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Below, you find a selection of excerpts from articles (introducing remarks in blue) related to European cooperation / integration:
BREXIT is far from being implemented. And in any case, there will be a long way to go. Positioning herself outside the EU is unlikely to be a catastrophe for the UK, but wouldn’t put her on the right track to a prosperous and safe future either. Emotions are human, emotions are important, emotions can be misleading. If the British act wisely, as they have done for centuries, they ought to rely on a balanced mix of rational and emotional arguments dealing with the intended BREXIT – and, maybe, rethink their decision. >>Theresa May has had a difficult start to the G20 summit as President Barack Obama said the UK would not be the priority for a US trade deal and Japan issued an unprecedented 15-page warning about the consequences of Brexit. [...] After her first bilateral meeting with Obama, May was warned that the US wanted to focus on trade negotiations with the EU and a bloc of pacific nations before considering a deal with the UK. Theresa May joins G20 summit to face Brexit warnings from US and Japan (excerpt), Rowena Mason, The Guardian, 05/09/2016 ______________________________________________
>>BRUSSELS — European Union authorities on Tuesday proposed taking control of border and coastal security at popular entry points for migrants in countries like Greece and Italy, to get a grip on a crisis that has divided the bloc and fed the rise of populist political movements. [...] The borders that migrants “cross are not just Greek borders or Bulgarian borders — they are European borders,” Frans Timmermans, the first vice president of the European Commission, said at a news conference in Strasbourg, France. That made such borders a “collective responsibility,” and “if we don’t protect them in the right way, the consequences will be for all Europeans,” he said.<< EU Pushes to Take Over Border Security at Migrant Pressure Points (excerpt), James Kanter, The International New York Times, 15/12/2015 ______________________________________________
>>The eurozone economy perked up again this month, a private sector report showed on Friday, powered by continuing strength in Germany and surprisingly strong growth in France. Momentum Builds in Eurozone, Survey Says (excerpt), David Jolly, International New York Times, 21-22/02/2015 ______________________________________________
>>LONDON — Europe is taking aim at Google, again. 'Right to Be Forgotten' Should Apply Worldwide, E.U. Panel Says (excerpt), Mark Scott, International New York Times, 26/11/2014 ______________________________________________
>>BRUSSELS — The 28 leaders of the European Union agreed early on Friday on targets for protecting the climate and generating greener power despite deep divisions among their nations over how to produce energy. European Leaders Agree on Targets to Fight Climate Change (excerpt), James Kanter, International New York Times, 23/10/2014 ______________________________________________
Responsible budgeting is the condition for economic stability and wealth in the long term. After years of austerity, the long term perspective needs to prevail in the very interest of the citizens. However, the focus of economic policy will have to be on reducing unemployment and growth. >>ATHENS — After four years of austerity, the Greek government on Monday heralded a series of tax cuts and benefits in a draft budget forecasting a steady return to growth as it moved to shore up its flagging popularity and avert early general elections. Greece's Draft Budget Aims to Ease Austerity Measures (excerpt), Niki Kitsantonis, International New York Times, 06/10/2014 ______________________________________________
Now, time has definitely come to shift the focus from austerity to stimulation of growth. >>FRANKFURT — The European Central Bank cut its benchmark interest rate to a record low on Thursday and, in an unprecedented attempt to stimulate the euro zone economy, said it would begin charging interest on deposits held by the bank. [...] Imposing a negative deposit rate is meant to give a positive jolt to the euro zone economy. In the annals of central banking, though, negative deposit rates have rarely been tried. Denmark had one until April, but the impact on an economy as large as the euro zone’s is largely unknown.<< European Central Bank Takes a Radical Step (excerpt), Jack Ewing, International New York Times, 05/06/2014 ______________________________________________
Solidarity is one of the pillars the European Union is based on. The borders of member states with non-member states are common borders of the EU. To address immigration issues appropriately a common policy is imperative and needs shared funding. >>MADRID — About 80,000 African migrants are heading for Spain’s two enclaves along the Moroccan coast, leaving Spain struggling to contain the efforts that are coming in larger and increasingly coordinated surges in recent days. The Spanish interior minister, Jorge Fernández Díaz, said Thursday that the situation at the enclaves, Ceuta and Melilla, was a problem not only for Spain, but for all of Europe, and needed to be handled “in cooperation with the European Union.” [...] At a European Union ministerial meeting on Monday, he called on Spain’s partners in the bloc to provide 45 million euros, or $62 million, to help Spain reinforce its border security around the enclaves.<< Spain Struggles to Halt Migrants at Two Enclaves (excerpt), Raphael Minder, International New York Times, 06/03/2014 ______________________________________________
>>New rules designed to achieve the CO2 emission reduction target of 95g/km for new cars by 2020 were endorsed by Parliament on Tuesday. The text retains this target, albeit with a one-year “phase-in” period in 2020. It also allows “super credits”, whereby the cleanest cars in each manufacturer’s range count for more than others, to apply from 2020 to 2022. [...] “This vote means that Europe will continue to be at the cutting edge in reducing co2 emissions from cars, as the 95g/km target represents a saving of 15 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. However, the cost of innovation has to be socially acceptable and economically feasible, both for consumers and manufacturers” said rapporteur Thomas Ulmer (EPP, DE). “We are also going to introduce new test cycles which will better reflect real driving conditions”, he added.<< Parliament backs law to cut car CO2 emissions (excerpt), European Parliament / Press Release, 25/02/2014 ______________________________________________
>>PARIS — The European Central Bank on Thursday left its benchmark interest rate unchanged, choosing to wait for additional data before deciding whether to address evidence that the euro zone is sliding into the dangerous economic condition known as deflation. Mario Draghi, the central bank’s president, acknowledged at a news conference that the 0.7 percent inflation rate in January was lower than expected and said that it would remain low over the coming months but then gradually climb back to the bank’s target of just below 2 percent. “We have to dispense with the question, ‘Is there a deflation?’ and the answer is, ‘No,' ” he said. He added that a moderate economic recovery continued in the final quarter of 2013 and that interest rates would stay low “for an extended period of time.” He reiterated that the bank was prepared to take decisive action if conditions warrant it.<< European Central Bank Holds Interest Rate at 0,25% (excerpt), David Jolly, International New York Times, 06/02/2014 ______________________________________________
>>By the summer of 2012, it was clear that the monetary union with a banking, fiscal, economic and political union was necessary to make the union survive. Yet so far, only partial elements of a banking union have come to life, as Germany and its partners in the core worry that risk-sharing could become risk-shifting, and a banking and fiscal union could become a transfer union where the rich core constantly transfers money to a poorer and poorly managed periphery. [...] There were some hopeful developments in 2013: the beginning of a banking union, the end of the euro zone recession, improved external and fiscal balances. But progress toward a full union has been slow and public debt ratios are still rising. Competitiveness has improved, but a strong euro has held it back, and a credit crunch has been impeding the economic recovery. Unemployment is likely to remain high, feeding a social backlash. The marriage is holding, but the partners have to do more in 2014 and beyond to form a real union.<< Euro Marriage in Peril (excerpt), Nouriel Roubini, The New York Times/IHT, 27/11/2013 ______________________________________________
