La Parisienne of Cafébabel.com - Events - Comments

On July 14th, Europe was in Paris - Europe

Europe — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 17:30:13 +02:00

If Europe want have a role in the future of the world must have a common foreign and security policy with a different decision making process excluding the veto power that is paralyzing any European action to build a more stable world. Otherwise Europe will become more and more powerless with a slow period of decadence.

Extremist is all people continuing to believe that the power is in the hand of national governments. Let's think for a minute to Iraq war in 2003. The Europe was divided in the group of 8 countries in favour of an intervention with USA (Barroso, Blair, Berlusconi and so on) and the other countries opposing such as Germany, France, etc. The war in Iraq didn't stop. The history (also recent history) can learn us that a divided Europe cannot help world peace problem.

You are right. We need public support. A recent survey (May/June 07) realized by Eurobarometer says that about 70% of Europeans are in favour of a European Constitution and a European referendum to approve it. Can you explain why our decision makers (political leaders) in Bruxelles decided to cut every reference to the word Constitution confining the debate about the treaty behind the closed doors of the Integovernmental conference ?

I think Sarkozy is more nationalist than supranationalist. His interest in Europe is only a way to give more prestige to France. He is convinced that the European Union can help to reinforce France but he doesn't think to give more power to European institutions and more space to European democracy. He is a souvraniste.

I agree with you we have to keep our energy to build a stronger Europe explaining why it is important for our lifes but also the symbols can help to build a European identity.

W Europe

On July 14th, Europe was in Paris - sofy

sofy — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 22:28:24 +02:00

I am not sure that a common european foreign and security policy means that each country should leave its national prerogatives behind. On the contrary, this kind of extremist view of integration is dangerous and it wil not help making a constructive unity among member states.

You're talking about symbols : well, living the possibility to decide, in consultation with the people, if national troops should engage themselves in a conflict or not is important. I dare say that as a legitimate and democratic actor, Europe can't act without such a consent.

The real problem then is about public support : unless decision makers and opinion raisers like Café Babel work to make people understand that having a common EU foreign policy doesn't mean alienation but deeper cooperation, there will always be a fetile ground for euroscpetic criticism.

That's why I think Sarkozy was wrong in his method once more. He is very good at touching people, but sometimes he overacts. This demonstration was a good initiative but he missed the opportunity to launch a real public campaign on the European integration project.

Finally, we should stop fussing about symbols and euromyths. Let's keep our energy to clear people's view about what a "European Union" means, so that unfounded threats can vanish.

On July 14th, Europe was in Paris - Europe

Europe — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 16:12:09 +02:00

I found the contents of this article very contradictory.

How is it possibile to defend our own interests as Europeans (Barroso sentence) if every European State continue to maintain full sovereignty? How is it possible if each National Government doesn't accept to have a common foreign and security policy?

France needs Europe for its prestige but Sarkozy doesn't want give up any power to European institutions in the field of foreign policy. Think about the French seat in UN Security Council. If France is interested in a common future of Europeans it should give up this UN seat to European Union.

Last but not least I found very funny the fact that Sarkozy dedided to use the European flags and to play the European hymn when only one month ago he and the other 26 European leaders deleted from the Reform Treaty all references to the symbols of the Union.

You can read about this on the following post:

The European hypocrisy of Nicolas Sarkozy
http://europefrombelow.cafebabel.co...

No to a Europe of Nation States.
No to False Europeans!

Yes to the Symbols of Europe!
Yes to a United and Free Europe !