with European Culture, History, Geography and even High-Tech (comp. f.ex. Big Carrier Airplanes ANTONOV, Space Rockets, "Sea-Launch", etc), in addition to Energy links ready to function immediately, etc...

ukraine_eu_flag_400 

 The fact that Ukraine would be an Ideal "Bridge" between and EU and Russia inside De Gaule's "Greate Europe", is obvious. But what it really means, and how to achieve that, still remains an Open Question of Europeean Strategy inside a Global World.. 

    - However, during recent years, "Ukraine is, at best, Semi-Welcome" by "Western Europe" "in the EU", thinks necessary to mention "Die Welt"'s realism... In fact, Ukraine's Future GeoPolitical "Location has not uet been decided".

- "Because this is about much More than simply a Question to which major Economic Association should belong Ukraine : the EU.., or the EurAsian prosperity zone, advanced by Russia ?", the mainstream German Media acknowledges.


    => The real reason for such a Paradox lies not only in GeoPolitical factors, but also -or even more - in things related to that "Overall Concept" ("GemeinsamKonzept"), that the EU currently needs to forge, for the Future of all greater Europe, (EU as it stands today included), and which Timely coincides, in fact, with one of the biggest Stakes at the forthcoming May 2014 EU Parliament's Election, due to change all EU Leadership this year (Comp. Supra)....  


    >>> Therefore, in substance, Today, the main Question remains Open, both in Kiev and/or Moscow, as well as  in Berlin  or Paris, London or Rome, etc. :  I.e., will EU Leaders "Listen to what their People are telling them", and find a way to build "a Europe which Cares for what matters the most" ?...

 

(../..)

 

 

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ECHR's President to "EuroFora" on Journalists Gongadze and Adali murders : Principles must apply to all States, without discrimination.


+ ECHR's Statistics on Freedom of Expression (See below).


 European Court of Human Rights' President, Jean-Paul Costa, questioned by "EuroFora" on Journalists' murders, as in Gongadze and Adali's cases etc., strongly stressed all CoE Member States' obligation to make efficient Investigations to find and punish those responsible, and underlined that ECHR's case-law's principles must apply to all without any discrimination.

His call was clearly supported by various Top MEPs who denounced a risk of "Double Standards" if some Journalists' murders are investigated, while others don't.

To avoid such risks, CoE's Parliamentary Assembly adopted a Resolution, on the occasion of Ukranian Journalist Gongadze's murder, "stressing", as a matter of general Principle, "the importance it attaches to the safety of Journalists and political activists, especially those linked to opposition groups, in ALL member states of the CoE". All "crimes against journalists and political activists must be investigated ... as a matter of priority, without political interference".

Costa was replying to "EuroFora"s question on the fact that, after CoE's Committee of Ministers, also CoE's Assembly had just adopted a Resolution on Gongadze murder case, based on an ECHR's judgement of 2005, asking a full Investigation from Ukraine, who has found and condemned  in 10 years of jail 2 executants, but not yet the instigators.

While nothing similar was yet done for dissident Turkish Cypriot Kutlu Adali's murder, with 5 bullets shot at his head out of his Family's home in the territories of Cyprus occupied by Ankara's army, despite another ECHR's judgement of the same year 2005, and despite Turkey's claim that nobody was found among those responsible for the murder, and that there was nothing more to do..

In order to be credible and efficient, CoE's mechanisms shouldn't find a way to at least ask for full investigations of all Journalists' murders anywhere they might be committed, without exceptions ?

adali_gongadze


- "On the larger question that you raised, I'd like to say, since we are in a period of stock-taking on ECHR's 50 Years, that the Court's case-law developed certain concepts ....such as the Positive obligations of States, part of which are also the procedural obligations", started to reply ECHR's President.

 - "Whenever Journalists, Lawyers, Defenders of Human Rights, or even simple Citizens are murdered, the States are held responsible, not only if its their own security forces' agents who committed these murders, but also if they didn't make sufficiently substantial and efficient Investigations", he stressed.

- "I want to strongly underline that we (ECHR) have found in many cases numerous violations of Articles 2 and 3 against States, ....(about) murders or torture, ...because they didn't make enough Investigations in order to try to find and punish those responsible".

- "We (ECHR) do that vis-a-vis all 47 (CoE) Member States, without any discrimination".

"Naturally, the circumstances in each particular case may be differend, and we can't ommit to apply the rules of proof, or the rules of criminal procedure".

"But we try, by all means, to apply these principles of our case-law, to all States", he concluded.

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      Costa's call was strongly supported by several Top CoE MEPs, from various Political areas


- "To investigate the murder of one Journalist, and not of another, looks like Double Standards", denounced the President of EuroLeft Group in CoE's Assembly, Dutch MEP Tiny Cox.  

- "What is the reason ? Politics or specificity of a case ? Of course, if Cyprus and Turkey are involved, it's always a Political case"..

- "Murders of Journalists should always be fully investigated, because killing Journalists is not only killing persons, but also killing Free Press".  "We (CoE's Assembly) should do our outmost to help People who are working on Free Press and they are under threat or murdered".

Because for Free Politics, Free Press is a pre-requisitive : Parliamentarians  cannot  function without a Free Press. Not investigating, is not protecting ourselves".

So we should investigate all Journalists' murders : We are talking about Gongadze, about the Cypriot man (Adali), about the Journalist murdered in Moscow one week ago, etc", Cox concluded

- "CoE can' look at these cases differently. CoE can't wear Blinckers  !".
- "If the one is investigated, so has to be also the other. Why there wasn't full investigation ? Why's that ?", wondered British  Socialist MEP, Alan Meale.

- "A good idea" would be to "make a Motion for Resolution", and "join all Journalists' murders. Adali and Gongadze etc", said to "EuroFora" EU Parliament Political affairs Committee's President, Goran Lindbland, ChristianDemocrat MEP from Sweden.


(See also earlier News at "EuroFora" on similar issues).
-------------------------------

ECHR's Statistics on Freedom of Expression :


    Almost Half of condemnations by ECHR for violations of Freedom of Expression in 2008, concern Turkey : 20 out of a total of 48 for all CoE's Member States.

    Russia, Poland, France and Moldova were condemned only 3 times. Romania, Greece, Portugal, 2 times, and the other CoE Member States only 1 time, or none.
--------------------
    During the last Decade : 1998 - 2008, Turkey was condemned for violating Freedom of Expression in ..169 cases, while Austria only in 24.

    France and Moldova in 14 and 13, respectively, closely followed by Russia and Poland with 11 and 10, respectively. The rest of CoE Member States had less than ten condemnations.    
    

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