Herman Van Rompuy insists. Why does the president of the European Council think that the semantic quibbling over whether to choose the term economic coordination or economic governance for the eurozone is absurd? Because, in his opinion, economic government already exists. In his speech in Lille (EUROPE 10117) he declared: “The members of the European Council believe, as I do, that the European Council should play the role of economic government. It is the only way of developing the necessary political energy for making courageous and difficult decisions over the next decade”.
Reasons for backtracking. From the beginning of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), the number of journalists associated with the institutions never ceased to increase, reaching over a thousand (more than those working with the UN in Washington). For a while now, the trend has been going in the opposite direction and newspapers have withdrawn their correspondents. Those that had several of them have reduced their number.
The Foreign Press Association in Brussels has been affected by this and has tried to understand the reasons for this development. Some of the reasons are obvious: some of the written press has cut down on its spending; communication systems have multiplied and the need for journalists to be there in person is less of a priority; official texts that were previously difficult to obtain now arrive in seconds electronically at the respective central offices; we can attend a press conference while staying home; railway links between Brussels and certain capital cities have become comfortable and rapid, and it is no longer essential to permanently live in the city where the subject of one's work is based. The institutions' information policy has also come into question.
I would like to add a further explanation - namely, the fierceness with which Community activity is denigrated. To claim that this activity has no importance at all or is meaningless is very much in fashion. Obviously, if a journalist is convinced of something, they have to write it - their professional ethics require it. They should not, however, be surprised afterwards, if the Editor-in-Chief and management draw the conclusions that it is not important whether they keep a permanent correspondent in a place where nothing interesting ever happens. Has European construction failed? It's not really worth worrying about it too much.
Rights and responsibilities go hand in glove. The initiatives by the European institutions in favour of the Roma are good news. The gypsy population in the EU stands at an estimated 10-12 million and is the biggest minority on the European continent. It has been part of Europe for over a thousand years. The Roma have the same rights as other European citizens. The European Parliament has spoken robustly on this subject and the European Commission and Council have made commitments in this connection. The Commission has confirmed that it has put €5 million aside for a Roma integration pilot project and further funding has been confirmed for the Roma from the European Social Fund (ESF) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Our publication has provided comprehensive accounts on these initiatives and the Commission communication on the economic and social integration of the Roma was published in No.2532 of our EUROPE/Documents series (annexed to EUROPE on 8 April). Nothing has been definitively accomplished yet but everything appears to be shifting.
The rights of the Roma have been recognised and will gradually be put into practice. The moment therefore appears opportune to mention the second factor in this issue: together with rights come responsibilities. One cannot exist without the other. The Roma have to be aware of this. They have the same rights as any other citizen but they have to respect the laws of the host country. Everyone is free to make their own religious and cultural choices and everyone has the right to have their traditions and beliefs respected but in respect of the rules.
One example out of hundreds: school. Roma children have a right to it; their parents have the right to ensure that they go to school and must get used to taking them to school every morning when the children are little. In Europe, the mixing up of different races has been going on for centuries. In many cases, even the specialists are unable to distinguish between the different origins. In other cases, differences persist but do not prevent people living together. Rights and responsibilities form an indissoluble whole. If this requirement is ignored, the situation will be exactly the same in 10 years' time. The EP will be voting on other resolutions, the Commission will be launching new pilot projects and the successors of this column will welcome it ad infinitum.
(F.R./transl.fl)