An Italian-German idea. This is not an official joint initiative by Berlin and Rome, but an appeal published at the same time by Die Welt and Corriere della Sera, calling on the Italian and German parliaments to ratify, the same day, and before the June Eruopean Council the new European Treaty on budgetary discipline, accompanying this ratification with a joint declaration in favour of a European political union with a federal government. This declaration would include a methodology and a timescale.
Amongst those who signed it are Elmar Brok, Daniel Cohn-Bendit, Jo Leinen, Hans-Gert Pöttering, Emma Bonino, Romano Prodi, Monica Frassoni, Rocco Cangelosi, Giuliano Amato, etc. The opportunity for this initiative is the meeting in Rome between Angela Merkel and Mario Monti. I shall return to the content of this text and, more importantly, a few stances accompanying it.
Greece: European authorities and unions, similar objectives? The attitude of the authorities of the EU and the demands of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) regarding the issue of Greece are, as regards the substance, closer together than you might think. This at least is the impression left by ETUC's declaration on Greece published in our bulletin 10570. ETUC takes an uncompromisingly polemic tone: the EU, the ECB and the IMF are all accused of dismantling workers' fundamental rights and destroying social cohesion, and the Confederation expresses its indignation at this. After this, referring essentially (but not exclusively) to Greece, it draws up a list of the measures it is calling for: fair collection of tax, actions to be taken against tax fraud, effective use of the structural funds (of the EU) for investments, reduction of military expenditure and of superfluous spending.
This is precisely what Community institutions are calling for, with the commitment of President Barroso to provide Greece with considerable European aid, because - whatever happens as regards the “euro” aspect - Greece will in any case remain a member of the EU (contrary to the lies which have been spread either by ignorance or by malice). President Barroso has already announced his reinforced support programme to the Greek authorities. Everything the union confederation is calling for is there. Do we have to repeat once again that the rules of the euro have no bearing on European support to the least-favoured member states?
Confusion over Hungary. The attitude of the Hungarian ministers in Brussels to discuss the infringements of Community rules with which the Commission has reproached their country is generally reassuring. They accept the possibility of a number of errors and state that they are prepared to put them right; in some cases, they have defended the national position, but still stating that they are open to dialogue. So much the better.
However, you get the impression that observing Community rules is the least of Budapest's worries and the conciliatory attitude is aimed mainly at not losing their subsidies or other advantages to which the country is entitled if it complies with Community rules. A number of observers in the country, or close to it, state that the current Hungarian government is deeply hostile to increased European unity based on supranational structures. Each to their own, but as long as they don't try to make out that the EU should essentially become a subsidy machine for those who do not share its most ambitious orientations, principles and objectives.
This comment is also addressed to certain accession candidate countries which essentially have three real objectives: access to the Schengen zone, funding from the structural funds and participation in certain common policies. If this is the way things are, two-speed Europe will become inevitable.
Nuclear energy: an electricity issue. Last week, this column aimed to demonstrate the need for the EU to adopt a joint energy policy and, in this context, referred to nuclear energy. But in this area, I do not feel that there is any urgent need to define a standard Community position. In the energy sector, the gap that the EU has to plug is that of its relations with supplier third countries: it must work with them as a whole and it is a very long way from doing this. But nuclear energy is not the subject of direct negotiations with third countries: the EU does not import this. From the point of view of supply, it's an internal problem; the “electricity production” aspect is almost secondary to the security or military aspects, which are not part of the energy policy. The authorities and general public must avoid any confusion; nuclear electricity is important for some member states and it should be discussed calmly at an internal level.
(FR/transl.fl)