>>PARIS — Europe’s fragile recovery remains alive, according to the results of a closely watched corporate survey released Thursday. The composite purchasing managers index compiled by Markit Economics, a data and analysis firm, came in at 51.5 in October, above the 50.0 mark that signals expansion. While that marked a slight deceleration from September’s 52.2 showing, it was the fourth consecutive month in positive territory. The growth trend is a “modest” one, Chris Williamson, Markit’s chief economist, noted, but “the expansion is reassuringly broad-based across the region, reflecting signs of economic recoveries becoming more entrenched in the periphery as well as ongoing expansion in Germany and stabilization in France.”<< More Glimmers of Hope for Europe's Economy (excerpt), David Jolly, The New York Times/IHT, 24/10/2013 ______________________________________________
>>Die Eurozone wird laut Prognose im kommenden Jahr die Wirtschaftskrise hinter sich lassen. Das Bruttoinlandsprodukt (BIP) in der Währungsunion dürfte 2014 um 0,9 Prozent zulegen, berichtet die "Welt" unter Berufung auf eine neue Schätzung der Wirtschaftsberatungsgesellschaft Ernst&Young (EY) am Montag berichtet. Im Jahr 2015 könnte die Wirtschaftsleistung in den Eurostaaten um 1,5 Prozent steigen. Demnach wachsen Spanien, Italien und Portugal 2014 wieder leicht. Frankreichs Wirtschaft könnte um ein Prozent zulegen. Für Deutschland prognostiziert EY für das kommende Jahr ein Wachstum von 1,7 Prozent. Um die gleiche Rate soll die deutsche Wirtschaft im Jahr 2015 wachsen.<< Eurozone kämpft sich 2014 aus Krise heraus (excerpt), derstandard.at, 21/10/2013 ______________________________________________
What may seem attractive for addressing problems in the short term, can be wrong and even disastrous in the long run. To foster a prosperous and stable development in Europe populist concepts won’t help. Instead, it takes a long term perspective based on future-oriented rational considerations. >>ROME — With European parliamentary elections less than eight months away, Prime Minister Enrico Letta of Italy on Monday warned that the rise of angry populism poses the greatest threat to stability on the Continent and could undermine critical efforts to build and strengthen the euro zone’s political and financial institutions. “We have the big risk to have the most ‘anti-European’ European Parliament ever,” Mr. Letta said in an expansive interview at Palazzo Chigi, his office in central Rome. He said mainstream, pro-Europe parties must win at least 70 percent of the seats to avoid a “nightmarish legislature.” “The rise of populism is today the main European social Italian Prime Minister Calls Populism a Threat to Stability in Europe (excerpt), Jim Yardley, The New York Times/IHT, 15/10/2013 ______________________________________________
>>BRUSSELS — European Union legislators on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a law that puts about 150 of the euro zone’s largest banks under the scrutiny of the European Central Bank. [...] The idea is that the central bank would do a better job than national supervisors of nipping financial problems in the bud so that governments do not need to resort to bank bailouts that destabilize the euro and penalize taxpayers. [...] Even so, Thursday’s approval was among the “most important votes of this parliamentary term,” Michel Barnier, the European Union commissioner overseeing financial services, told lawmakers after the vote. The law will help to “improve and restore confidence our citizens have in our system, as well as the confidence of the rest European Lawmakers Expand Power of Central Bank (excerpt), James Kanter, The New York Times/IHT, 12/09/2013 ______________________________________________
>>Die Bundesregierung gibt der unter einer schweren Kreditklemme leidenden spanischen Wirtschaft Anschubhilfe. Über die deutsche Staatsbank KfW will sie dem dortigen Mittelstand rund eine Milliarde Euro zur Verfügung stellen. Laut Unterlagen, die der Nachrichtenagentur Reuters vorliegen, soll das bilaterale Sonderhilfsprogramm gegen die hohe Jugendarbeitslosigkeit helfen und das deutsche Ansehen in den Euro-Krisenländern verbessern. [...] Bundesfinanzminister Wolfgang Schäuble hatte das Hilfsprogramm Ende April bei einem Besuch in Spanien angekündigt. Damals kritisiert er auch, die EU brauche zu lange, um ihre Programme gegen die hohe Arbeitslosigkeit in den Reformländern umzusetzen. Das Globaldarlehen der KfW über 800 Millionen Euro geht an ihr spanisches Schwesterinstitut ICO. Außerdem ist geplant, dass sich die KfW an zwei Fonds zur Eigenkapitalstärkung spanischer Unternehmen beteiligt. Mit dem Darlehen könnte die ICO zum Beispiel ein Zinsverbilligungsprogramm auflegen. Wegen der Schieflage der spanischen Banken und der tiefen Rezession kommen dort viele Unternehmen nicht mehr an Darlehen - oder nur zu horrenden Zinsen.<< Deutsche Milliarden-Hilfe für Spanien (excerpt), http://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/spanienkfw100.html, 03/06/2013 ______________________________________________
Austerity is inevitable. But it needs to be paired with measures to stimulate the economy. Otherwise it will cause damage, material and immaterial damage – inevitably as well. >>LONDON — Unemployment in the euro zone continued its relentless march higher in April, according to official data published Friday, hitting yet another record amid a prolonged recession and the absence of a coordinated response by policy makers. [...] A decision this week by European Union leaders to allow distressed countries more time to cut their government budgets will help, he said, as will a cut in the benchmark interest rate by the central bank last month. But Mr. Rogers [an economist who advises the consulting firm Ernst & Young] added, “Much more remains to be done to stimulate a recovery.”<< Unemployment Hits Record High in Euro Zone (excerpt), Jack Ewing, The New York Times/IHT, 31/05/2013 ______________________________________________
A vision was there at the cradle of European cooperation. It has proved to be a driving force. Now, it is important to have a vision to move on! >>[...] Mr Barroso has called on all European leaders to accept that political union is inevitable in order to confront outright opposition to the EU, such as that from the UK Independence Party. UpFederal Europe will be "a reality in a few years", says Jose Manuel Barroso (excerpt), Bruno Waterfield, The Telegraph, 07/05/2013 ______________________________________________
Those, who want Europe to progress into bygone and, fortunately, overcome structures and behavioral patterns are on the rise. May it be the “UKIP” in the U.K., the “Alternative für Deutschland” in Germany or the “FPÖ” and the political party “Team Stronach” in Austria, just to mention some of the political forces adverse to the European Union and/or the common currency Euro. Why is it? The Euro has proven strong against other currencies since its introduction and inflation in the Euro zone has been at record lows. Especially, Germany and Austria have definitely taken advantage of the common currency. European cooperation which has evolved into the current E.U. has provided the institutional framework for an unseen period of peace and prosperity in the member states, contributes fundamentally to overcoming differences in Europe that are the result of decades of totalitarian regimes in Eastern Europe and offer to those, who are open to taking advantage of the disappearance of borders, a wealth of opportunities. So, why is it, that doubts and rejection are on the rise? Many reasons could be mentioned in detail, but it seems, that the problem is not about real issues. It has become a political fad to put any blame on the European Union neglecting the whole picture and to ruthlessly stir national emotions for the own political benefit. And the European Union has missed out on one crucially important task: to strive for a place in the citizens’ hearts. There, the nation states still remain dominant. Political decisions should be taken rationally and based on a long term perspective. A clear mind, however, advises that the future never can be found in the past. >>LONDON — Britain’s populist United Kingdom Independence Party made sweeping gains in local elections and finished second in a parliamentary by-election, according to results announced Friday, shaking mainstream political parties, consolidating its position as an emerging political force and claiming a “sea change” in national life. Once scorned by Prime Minister David Cameron as “a bunch of fruitcakes, loonies and closet racists,” the party, which wants Britain to leave the European Union and strictly control immigration, gained about a quarter of the vote in a series of elections in different areas of the country on Thursday, according to an initial count. The outcome represented the party’s fourth electoral advance in six months. << Upstart British Party and gains in local elections (excerpt), Stephen Castle and Alan Cowell, The New York Times/IHT, 03/05/2013 ______________________________________________
