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news report
 Saturday March 08, 2003 22:10 by bruno
 BRUNO KAUFMANN - "Once again we can note that this part of the world needs a crisis to rouse it from its complacency." EUOBSERVER / SALT&PEPPER - When a German magazine starts to call him the "Emperor of Europe" and when a united political opposition marches through the streets of Paris to back "the biggest liar in history" - as they called him before last year's presidential elections -, then something has changed indeed. But the 70-year-old statesman Jacques Chirac is using the world crisis on Iraq not only to consolidate his leadership at home and in relationship to Germany, but with his schoolmasterly reprimands of the EU candidate countries Mr Chirac has also delivered another rare benefit: a transnational public debate on the future of Europe. In the footsteps of General de Gaulle But outside the Franco-German axis of friendship many Europeans have understood Jacques Chirac's attitude of dominance and arrogance as an invitation - often for the first time - to reflect and deliberate about the future of a political body called the European Union. In the EU Constitutional Convention new alliances have emerged, like the axis of intergovernmental "Bush-ists" in the West (UK, Denmark and Spain) and 19 smaller countries interested in defending a strong position for the European Commission under the "New order for Europe" (Joschka Fischer in his Convention speech on February 28). The rise and fall of "hardcore" leadership In a similar way, the No-votes in the Danish and the Irish Treaty Referendums gave the impression of a learning process towards a more democratic and transparent Union. However, as soon as the public debate dies down, the will of the powerful to share power and reform the Union from below decreases as well. This time the situation is somewhat different. Firstly, the crisis is not limited to Europe; and secondly, the current constitutional debate ahead of the Eastern enlargement provides a (still weak) institutional framework for bringing Europe a couple of steps further. Bulwark against a federal Europe On the surface a lot of Europeans support Chirac's US-critical strategy, but only a few really share the French President's claim to shape the EU's internal structure by establishing a strong and common foreign policy for the Union. One of Chirac's warmest supporters is Sweden's Prime Minister Göran Persson: "He (Chirac) is a bulwark against a federal Europe", stated Persson recently in an interview with the daily Dagens Nyheter and confessed: "I like this man". Next step: a Europe-wide constitutional referendum Under the current Treaty structure, the governments of member states have a dual position of power: as executives in their own countries and as legislatives at the EU level. Both Parliaments and Peoples have been left outside. If it were to go the way Chirac and a junior partner like Persson would like it to go, this paternalistic and centralistic direction would be further strengthened. And no doubt there are many "leaders" out there who in the shadow of the brute force Bush-Blair-style would like to strengthen their own positions. A European public sphere in the making In this perspective the EU Convention constitutes a unique opportunity of bringing both Europe and democracy further. The most important factor for the success of this political enterprise will not be the date when the first EU Constitution is delivered, but the way it is decided and ratified. Thus, the next step must be a Europe-wide constitutional referendum. By his behaviour the French President has brought this demand further. Merci, Mr Chirac! Join the debate BRUNO KAUFMANN - is a peace- and conflict researcher, radio journalist and president of the Initiative & Referendum Institute Europe in Amsterdam. Website Initiative & Referendum Institute Europe |
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Comments (7 of 7)
Jump To Comment: 7 6 5 4 3 2 1I'm glad to see there are Americans who are not afraid to speak out against the Bush Junta. I was in the US recently and spoke with a reassuring number of people privately who were dead against the war and participated in anti-war marches etc.
The level of jingoism, however, meant for them that saying anything to anybody at work or socially meant being labled as anti-American ... so much for free-speech! You need to cross this bridge in order to debate the issues publicly and show how public opinion is being manipulated.
When I was in the US people were panic-buying plastic sheeting and sealing their homes up to 100 miles from urban areas in spite of the fact that winds were non-existent and temperatures were well below zero Farenheit so bliogical and chemical weapons "IF" they were used would be of no use. This didn't matter to the networks who reported this information heavily as credible news!
Nobody took the media to task over this!
Thank you Ireland for your demonstrations at Shannon Airport. Of course our media doesn't cover it, but via the "net" we know. Thanks! Our country has been taken over by the fascists. We are doing what we can, but need Europe to be strong, and to contain the U.S.A. until at least after the next elections, when (hopefully) Bush will be out.
As you know, this isn't just about Iraq, it's about world domination. And it could be the beginning of World War III.
It is critical that the U.S.A. doesn't get the UN votes!!!
They at least have a memory of oppression by the "progressive" "vanguard."
How eager some of you Irish are to be slaves to the EU directorate, well-insulated from any voter influence.
And after only 81 years of independence!
I agree absolutely with joe ranii, I voted no for the same reasons. I fear for the future now that these eastern european countries will use their negative influence against anything progressive ever emerging in the EU. It would have been dificult enough without them as members but now it will be almost impossible.
Vous etes un couchon
Mais vous etes notre cauchon
Merci!
One of the reasons I voted NO in both Nice referendums was that I knew that these Eastern Europe countries had no loyalty to an independent European posture in international affairs and their presence would drastically shift the balance of EU policy in many areas. Turns out I was right--scarcely had Nice been ratified than a group of them signed on to a letter that apparently had been submitted to them by a country outside the EU. They didn't even have the guts to draft it themselves, nor the courtesy to notify most EU countries before they came out with this joint letter. They're already showing they will not be trustworthy members of the EU.
Polish employers should keep mum
The Norwegian Employers' Organisation's advice to Polish colleauges -"Keep in the background in EU campaign."
Last week representatives of the Norwegian Employers' Organisation (NHO) were in Poland to advise their Polish counterparts on how to fight the battle for EU membership.
"We were recommended to keep discreetly in the background," vice director general in the Polish employers' organisation PKPP, Andrzej Rudka told Norwegian paper Nationen.
"We support popular movements working for a Yes in the referendum. We cannot stand in the forefront, of course, for tactical reasons," says Mr Rudka.
He continued, "The same piece of advice was given to us when they visited us earlier this week. Then we discussed how to work in the battle of opinions before the Polish referendum on EU membership."
Yes - not taken for granted
"NHO told about their experience of two referenda in Norway (1972 and 1994). They told what mistakes they had made by being too visible," says the Pole.
The Polish referendum is likely to take place on 8 June. Current polls give the Yes side 60 per cent of the vote. Nevertheless, Mr Rudka does not take a "Yes" for granted.
"The state is going to run its own campaign before the referendum. We think that the popular movements are more likely to be believed, and we will not be standing in the forefront."
"People think that we are private profiteers who only want to serve our own interests. This is why we prefer to encourage other organisations and pay for their activities. We do not tell them what to say, as long as they are only EU positive," he says.
A turnout of more than 50 per cent is necessary for the referednum to be binding. If the turnout is lower the parliament could still approve the motion. The law is now being amended.