newsitems Papandreou to "EuroFora" on Sarkozy - Merkel's statements about the issue of Greece's Economy
Papandreou to "EuroFora" on Sarkozy - Merkel's statements about the issue of Greece's Economy
*Brussels/Angelo Marcopolo/- Prime Minister of Greece, Georges Papandreou, replying to "EuroFora"s questions on French President Sarkozy and German Chancellor Merkel's statements on the Economic problems of the country, stressed that he intends to struggle against deep-rooted issues, and welcomed their trust that Greece could succeed, with EU's help, to find its own ways to overcome problems steming from a long Past.
"EuroFora"'s question to George Papandreou referred to the statements made by German Chancellor Merkel when we were in Bonn, (See "EuroFora" Newsreport :http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/merkelbonn.html), and now also by French President Sarkozy in our presence in Brussels, where they expressed their support to the first measures announced by the Prime Minister of Greece, and their trust in his promisses.
George Papandreou was asked by "EuroFora" to comment on the fact that important EU leaders of big EuroZone Countries, from another Political side than his, i.e. ChristianDemocrats du EPP, instead of Socialists, made such positive, in, principle, and supportive statements, , and whether he found that the crucial character of the issue pleaded in favor of a kind of national unity between all political tendencies in Greece who sincerely wished a better future for the country.
On this occasion, "EuroFora" also asked him if he found useful, or even necessary, a kind of "concertation", at European level, together with Eurropean organisations and relevant Countries.
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Earlier, Sarkozy, replying to a question during his final Press Conference at the conclusion of Brussels' EU Summit, observed, initially, that "it's true that Greece is in front of é major difficulty". So, "it's necessary that the Greek AUthorities prepare an Ambitious Strategy".
He found that "the Measures anounced by the Greek" PM, "are a step in the good direction", while "waiting to prepare soon, in close cooperation with the (EU) Commission, all measures needed for a sustainable restoration of the Budgetary Statistics'" , and that "the Prime Minister assured us of his Will and Intentions".
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The Prime Minister of Greece replied to 2 our of 3 "EuroFora"s questions, and even reacted affirmatively to an earlier critical observation by "EuroFora", but either ommitted or forgot to reply on another (3rd) of our points :
- "Leaders of other (EuroZone) Countries respect the will and the efforts of every Government, and of every People, to set a framework able to settle such problems. "EuroGroup" itself issued (earlier) a statement that the anounced measures are a step in the right direction, but that, of course, more is needed" We are trying to find Greek answers in a European context.
"A real problem would be if we didn't recognize the problems, and we would have diffiiculties to convince if we simply said that we shall continue almost as usual, if we didn't have our own, concrete proposals";
- "Our Credibility is linked to the fact that we want to tackle more Deep-rooted, more Crucial issues, and seek more Sustainable Solutions, which can advance much further on, for the amelioration of the Economy of Greece, and take more Radical measures than to simply cut today a Salary of Retirement benefits to some People : This wouldn't really help to make the Greek Economy sustainable, and wouldn't respond to the Monetay problems". In fact, there are also other problems in the Country, which are more important than that, and it's these, Harder and more Difficult problems, which play an Important role for the Future, that we must tackle". Such issues are, for me, a more Radical and more Deeply penetrating way to act, than to simply cut a salary or a retirement benefit", Papandreou's reply to "EuroFora" stressed.
Significantly, the Prime Minister of Greece referred also explicitly to the manifold negatve consequences which were provoked to the detriment of the Country's Economy by a recurrent phenomenon of "'Clientelism", favoritism and nepotism, "Corruption and Bureaucracy", which had also anti-democratic, anti-social and counter-productive repercussions for several Decades, that "EuroFora" had, precisely denounced in our relevant Publication issued just 1 Day before Georges Papandreou reacts, as above, to our questions in a well-attended Press Conference late after the conclusion of EU's Summit in Brussels. (See : )
Had he (or someone among his assistants) read "EuroFora"s criticism, precisely, of what he called himself the plague of "Clientelism" which had undermined EU and EuroZone member, contemporary Greece's potential ?
Regardless of that, Papandreou at least told ys that he "remembers" well the Interviews and Publications that "EuroFora"'s main founder used to make in the Past out of his previous Political Statements, as simple former Minister for European affairs, more than a ...Decade earlier in Strasbourg, particularly when Greece had chaired the CoE (+ 1998)..
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They voted to "freeze" UK Government's draft to put People in jail for 42 Days on "anti-terrorist" suspicion without charge, or they abstained. Don't they look suspect ?