>>BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union officials say they have cleared a major hurdle toward establishing a [...] EU leaders agreed last year to establish a joint banking supervision that will operate under the aegis of the European Central Bank. It will lay the groundwork to set up after 2014 a common deposit insurance scheme and an authority with powers to dissolve or rescue financial institutions.<< EU Makes Important Step Toward Banking Union (excerpt), THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, The New York Times/IHT, 19/03/2013 ______________________________________________
The European Union – a gateway to opportunities! >>BRUSSELS — Answering pleas from European leaders desperate for a way to speed up economic growth, President Obama said on Tuesday that the United States would begin talks on a comprehensive trade agreement with the European Union. [...] Tariffs on goods traveling between the United States and Europe are low, averaging about 3 percent, but proponents say that the savings from eliminating duties would still be significant because the volume of trade is so enormous. Commerce between the Union and the United States totaled $646 billion last year, according to U.S. government figures.<< Obama to Open Trade Talks with E.U. (excerpt), James Kanter and Jack Ewing, The New York Times/IHT, 13/02/2013 ______________________________________________
Cyprus has been hard hit by the euro zone’s debt crisis. A major reason for being in financial turbulence is the fact that Cypriot banks invested heavily in Greek government bonds, which have lost value considerably. If solidarity is of fundamental importance for the “European project” – and if it shall succeed, solidarity is dearly needed –, Cyprus has to be treated in the same way as other countries in need for bailout-support. Solidarity must not depend on the size and weight of a country, nor on suspicions that the money might benefit people, especially Russian oligarchs, who do not deserve help by bailout money. There may be understandable reasons for the reluctance to support Cyprus, but the underlying problems need to be addressed in a different way. >>In recent days, Germany has signaled that it is reluctantly edging toward a bailout for Cyprus, after lifelines have been extended to Greece, Ireland and Portugal to prevent potentially calamitous defaults. While Cyprus makes up just a sliver of the euro zone economy, it is proving to be a first-rate political headache. [...] But giving a bailout to Cyprus is trickier than it seems. Cyprus’s politicians would prefer not to take European money, which comes with the harsh austerity conditions that have spread misery in Greece. [...] With that money running out, Germany and its European partners have been locked in a fierce debate over whether and how to throw Cyprus a lifeline. The problem is, most of the money lost by Cypriot banks was Russian, and the worry is that most of the bailout money could wind up in the hands of Russian oligarchs and gangsters. [...] Officials in Cyprus say there is no proof that the Russian cash in its banks is of dubious origin, and they insist that they cracked down on money laundering before joining the European Union. The officials point to an evaluation by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development showing that Cyprus is compliant with more than 40 directives against money laundering. [...] The outspoken German finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, recently cast doubt on whether Cyprus should even be considered for a bailout, given its small size and the stark reality that it is not nearly as vital to the euro’s existence as the larger economies of Spain or Italy. His blunt assessment reportedly drew an admonishment from Mario Draghi, the president of the European Central Bank, which has spent hundreds of billions of euros on a program intended to discourage financial market speculators from attacking euro zone countries.<< Question of Aiding Cyprus Puts Germany in a Bind (excerpt), Liz Alderman, The New York Times/IHT, 03/02/2013 ______________________________________________
It is true, that there needs to be clarity about U.K.’s commitment to participate in European cooperation and integration. However, a decision should not be driven by traditionalist emotions, but based on future-oriented rational considerations. >>LONDON — Prime Minister David Cameron promised Britons a decisive referendum within five years on membership in the European Union — provided he wins the next election — in a long-awaited speech on Wednesday whose implications have alarmed the Obama administration and are likely to set the markers for an intense debate in Britain and across Europe. “It is time for the British people to have their say. It is time to settle this European question in British politics,” he told an audience in London, raising fears in capitals as distant as Washington that a ballot could lead to Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union. [...] Coming a day after the leaders of France and Germany met in Berlin to celebrate a half-century of sometimes uneasy partnership, Mr. Cameron’s plea for acknowledgment of British distinctions seemed to reflect some of the deepest political and philosophical differences between London and Continental Europe on integration. [...] “You cannot do Europe à la carte,” said Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius of France. “Imagine the E.U. was a soccer club: once you’ve joined up and you’re in this club, you can’t then say you want to play rugby.” [...] Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany said she and her country viewed Britain as “an important part and an active member” of the European Union. The E.U., she said, “has always meant that we should find fair compromises.” << Cameron Promises Britons a Referendum on E.U. Membership (excerpt), Allen Cowell and Stephen Castle, The New York Times/IHT, 24/01/2013 ______________________________________________
>>Berlin: (hib/AHE) Frankreichs Staatspräsident François Hollande hat die hervorgehobene Rolle der deutsch-französischen Beziehungen als Motor für das Zusammenwachsen Europas gewürdigt. „Unsere Freundschaft hat immer im Dienst der europäischen Einigung gestanden“, sagte Hollande am Dienstag in Berlin bei der gemeinsamen Sitzung der französischen Nationalversammlung und des Deutschen Bundestages anlässlich des 50. Jahrestages der Unterzeichnung des Élysée-Vertrages am 22. Januar 1963. „ Diese Freundschaft ist sehr wertvoll, sie ist unabdingbar notwendig und sie ist untrennbar mit der europäischen Einigung verbunden“, betonte der französische Präsident. Sie sei jedoch nicht exklusiv, sondern stehe allen europäischen Partnern offen. Deutschland und Frankreich müssten „Europa mitnehmen“, sagte Hollande. „Aber wir sind diejenigen, die zeigen müssen, wohin der Weg führt.“ Der Präsident warb für gemeinsame Anstrengung für eine weitere Vertiefung der Wirtschafts- und Währungsunion hin zu einer politischen Union. So müsse sich Europa mehr Haushaltsdisziplin auferlegen, aber auch für mehr Disziplin im Verhalten der Banken sorgen. Es gehe darum, gemeinsam dafür zu sorgen, dass Europa nicht nur ein Raum des Friedens, sondern auch ein „Rechtsraum, Raum des Wohlstands und ein Raum der Solidarität“ bleibt. Dazu gehöre auch, neue Perspektiven aufzuzeigen, gegen Jugendarbeitslosigkeit zu kämpfen und das Modell der sozialen Marktwirtschaft weiterzuentwickeln, um Antworten zu finden auf Herausforderungen wie Klimawandel, demographische Entwicklung, die Integration von Einwandern.<< Hollande würdigt die Rolle der deutsch-französischen Beziehungen für das Zusammenwachsen Europas (excerpt), Bundestagsnachrichten/Élysée-Vertrag, Deutscher Bundestag, 22/01/2013 ______________________________________________
