newsitems Strasbourg's New Prefect P-E. Bisch rolls for Europe's Heartland at Rhine river sources : OberRhein
Strasbourg's New Prefect P-E. Bisch rolls for Europe's Heartland at Rhine river sources : OberRhein
It's to the Sources of the River which floats from Europe's Heart, in one of the most Developed and Historic European areas, located between France, Germany and Switzerland, at the unique crossroads of 3 Rivers linking 3 Seas: Northern, Black and Mediterranean, via Rhine, Rhone and Danube, that Strasbourg's new Prefect, Pierre-Etienne Bisch, dreams to focus his main horizon :
Born at Lorrasch, a small village strategically located in a German portion of land between France's Mulhouse City and Switzerland's Bale, amidst splendid landscapes of Südschwartzwald Naturpark in Baden-Wurtenberg's Laender, Bisch, who studied Political Science in Strasbourg's University, before graduating from the prestigious ENA French National Administration School, (recently transferred from Paris to Strasbourg), naturally speaks both French and Deutsch, (alike to France's new EU Minister, Bruno Le Maire).
Logically, he'd like to develop contacts and links between the 3 neighbouring Countries around the famous "Ober-Rhein" (Superior Rhine) area, close to the 3 strategic European Rivers' Sources, where Rhine meets Rhone and Danube : A highly developed network of historic and modern cities at Europe's Heart, linking together more than 6 Million People, including prestigious Karlsruhe, Fribourg, Stutgard, Mulhouse, Bale. As well as several Economy or University-Research hotspots, among which, French Minister of Higher Education and Research, Valerie Pecresse, recently expressed the wish to build closer ties, at the inauguration of Strasbourg's Unified mega-University, the biggest in France, (emerging from the union of former Robert Schuman, Louis Pasteur and Marc Bloch, Law, Science and Philosophy Faculties), in the renovated Palace where Goethe was student, as his statute reminds, (February 2009).
Strasbourg and Ortenau zone are jointly building a Franco-German "EuroDistrict", due to become the "Metropolitan area" of the "Oberrhein" region, which fits well GeoPolitical constructions favorable to a concentric-type development of Europe, spreading from a "Solid Core", up to far away areas, (Comp. 2/2009 Article on "EuroDistrict"s New Plan).
It's precisely because Strasbourg has not only a local or regional, but also a European and PanEuropean dimension, that Bisch was convinced to accept the proposal to leave a prestigious post as former CEO of France's "METEO" National service, in order to take over as Prefect of the Department of Bas-Rhin and Alsace's Region.
He started his official meetings with a few flowers to the Monument in honor of all those who sacrificed their lives for Democratic Freedoms guaranteed by the French Republic, together with the City's Mayor Roland Ries, lower-Rhine's Department President Guy-Dominique Kennel, Strasbourg's Military Governor General Dexter, MPs André Schneider and Armand Jung, several other elected personalities or officials, etc., between the University's Library BNU and Strasbourg's prestigious National Theater, facing Rhine's palace, at the avenue which leads to Goethe's statute, in front of the renovated Historic University's palace.
But, apparently conscious of Media's importance in nowadays world, he had earlier invited Strasbourg's Journalists, including EuroFora (even if delayed by other duties), before the official ceremony at Republic's green square.
Earlier the same day, immediately after officially assuming his new duties, he visited the Rhine river area, close to Europa bridge, to inspect the restoration of damages provoked by a violent group which had infiltrated among peaceful anti-NATO demonstrators during the 28 Heads of State and Government's exceptionnal Summit, at the beginning of April. (See EuroFora News dated April 5, 2009).
Prefect Bisch succeeds to Jean-Marc Rebiere, who served, as scheduled, until NATO's 60th Anniversary Summit, before taking over new duties at the center, including on the topical issue of France's Local and Regional Administration's reform before 2010 Cantonal Elections, last step before the key 2012 Presidential election.
Bisch has a solid Legal background, as former Judge, Head of Legal and Administrative Litigation department in several Ministries, Director for Local Authorities, etc. before assuming the responsibility of all Justice and Home Affairs' as well as Political issues at former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin's office at Matignon (Paris).
But, as an experienced also former Head of several other Prefectures in the Past, Strasbourg's new Prefect has already become a "specialist" of "Eastern" regions, from Ain and Var to Metz and Savoie. As counselor of former JHA Minister Charles Pasqua for Corse, he crossed Eastern France from the Mediterranean maritime South, up to the Northen mountainous Alsace, now.
As METEO France's CEO, he has recently developed High Tech innovations on Weather forecast, and relevant experience, which could be particularly useful in Strasbourg, the first to be hit by the 2003 2003 Heatwave, before it expanded to the whole France.
Last but not least : His fresh experience at "METEO-France" (2005-2009), gave him both a Gloval overview, (going as far as f.ex. China), and a good training into ...predicting fluctuations, useful also in the forthcoming political aleas of Europe's Future, after key EU and German Elections in 2009, as seen from Strasbourg's central "Political Meteo" observation point, able to provide a unique "überblick"...
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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...