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CoE's debate on UK controversy stirs PanEuropean check of anti-terror suspects' imprisonment
Former Leftists of the Sixties would boil in hot water if they heard PACE's debate on the controversial 42 days detention without charge, currently drafted by the British Government :
A "Socialist" Government, a Socialist PACE Rapporteur and a Socialist Chair of PACE's Legal Committee, opposed a .. "Conservative" amendment (supported by .. Liberals, Democrats, etc), to freeze the measure, in order to protect Citizens' Freedom, by "waiting" until CoE's Venice Committee checks its conformity with Human Rights' principles.
"Left"'s support to Conservative-Lib.Dem's criticism, wasn't enough to obtain a majority, nor to make things as they were back in the good old days, when "Left" and "Right" had a clear meaning, as "liberty" and "restrictions"...
Conservatives and most Democrats were joined by the Left in voting for the "freeze", as well as Liberal Paul Rowen, while Socialist MEP Ivan Popescu, an experienced MEP from Ukraine (PACE Member since 1996-2008) abstained. But most Socialists, added to a few Liberals and EPP's Right, voted against.
Fortunately, someone inside PACE had the wise idea to shorten the Debate for less than 1 Hour, and put it on the Agenda only at the end of an exceptionally busy day, towards the end of the Evening, when most MEPs had already gone to taste wins and foods at various Receptions all around Strasbourg's "European" area : As a result, not even 42 MEPs weren't present..
Socialist Lord Tomlinson accused the leaders of the PanEuropean Assembly, in its highest body : the "Bureau", to "lack wisdom" by deciding to hold a Debate on an issue that neither the Socialist Chair of the Legal Committee, nor its Socialist "reluctant Rapporteur", did "not want to do", ...
Finally, everybody (critics and supporters alike) was happy to agree, in substance, that the controversial measure "may" gravely violate Human Rights, and therefore, PACE asked Legal Experts of Venice Commission to check UK Government''s plans.
But this might take more than .. 42 Days to do, since PACE's Rapporteur asked the Experts to enlarge their study in a PanEuropean comparison of all that is happening on "anti-terrorism" legislation in 47 CoE Member Countries, including Russia, Turkey and Azerbaidjan..
Bad lack : "The existing 28 days’ detention without charge in the UK is, in comparison with other CoE member countries, one of the most extreme : In Turkey, the period is 7,5 days, in France 6 days, in Russia 5 days, and in .. the U.S. and Canada just 2 and 1 days respectively", denounced Democrat MEP Ms WOLDSETH from Norway..
"Numerous respected human rights organisations, including Liberty and Human Rights Watch, have expressed serious concern" "The proposed legislation ...could easily lead to extensive abuses. ...Detention for 42 days means six weeks in which one is taken away from one’s family, friends, home and livelihood only to be let off without being charged. That will destroy lives and isolate communities", she added.
- "3 years ago, the UK Government sought to increase the period of pre-charge detention from 14 days to 90 days. Not long before that, it had been only 7 days. There was a vigorous debate ...and a ...compromise was reached of 28 days. We have to ask whether there are proper safeguards in place to extend the period to 42 days. I suggest that there are fatal flaws", reminded British Conservative Clappison.
- "What sort of society holds someone in detention for 42 days and does not have to tell the person who is in prison why they are there, or explain the suspicions that arose and led to their detention? What sort of society believes that that is the way to treat its citizens? That is an appalling injustice, ...A 42-day detention period will not make the UK safer. Instead, it will be the first step to giving in to terrorists; it is saying that we are prepared to sacrifice our democratic rights and the principles for which we have stood for centuries", criticized British Liberal Michael Hanckock
"Comments made ...by Norwegian delegates are unfortunate", replied British Socialist MEP Ms.Curtis-Thomas, accusing them to "besmirch the reputation of our police force, which is one of the Best in the World", as she said, believing that "there are significant safeguards ...to ensure that individuals are not subjected to unlawful detention"
PACE "has serious doubts whether ...the draft legislation are in conformity with the ...case-law of the European Court of Human Rights. A lack of ..safeguards may lead to arbitrariness, resulting in breaches of ... liberty and ...right to a fair trial". PACE "is particularly concerned that: ..the judge ..may not be in a position to examine whether there exist reasonable grounds for suspecting that the arrested person has committed an offence;"; that "... representation by a lawyer may be inappropriately restricted or delayed;" that "information on the grounds for suspicion of a person ...may be unduly withheld.. ;" that this "may give rise to arrests without the intention to charge;", and; in general, that "prolonged detention without proper information on the grounds for arrest may constitute inhuman treatment", says Klaus De Vries' Report, adopted with 29 votes against zero.
Records don't say if it took him 42 Days to draft his Report, but, at least, he knew why...