A deep crisis cannot be overcome quickly. It takes commitment to goals and power of endurance to move in the right direction. Despite many obstacles it has been achieved to stabilize the situation and a restoration of confidence in the financial markets seems to be on the way. Now it is time to add growth incentives to austerity. Creative solutions can be found and would be as valuable for troubled E.U. member states as financial support. The direction is right. With common efforts based on solidarity the goal can and will be reached. >>FRANKFURT — Tensions in the euro zone have eased noticeably since the summer, the European Central Bank said Friday, but it warned that the situation remained fragile in part because commercial banks were still in a weakened state. [...] The E.C.B. attributed the ebbing of fear in the euro zone to a combination of central bank policy, improved competitiveness at some countries and progress by political leaders toward creating a more durable euro zone. Mr. Constâncio [vice-president of the E.C.B] said it was impossible to separate out how much each of those factors contributed.<< E.C.B. Sees a Healing Euro Zone but Warns of Risks (excerpt), Jack Ewing, The New York Times/IHT, 14/12/2012 ______________________________________________
>>BRUSSELS — European Union leaders gathering here Thursday for their year-end summit meeting hailed an agreement to place euro zone banks under a single supervisor, calling it a concrete measure to maintain the viability of the currency as well as a step in laying the groundwork for a broader economic union. [...] “It’s a good day for Europe,” said François Hollande, the French president. “The crisis came from the banks, and mechanisms have been put in place that will mean nothing is as it was before.” European Leaders Hail Accord on Banking Supervision (excerpt), James Kanter, The New York Times/IHT, 13/12/2012 ______________________________________________
Even if it may take some more years to be finalised, the negotiations about a free-trade agreement between the European Union and the United States of America are another example for the opportunities the cooperation between European countries provides. Together they can achieve what would be more difficult to do otherwise - for the benefit of the citizens in an increasingly globalised future. >>FRANKFURT — A free-trade agreement between the United States and Europe, elusive for more than a decade but with a potentially huge economic effect, is gaining momentum and may finally be attainable, business and political leaders say. [...] Corporations and business groups on both sides of the Atlantic are also pushing hard for a pact. Tariffs on goods traded between the United States and the European Union are already low, averaging less than 3 percent. But companies that do substantial amounts of trans-Atlantic business say that even a relatively small increase in the volume of trade could deliver major economic benefits.<< Trade Deal Between U.S. and Europe May Come Off Back Burner (excerpt), Jack Ewing, The New York Times/IHT, 25/11/2012 ______________________________________________
>>Leaving the union would be a grave mistake, sacrificing Britain’s best hopes for a brighter economic future to half-baked longing for the simpler days when the British ruled an empire and had less need for European trade. There’s plenty of time for pro-Europe leaders to make that case. [...] Twenty-seven countries now belong to the European Union, with several more nations like Iceland, Serbia and Turkey hoping to join. Even without further expansion, the union accounts for almost 50 percent of British trade and is its largest trading partner. British supporters of continued European Union membership in all three major parties and in the business community need to counter the seductive simplicities of the euro-bashers who claim that Britain can ignore Europe and thrive on its own. They need to make the case that British engagement in Europe should be, as Mr. Carr [leader of Britain’s biggest business group, the Confederation of British Industry] put it Monday, “the linchpin of our wider global trade ambitions.” Britain needs the European Union as much as it needs Britain.<< Britain's Place in Europe (excerpt), EDITORIAL, The New York Times/IHT, 22/11/2012 _______________________________________________
>>The [I.M.F.]’s Global Financial Stability Assessment urged euro zone nations not to delay ambitious goals, such as the creation of a banking union, raising the pressure on European leaders who are due to meet for a summit next week in Brussels. [...] The tone of the report sends a strong message to European leaders whose failure to take decisive action since Greece first asked for help early in 2010 deepened the crisis. [...] The I.M.F. called for European leaders to move swiftly to complete its planned banking union. Germany has said that this needs to be put in place before the euro zone’s bailout fund can recapitalize banks directly.<< Stocks Slip After I.M.F. Report Highlights Risks for Euro Zone (excerpt), Stephen Castle, The New York Times/IHT, 10/10/2012 ______________________________________________
Crisis forces to take decisions. Crisis forces to act. Crisis forces to move. There will be a long way to go to overcome it. However, it may pave the way to progress and future-oriented further European integration. >>FRANKFURT — The European Central bank took its most ambitious step yet toward easing the euro zone crisis, assuming sweeping new powers to throw its unlimited financial clout behind an effort to protect Spain and Italy from financial collapse. [...] The E.C.B. will buy bonds on open markets, without setting any limits, of countries that ask for help, which Spain is expected to do. The E.C.B. said it would act only after countries agreed on conditions with the euro zone rescue fund, which will be known as the European Stability Mechanism. The E.S.M. would buy bonds directly from governments, taking responsibility for imposing the conditions, while the E.C.B. would intervene in secondary markets. Central Bank to Snap Up Debt, Saying, ‘Euro Is _______________________________________________
>>Immer neue Horrornachrichten aus Griechenland, steigende Arbeitslosenzahlen in Spanien, eine sich abschwächende Konjunktur in ganz Europa - doch die Deutschen setzen mehrheitlich auf ein engeres Zusammenrücken in der EU. Eine deutliche Mehrheit der Bürger von 57 Prozent spricht sich für "mehr gemeinsame Politik" aus. Im März lag dieser Anteil mit 58 Prozent nur minimal höher.<< Deutsche wünschen sich in der Krise mehr Europa (excerpt), Daniel Friedrich Sturm, Die Welt, 06/09/2012 _______________________________________________
Only by solving the root of Europe’s problems, she [Angela Merkel] said, by strengthening political unity, will the region be able to recover fully from the crisis. She cited the massive debt and the lack of competition in the weaker economies of the union. Spanish Borrowing Costs Touch 7 Percent (excerpt), David Jolly and Melissa Eddy, The New York Times/IHT, 14/06/2012 _______________________________________________
Moving freely in the Schengen-area without being subject to passport controls is an important and very visible facilitation for private and professional life that has been achieved within the European Union. Of course, national governments still have the ultimate responsibility for the security of the citizens. But the European parliament is a body which derives its democratic legitimacy directly from those citizens. The national governments should be courageous enough to show confidence in the competency and sense of responsibility of this democratically elected body. >>Interior ministers from the European Union's 27 member-countries rejected Thursday a proposal to grant the bloc's executive commission oversight over when national governments can reintroduce border controls. [...] EU Parliament President Martin Schulz also said he was disturbed by the national governments' rejection of the proposal. "Free movement within an area without internal borders is a pillar of the European Union," he said. "The European Parliament will not accept any extra reason for reintroducing border controls without a proper ... mechanism to evaluate and monitor whether this is necessary or not."<< EU, National Goivernments Split on Border Controls (excerpt), THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, The New York Times/IHT, 07/06/2012 _______________________________________________
>>It’s way too early to call a turning point. But while Greeks were marching in the streets against austerity, their economy may actually have been growing for the first time since 2009. That surprise news lay deep within first-quarter economic data for Europe released Tuesday that also showed, to everyone’s mild relief, that the euro zone as a whole has still avoided slipping into a regional recession. [...] The euro zone, by not slipping into recession in the first quarter, ran counter to expectations. The euro zone did not slip into recession at the beginning of 2012. Growth in the region was zero compared to the previous quarter, according to the figures, from Eurostat, the E.U. statistics agency. Euro Zone Economy Skirts Recession (excerpt), Jack Ewing, The New York Times/IHT, 15/05/2012 _______________________________________________
It is very widely acknowledged that the actions of the current Ukranian government under the leadership of Mr. Janukowitsch are unacceptable. Persecuting an ex-prime minister for her political views and decisions is certainly not the way in which things should be done. This must not be tolerated. On the contrary, it would be adequate and potentially effective for the European Union to unilaterally induce certain "sanctions" against the Ukraine, which is expected to host the European Football Cup together with Poland this year. Certainly, there is no need to fear that standing up for liberty and democracy at this point would endanger long-term relations between the EU and the Ukraine. >>Präsident Viktor Janukowitsch spielt ein übles Spiel und benutzt Timoschenko als Druckmittel gegenüber Europa. "Wenn ihr das Assoziationsabkommen unterschreibt, dann lassen wir Timoschenko frei", hat Vizepremier Valerij Khoroschowskij vor kurzem gegenüber europäischen Journalisten in Brüssel erklärt. Deutlicher kann man nicht sagen, dass die ehemalige Premierministerin nur ein Faustpfand ist. Die EU ist in einer unerquicklichen Lage. Einerseits kann sie nicht einfach die Augen verschließen vor den Menschenrechtsverletzungen in der Ukraine, die zeigen, dass das Land noch lange nicht reif ist für ein Assoziationsabkommen. Andererseits will man die Tür nicht ganz zuschlagen, um Kiew nicht in die Arme Russlands zu treiben, was demokratische Aspirationen auf lange Zeit ersticken dürfte.<< Europa sollte Kiew mit einer Absage drohen (excerpt), Clemens Wergin, Die Welt, 27/04/2012 _______________________________________________
Greece has managed to make a step in the right direction. However, there is still a long way to go. For Greece and the other countries suffering from excessive indebtedness, as well as for those offering their support. Calling for strikes – as unions in Spain have done today – is definitely not helpful. The intended austerity measures will undoubtedly hard hit the majority of the population, but striking against a lack of money is like striking against bad weather. It will not change anything, except for getting wet in addition. What it takes to overcome the crisis – and will so in the future – is solidarity based on a rational understanding of the situation: solidarity of the countries helping to those in need and solidarity of the countries receiving support to those offering it. >>Entspannung in Europa: Italien und Spanien können sich wieder zu akzeptablen Zinsen Geld leihen, Krisenbanken vom Mittelmeer bis zum Nordmeer stabilisieren sich, selbst die skeptischen Investoren von der Wall Street kehren nach Europa zurück. Und die Griechen wackeln zwar und ließen zu Beginn der Woche die Börsen erzittern, aber sie fallen nicht. Der Frühling, er kann kommen. [...] Die Krise in ihrer neuen Phase: Es herrscht kein täglicher Untergangsschrecken mehr wie 2011, was übrigens von Politikern und auch von den Medien verlangt, dass sie andere Töne anschlagen. Ständig mit dem Absturz zu drohen verfängt nicht mehr. Aber wo steht Europa wirklich? Ein großer Teil der Alten Welt durchquert nun das Jammertal von Rezession und Reform. Schon kommt die Warnung aus Spanien, dass man noch mehr Schulden aufnehmen werde als geplant. Experten gehen davon aus, dass nach Griechenland auch Portugal ein weiteres Rettungspaket brauchen wird. Vor zehn Jahren war Deutschland der kranke Mann Europas, und der Rest des Kontinents war gesund, heute ist es andersherum.<< Ist die Krise vorbei? (excerpt), Alex Domanski, Die Zeit, 09/03/2012 _______________________________________________
The creation of the Erasmus programme 25 years ago was a crucial step towards increasing opportunities for students in Europe. However, it must as well be regarded as a step towards greater European integration, as the programme allows for experiencing what it means to be "united in diversity" by going on exchange and meeting students from other parts of Europe. In appreciation of its benefits to European students and its considerable contributions to a more future-oriented Europe that benefits all - happy 25th birthday, Erasmus! >>Zum 25. Jubiläum wird dieser Erfolg unter dem Slogan „Prägende Erfahrungen – neue Perspektiven“ europaweit groß gefeiert. Schließlich kann sich Erasmus rühmen, das erfolgreichste Austauschprogramm der Welt zu sein. Was 1987 mit 3244 abenteuerlustigen jungen Menschen begann, nutzen seither 2,3 Millionen. 25 Jahre Erasmus: Die Europa-WG feiert (excerpt), Teresa Richter-Trummer, Kurier, 11/02/2012 _______________________________________________
Threatening others with extinction, as the current Iranian regime has done, is unacceptable. European countries have a historic obligation to stand up against such behavior. Only by coordinated and joint action they have the chance to stop it. To have weight internationally it takes cooperation, and will so even more in the future! >>The 27 nations of the European Union on Monday increased pressure on Iran over its nuclear program by agreeing to ban oil imports. [...] Mr. Hague said the measures undertaken by the European Union were “peaceful and legitimate measures.”<< Iran Urged to Negotiate, as Europe Agrees on New Sanctions(excerpt), Stephen Castle and Allen Cowell, The New York Times/IHT, 23/01/2012 _______________________________________________
As a precondition for becoming a member of the European Union Croatia had to undergo urgently necessary reforms to adapt to high standards in many fields. It would be unrealistic to believe, that these changes could have been avoided in a country which has the aspiration to place itself among those offering to her citizens best possible chances and living standards. So, Croatia has already experienced substantial progress by approaching the E.U. If now the Union faces turbulences, it is necessary for the Croatian people to understand, that the European Union must not be regarded as a “Club of Convenience” in a short term perspective, but the most appropriate political destination for a country deeply rooted in European culture in the long run. They hopefully will, thereby contributing to moving on in Europe! >>Much has changed in the decade since Croatia first applied to join the European Union. What was once seen as a rich man’s club — which Croatia was eager to join — no longer looks like such a clear ticket to prosperity. Today’s European Union is mired in a crippling debt crisis, which has pushed some of its members to the brink of bankruptcy and threatened its very essence. [...] Mr. Milanovic, a social democrat, says the pluses outweigh the minuses. He emphasizes the benefits of full access to a market of 500 million consumers and of gaining about $2 billion a year in development aid in the next couple of years, though future assistance is less certain. As European Union Beckons, Allure Fades for Wary Croatia (excerpt), Suzanne Daley and Stephen Castle, The New York Times/IHT, 17/01/2012 _______________________________________________
There are many ways for fruitful cooperation. A sustainable and ecologically responsible energy supply is, definitely, at the core of European interests. >>Advocates of renewable energy say an electricity supergrid could enhance the clean-power industry by connecting power sources like wind farms in Scotland and solar arrays in Spain or North Africa to the population centers of Europe. The technical arguments for a significantly expanded and upgraded power network in Europe are clear, they say. Yet the political, regulatory and economic obstacles are formidable. A supergrid “is absolutely essential” if Europe is to make widespread use of clean power supplies and significantly cut its emissions of atmosphere-warming carbon dioxide, said Doug Parr, chief scientist at the British arm of Greenpeace, the environmental group. [...] Some cross-border power connections exist, but many European countries still produce and supply most of their own electricity or have links to just one other country. Experts say a richer cross-border network will reduce power prices for consumers and make supplies more secure by promoting competition and distributing surplus production more efficiently.<< An Energy Supergrid for Europe Faces Big Obstacles (excerpt), Beth Gardiner, The New York Times/IHT, 16/01/2012 _______________________________________________
>>Las crisis han sido el principal motor de progreso de Europa. Los expertos advierten de que la alternativa es el caos. [...] Europa vivió siempre en perpetua crisis: las crisis han sido su principal motor de progreso. Y una vez más los analistas piensan que aún hay margen, que la UE se acerca peligrosamente al abismo, pero al final sabrá encontrar una solución.<< Se romperá la UE? En una palabra: no (excerpt), Claudi Pérez, El País, 12/01/2012 ______________________________________________
Finding a sustainable solution is imperative for calming the markets and leading the way to more integration. Germany is in a driving position, but this must not foster other countries’ resistance. The point is not the role of Germany or the preservation of national feelings. Instead, solving the current problems is about finding a way into the future which is guided by realism and based on rational decisions. >>The new euro package, as European and American officials describe it, is being negotiated along four main lines. It combines new promises of fiscal discipline that will be embedded in amendments to European treaties; a leveraging of the current bailout fund, the European Financial Stability Facility, to perhaps two or even three times its current balance; a tranche of money from the International Monetary Fund to augment the bailout fund; and quiet political cover for the European Central Bank to keep buying Italian and Spanish bonds aggressively in the interim, to ensure that those two countries — the third- and fourth-largest economies in the euro zone — are not driven into default by ruinous interest rates on their debt. […] Mrs. Merkel says it is time to get the euro’s fundamentals right. She is insisting on treaty changes to promote more fiscal discipline, including a limit on budget deficits, with outside supervision and surveillance of national budgets before they become dangerous, and clear sanctions for countries that fail to adhere to the firmer rules. Berlin wants the new standards backed up by the European Court of Justice or perhaps the European Commission, with the power to reject budgets that break the rules and return them for revision.<< Merkel and Sarkozy Issue Joint Call for European Treaty _______________________________________________
A crisis always bears chances. To meet the challenge successfully political correctness has to be replaced by realistic analysis and national egocentric dreams by an attainable vision of highly integrated cooperation of those which are willing to. Different circles of countries within the European Union due to differences in the commitment, willingness to integrate and the level of economic development have been there for years. Recognizing this reality will not do any harm to the community and certainly not lead to breaking it up. Statements claiming, that this would occur, are hardly ever accompanied by serious reasoning, but rather the expression of national interests. There could be a lot of room for different levels of integration based, however, on a clear commitment to an identity which goes beyond an association of convenience. Now it’s time to build the future! >>At the Christian Democratic Union’s annual congress here, Mrs. Merkel told her party that “not less Europe but more” was the answer to the sovereign debt crisis facing the euro currency union. Mrs. Merkel, a scientist turned politician, drove home her point with unusual oratorical urgency, saying [...] The push for deeper cooperation within the euro zone also awakens fears among the 10 members of the European Union that do not use the euro that Europe will break into two blocs — usually referred to as two-speed Europe — divided by different rules for those in the currency union and those outside of it. [...] Mrs. Merkel did not strike a conciliatory line in her hourlong speech, but instead sounded at points like a sharp taskmaster. “We do not despair, we do not complain, we do not whine; instead, we know that we have a task,” she said. Merkel Urges More Unified Continent to Save Euro (excerpt), Nicholas Kulish, The New York Times/IHT, 14/11/2011 _______________________________________________
>>Die Staatsschuldenkrise hat die Akzeptanz eines vereinten Europas in der Bevölkerung unterminiert und nationale Egoismen neu belebt. Dem müssen wir dringend Einhalt gebieten: Es geht hier um Grundsatzfragen unserer Wirtschafts-, Sozial und Verfassungsordnung, die über unser aller Zukunft entscheiden. Und an der Debatte darüber müssen sich alle gesellschaftlichen Gruppen beteiligen. Die EU muss sich der Verfassungsdebatte stellen (excerpt), Josef Ackermann, Frankfurter Allgemeine, 06/11/2011 _______________________________________________
>>To date, European leaders have focused on treating the symptoms of what ails the common currency, rather than the disease itself. Assembling enormous pools of capital and creating lenders of last resort does nothing to resolve the inherent tensions among countries growing at such disparate rates. [...] Absent a fresh approach, prospects for the weaker economies are grim — a grinding down of government budgets and private-sector wages in a perhaps vain effort to become competitive with Germany (what the Europeans euphemistically call “internal devaluations”). None of these countries has yet demonstrated the fortitude to navigate this difficult route to competitiveness. And at every sign that efforts are flagging, bond market vigilantes remain ready to pounce. How to prop up the Euro (excerpt), Steven Rattner, The New York Times/IHT, 01/11/2011 _______________________________________________
The problems related to the crisis are far from being settled, but the agreement shows that based on cooperation, solidarity and a self-confident commitment to a common future a lot can be achieved. There is a fair chance that this crisis may turn out to be a starting point for “moving on” in Europe. >>European leaders, in a significant step toward resolving the euro zone financial crisis, early Thursday won an agreement from banks to take a 50 percent loss on the face value of their Greek debt. The agreement on Greek debt was crucial to assembling a comprehensive package to protect the euro, which has been keeping jittery markets on edge. World financial markets rallied strongly on the news of the accord, which was achieved after nearly 10 hours of negotiations by European leaders, finance ministers and bankers at an emergency meeting in Brussels. Stocks rose 6.4 percent in France, 5.1 percent in Germany and 3.3 percent in Hong Kong. The value of the euro, which cost $1.32 a few weeks ago when anxiety over its future stability was worsening, surged to $1.40 in European foreign exchange trading on Thursday. […] Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany said: “I believe we were able to live up to expectations, that we did the right thing for the euro zone, and this brings us one step farther along the road to a good and sensible solution.” […] “The world is looking at Germany, whether we are strong enough to accept responsibility for the biggest crisis since World War II,” Mrs. Merkel said in an address to Parliament in Berlin. “It would be irresponsible not to assume the risk.” […] “These are exceptional measures for exceptional times,” said José Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission. “Europe must never find itself in this situation again.” << Europe in Accord on Basics of Plan to Save the Euro (excerpt), Steven Erlanger and Stephen Castle, The New York Times/IHT, 27/10/2011 _______________________________________________
The euro-crisis is rooted in the longstanding irresponsible behavior of politicians in most, if not all countries of the euro-zone to spend a lot more money than there was at disposal due to tax revenues. Of course, there was always a “good reason”. If Germany could change the rules of the game (Government Schröder), why should other (and in terms of budgeting less disciplined) countries exercise austerity? Now, it is unfortunately time to pay the bill within the framework of the euro-zone. At the same time the current crisis of historic dimensions has been considerably pushed by irrationality in the markets and the media. At this point, an, of course, legitimate, but not balanced opinion is not helpful, given that a failure of stabilizing the euro would trigger the worst case scenario (also for Germany). The very interests of one country in the euro-zone are best taken care of by doing what it takes to support the euro-community as a whole. One may like it or not, that’s the way it is.
>>Jetzt geht es also um den Hebel. Der Bundestag stimmt darüber ab, ob die Milliarden der Steuerzahler eingesetzt werden dürfen, um am Markt Billionen zu bewegen – im Kampf gegen die außer Kontrolle geratenen Staatsschulden anderer Länder. Die wundersame Geldvermehrung soll mithilfe von Zaubertricks geschehen. Der dafür verwendete Oberbegriff „Hebel“ ist dem Fachjargon der Wall Street entlehnt. Und aus der Welt der amerikanischen Börse kommt das „Hebeln“ ja auch: Es soll Kapital zur Wirkung gebracht werden, das man gar nicht hat. Wenn ein Privatmann oder ein Unternehmen so etwas tut, ist das risikoreich. Weite Teile unserer in diesen Tagen von antikapitalistischen Fieberschüben geschüttelten Öffentlichkeit nennen solche Geschäfte sogar verwerflich, selbst wenn sie auf eigenes Risiko geschehen, und würden sie am liebsten verbieten. Aber was mit privatem Geld nicht mehr erlaubt sein soll, geschieht jetzt in unvorstellbar größerem Maße mit öffentlichem Geld: Der Staat wird zum Spekulanten. „Occupy Reichstag!“ möchte man rufen. [...] Auch der Plan, vermeintlich bereitstehende Staatsfonds autoritärer Staaten in die Euro-Zone zu locken, ist windig. Das Ende mit Schrecken aber kommt sicher, wenn die Spekulation nicht aufgeht. Stellt sich heraus, dass die zockenden Staaten doch am kürzeren Hebel sitzen, wird schon wegen des eingesetzten Kapitals die Verlockung eines noch längeren Hebels unwiderstehlich. Dann käme doch wieder das von Frankreich längst geforderte Gelddrucken durch die Europäische Zentralbank ins Spiel: der ultimative Hebel. Der Staat spekuliert mit dem Geld seiner Bürger.<< Der Staat spekuliert mit dem Geld seiner Bürger (excerpt), Robin Alexander, Die Welt, 25/10/2011 _______________________________________________
Despite the hardship those immediately affected by the austerity measures undoubtedly feel, it is hard to understand, that so many of those who experience considerable solidarity are unwilling to show solidarity themselves to those providing help. If the Greek government would run out of money, the austerity measures might not be policy, but a matter of fact. >>Tens of thousands of Greek workers walked off the job on Wednesday at the start of a two-day general strike to protest a new round austerity measures that the debt-ridden government must pass through Parliament on Thursday to secure crucial aid and avert a default that could shake the euro zone and reverberate through the global economy. The strike, the second this month, was one of the biggest since Greece first appealed for foreign support two years ago, with even shops, bakeries and gas stations closing. Most international travel was suspended, with all flights canceled, the national rail service halted and ferries moored in port. Public transportation was running on a limited service to enable workers to attend protest rallies. Tax offices, courts and schools shut down, hospitals were operating with only emergency staff and customs officials walked off the job. The action, which follows a wave of smaller protests, including a walkout by garbage collectors that have left the streets of the capital swamped in trash, was called by the country’s two main labor unions. The unions, which represent about 2.5 million workers, are leading resistance to the new package of cutbacks which include additional cuts in wages and pensions, thousands of public-sector layoffs and changes to collective-bargaining rules. Their protest comes as European Union leaders prepare to meet on Sunday to decide on the release of about $11 billion in aid to Greece, the latest installment of a $150 billion bailout engineered last year, and on a much broader European rescue designed to protect the bloc against a potential Greek debt default. The Greek government has said it will run out of money next month without the aid. The global distribution of political, economic and cultural influence is changing. New powers rise, existing global players pursue their interests. To compete politically successful on the global level Europe will have to develop common policies and speak with one voice. There is still a long way to go, but to achieve the goal is purely a matter of taking care of own basic interests in the long run. Indeed, Europe is in many respects a global player - in political terms, however, too often, it does not act appropriately.<< Greek Workers Start Two-Day Anti-Austerity (excerpt), Niki Kitsantonis, The New York Times/IHT, 19/10/2011 _______________________________________________
The global distribution of political, economic and cultural influence is changing. New powers rise, existing global players pursue their interests. To compete politically successful on the global level Europe will have to develop common policies and speak with one voice. There is still a long way to go, but to achieve the goal is purely a matter of taking care of own basic interests in the long run. Indeed, Europe is in many respects a global player - in political terms, however, too often, it does not act appropriately. >>Just before his visit to Beijing, Putin had announced a desire to form a new Eurasian Union that would tie a number of former Soviet states back into the Russian orbit. Hands immediately starting wringing in Brussels. At this time of E.U. weakness, the Eurasian Union was seen to be aimed at counterbalancing Western institutions. [...] But China has gone beyond hard-nosed economics, developing a holistic strategy that attempts to bring Chinese soft power to bear on the region. China has established Confucius Institutes to teach Chinese in all the Central Asian states but Turkmenistan, and has also helped develop an S.C.O. University that brings together some 50-plus universities across China and Eurasia. As part of a push to develop the S.C.O. as a cultural entity, as well as one focused on security and economics, these are admittedly baby steps, but there is some evidence of success. Growing numbers of Central Asian students can be found at Chinese Universities and reports from Confucius Institutes in the region point to the children of affluent families trying to learn Mandarin.<< Russia's Eastern Anxieties (excerpt), Raffaello Pantucci and Alexandros Petersen, The New York Times/IHT, 18/10/2011 _______________________________________________
Whatever the policy might look like – it should be a common policy! Otherwise it won’t work. >>Europe’s other big existential problem — coming to terms with the Muslim immigrants and Islamic communities in its midst — looks several steps further from resolution than the euro zone financial crisis. [...] At the same time, no valid European response is at hand for the dilemma of how Europe manages to cope with millions of Muslim migrants and with it a two-sided subtext of terrorism, political killings, bigotry and fear. The standard, ineffectual, individual reflexes remain: political correctness, anti-Muslim [...] Within the E.U. Constitution, immigration policy, with some exceptions, is largely a matter for individual states. The result is incoherence on the subject on the European scale. And without European cover, or the umbrella of an explanation that they’re doing the right thing for Europe, national politicians are hesitant to act decisively on touchy Resolving Europe's other existential problem (excerpt), John Vinocur, The New York Times/IHT, 17/10/2011 _______________________________________________
Certainly, democracy is one of the crucial and most basic concepts of European culture and should, therefore, be the basis for any political decisions being made. On the other hand, it is very hard to understand and accept that only one government representing a – in relative terms - very small number of people, should have the ability to decide upon the implementation of reforms with vast impacts (on a European, additionally, global level), such as the EFSF, on which the future of the common currency and, in consequence, the economic well-being of all other member countries of the euro-zone (let alone the global economy!) depends. In the case of Slovakia, one could easily get the impression that this country’s government is unable (or unwilling) to cope with the responsibility it has to bear in the EFSF issue. This unfortunate situation, however, also makes very clear that European integration will only work if a higher extent of acting capability can be ensured in the long-term. The concept of unanimous decisions has to be reconsidered and can only be applied with respect to very few and basic decisions, if the system is to be sustainable.
>>The $590 billion euro stability fund, approved by the 16 other members of the euro currency zone, was in limbo Tuesday, hostage to the domestic politics of Slovakia, the small former Communist country. The vote on expanding the size of the fund, known as the European Financial Stability Facility , and its powers was scheduled for later in the day. The free-market Freedom and Solidarity Party, one of the four parties in the coalition, has refused to back it, potentially deepening a political crisis that could bring down the government of the prime minister, Iveta Radicova. The opposition Smer-Social Democracy party could bridge the gap, but its leader, former Prime Minister Robert Fico, said he would support the proposal only in exchange for new elections, which could return him to power. […] Politicians in capitals across Europe were closely watching the developments in Bratislava. An agreement to expand the fund was reached in July by the leaders of the 17 countries that use the euro. All of the countries need to approve the accord for the changes to take effect. Malta approved the plan on Monday, leaving Slovakia as the last to take up the accord for formal consideration. The resistance in Slovakia was the most significant hurdle standing in the way of the deal. The possibility that Slovakia, with a population of just 5.5 million, could scuttle an agreement endorsed and passed by European powers like Germany, France and Italy had seemed inconceivable. If Slovakia’s Parliament does not approve the agreement, the future of the euro currency could be in jeopardy, along with a united Europe and quite possibly the stability of the global economy. << Slovak leader Vows to resign if Bailout Vote Fails (excerpt), Nicholas Kulish, The New York Times/IHT, 11/10/2011 _______________________________________________
>>Britain should take advantage of the eurozone crisis to grab back powers and re-negotiate its relationship with the EU, John Major has said. Any new treaty drawn up in its wake would allow Britain to renegotiate its relationship with Brussels, particularly on employment issues, the former prime minister suggested. Sir John claimed it was likely that Europe was heading towards a ''federal state within the eurozone'' as leaders try to find a resolution for the current crisis. He told the BBC's Andrew Marr show: ''There won't necessarily have to be a treaty in this country for fiscal union. ''It is conceivable there would be a treaty just among members of the eurozone.'' He added: ''But at some stage there will be another treaty because if there is fiscal union in Europe it changes our relationship to Europe."<< Eurozone crisis can be used to take back powers from EU, says former prime minister John Major (excerpt), The Telegraph, 08/10/2011 _______________________________________________
Sustainable European integration needs to be built on understanding common roots and history and requires strong commitment of the people. Despite the specific past of the United Kingdom the country has been driven by European culture at its best. We think that her future can and should be where it belongs – in Europe. The mental distinction between Britain and Europe, which may have been politically useful in the past, will hardly be an appropriate concept in the future, because the framework of reference for this distinction has changed thoroughly. However, there does not have to be a “one concept fits all” European community. An integrating Europe of different speeds may be a viable solution for some time. An “inner circle” of countries, which show the understanding and willingness to cooperate more closely than others, might do so and could serve as a nucleus which convinces and over time affiliates countries that need more time to fully participate. _______________________________________________
>>RÉGLER LES PROBLÈMES NATIONAUX Crise de l'euro oblige, il arpente sans doute bien plus souvent que ses prédécesseurs les cinq étages qui séparent son bureau (au 2e) de celui de la chancelière (au 7e étage). Optimiste sur l'avenir de l'Europe, il reconnaît toutefois "que le chemin à parcourir va être long et laborieux". Depuis la création de l'euro, les pays ont à la fois accumulé des problèmes de compétitivité et, la plupart du temps, accru leur endettement en bénéficiant de taux d'intérêts peu élevés. Les marchés financiers, qui ont longtemps fermé les yeux, sont devenus, avec la crise de 2008, beaucoup plus exigeants. Autrement dit, analyse Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut, "on a trop parlé de la compétitivité de l'Union européenne et pas assez de celle de chacun des pays qui la composent. Les différences entre les Etats posent plus de problèmes qu'on l'a cru". Certes, les institutions européennes doivent jouer leur rôle pour aider les pays dans le besoin, mais "le succès dépend d'abord des efforts des Etats. Rien ne se substituera à un règlement des problèmes nationaux". Aide-toi, l'Allemagne t'aidera. Reste à espérer que les marchés financiers laisseront aux Etats le temps de se redresser. "C'est une vraie difficulté", reconnaît-il. En Allemagne, l'aide aux pays en difficulté provoque des débats autrement plus tendus qu'en France. Comme si, dans ce pays qui n'a pas pu organiser de référendum sur le traité de Maastricht ni sur la Constitution européenne, la population et donc les responsables politiques découvraient les véritables enjeux posés par l'euro. "Cela montre à la fois la profondeur de la crise et la volonté de la classe politique allemande de trouver une solution durable", veut croire Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut. Mais, affirme-t-il, "la volonté de l'Allemagne de maintenir l'euro est sans appel". Nul doute que s'il n'en n'était convaincu, l'homme occuperait d'autres fonctions.<< Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut : "Aide-toi, l'Allemagne t'aidera" (excerpt), Frédéric Lemaître, Le Monde, 08/10/2011 _______________________________________________
There are still people speaking up in present politics with arguments which belong to the past, thus threatening the much needed solidarity based on rational considerations: >>Der Filmemacher und Protestorganisator Dimitris Kollatos erklärte: "Deutschland hat die Macht in Griechenland übernommen. Unsere Großväter und Väter haben gegen die Deutschen gekämpft und jetzt kommen die Deutschen und kaufen Griechenland zu Spottpreisen. Hier geht es nicht um Privatisierung, sondern um den Ausverkauf des Landes, dazu sagen wir Nein."<< Griechen bieten Rösler geschmacklose Nazi-Tragödie (excerpt), Die Welt, 08/10/2011
>>Diesem Wahlkampf fehlte es etwas an Feuer. In den letzten Tagen vor der Parlamentswahl in Polen am kommenden Sonntag hat Oppositionsführer Jaroslaw Kaczynski nun dafür gesorgt: Der 62-Jährige hat die deutsche Karte aus dem Ärmel gezogen. Erst ging es gegen die Bundeskanzlerin: "Ich glaube nicht, dass die Kanzlerschaft Angela Merkels das Ergebnis reinen Zufalls war" und "wir könnten eines Tages in einem kleineren Polen aufwachen", schreibt der Konservative Kaczynski in einem just zur Wahl erschienen Buch. Auf Nachfragen zog er sich auf seine bewährte Strategie zurück, die da lautet: Ich weiß etwas, aber ich verrate es nicht. Zur deutschen Politik sagte Kaczynski, Kanzlerin Merkel wolle eine "weiche Unterordnung" Polens unter deutsche Großmachtinteressen. Eine "strategische Achse" Berlin-Moskau sei entstanden, und die könne Polen nur schaden.<< Kaczynski hetzt gegen Merkel (excerpt), Die Welt Kompakt, 06/10/2011 We strongly reject such behavior! ___________________________________________
>>"We must stop blaming each other for our different weaknesses and unite together with our different strengths," Prime Minister George Papandreou of Greece said in his speech. "The euro zone must now take bold steps towards fiscal integration to stabilize the monetary union. Let’s not allow those who are betting against the euro to succeed."<< German Leader Reaffirms Backing for Greece (excerpt), Matthew Saltmarsh and Niki Kitsantonis, The New York Times/IHT, 27/09/2011 ___________________________________________
>>Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel hat sich für weitreichende Eingriffsrechte der EU in die nationalen Haushalte von Euro-Staaten ausgesprochen, die sich nicht an die Vorgaben des EU-Wachstums- und Stabilitätspakts halten. Sie werde dafür kämpfen, dass es künftig die Möglichkeit gebe, in solchen Fällen gegen notorische Defizitsünder vorgehen zu können. [...] In den vergangenen Tagen hatte Merkel bereits mehrfach EU-Vertragsänderungen gefordert, um notfalls zu hohe nationale Haushaltsdefizite sanktionieren zu können, auch wenn damit in die nationale Budgethoheit eingegriffen werde.<< Merkel fordert Etat-Zugriffsrechte bei Defizitsündern (excerpt), Die Welt, 27/09/2011 ___________________________________________
>>Frente a la crisis, más Europa. Así pueden resumirse las recomendaciones presentadas ayer en Bruselas por el Consejo para el Futuro de Europa, un centro de reflexión creado hace un año,que defiende avanzar en la integración como el mejor antídoto contra las dificultades económicas por las que atraviesa actualmente el proyecto de la Unión Europea.<< González, Schröder y Delors abogan por emitir eurobonos (excerpt), Andreu Missé, El País, 06/09/2011
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>>It was a brief lesson from American history that served as a not-so-subtle suggestion for contemporary Europe. When an official from a European central bank met recently with a financial official in Washington, his host pulled out the Articles of Confederation, the 1781 precursor to the U.S. Constitution, to use as talking points. The message was clear: join together in a stronger union, or risk collapse.<< Reluctantly, Europe Inches Closer to a Fiscal Union (excerpt), Louise Story and Matthew Saltmarsh, The New York Times/IHT, 06/09/2011 ___________________________________________
>>As the debt crisis has strained European relations over the last couple of years, many economists have suggested that Europe must move beyond its unusual structure or else the union could risk being torn apart. The current structure, allowing each country a great deal of fiscal autonomy, will lead to future crises like the one now enveloping Greece, Ireland and Portugal, they contend. Mr. Trichet has also been urging European political leaders to make a "quantum leap" in the way that the euro area is governed and expressed disappointment that they have not gone further. On Thursday, he was more specific. Trichet Urges Creation of Euro Oversight Panel (excerpt), Jack Ewing and Niki Kitsantonis, The New York Times/IHT, 02/06/2011 |
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