Brief items for which space was lacking in earlier editions
*** Euro/Germany: Several officials of the CDU/CSU last week called for the convening of a European summit to discuss the weakness of the euro: the German government should convince its EU partners to make the European Council in Feira a summit on the euro, affirmed Roland Koch, Minister-President of Hesse, and Bavaria's Finance Minister Kurt Faltlhauser said the ongoing weakness of the euro must be the priority of upcoming European Councils. "A currency that in the long term is weak externally and strong internally does not exist", commented Bavaria's Minister-President Edmund Stoiber, who added that early accession of the drachma to the euro area would be a bad signal.
*** EU/French Presidency: Jacques Delors participated on 2 May in a debate by the national bureau of the French Socialist Party on the future French Presidency of the EU Council, calling on this occastion for a core group of Union countries articulated around a federal "matrix". The former Comission President said the European Parliament, rather than "taking the Commissioners as clay pigeons", should "be more concerned about its relations with the public opinion".
*** EP/Turkey: Daniel Cohn-Bendit, Co-Chair of the EU/Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee, praised the election of Ahmet Necdet Sezer as President of the Republic of Turkey as "a huge step by Turkey towards Europe". The fact that Mr Sezer received the support of all parties in Parliament demonstrates that Turkish political power now understands the need for change, said Mr Cohn-Bendit in a press release (the President of Turkey's Constitutional Court was elected President of the Republic for a seven-year term, by 330 votes, largely exceeding the absolute majority of 276). Mr Cohn-Bendit pointed out that Mr Sezet last year "attracted the attention of Europeans" with a speech on the importance of freedom of expression, calling into question the "undemocratic orientations of the Constitution and of Turkish legislation" on this subject. "The fact that he pointed out in this context the importance of the European Convention on Human Rights shows his deep attachment" to European values, said Mr Cohn-Bendit.
*** EPP/Italy: At a meeting of EPP leaders last Friday in Rome, attended by Party President Mr Martens, Secretary General Mr Agag, the President of Nea Demokratia Mr Karamanlis and Italian Christian Democrats and well as representatives of Forza Italia, and to which European Commissioner Mario Monti was also invited, the press asked Silvio Berlusconi about the possibility of Mr Monti being the opposition candidate for the Council Presidency in the next general elections. The Forza Italia leader replied: "I do not see how a figure like Mr Monti could not be part of our governing team, but I think the top post is already filled", an allusion to his own role.
*** EU/French Presidency: Jérôme Monodo has left his post at Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux to become (although this still remains to be confirmed) adviser to President Chirac, with a view to the French Presidency of the EU Council. It will be recalled that Jérôme Monod published last November with Ali Magoudi a "Manifesto for a Sovereign Europe" (see "European Library" of 14/15 February).
*** EP/Spain: MEP Rosa Diez is a candidate for the post of Secretary General of the PSOE, in the wake of the resignation of Joqauin Almunia: announcing her candidacy, she presented a 14-page manifesto in which she stresses the necessity of counting on a strong party that is open to society.
*** EP/Food aid: Belgian Green Nelly Maes commented on the vote by the EP plenary session on the Schierhuber report on food aid, saying it marked a 20-year setback in the EU's position. This is the victory of European selfishness, she said in reference to the EPP amendment approved by the plenary asking that priority be given to the use of European products as food aid.
*** EP/Macedonia: MEP Olivier Dupuis (Bonino list) welcomed the positive reactions by Macedonian parties to the proposal by Max van der Stoel, OSCE High Commissioner for national minorities, for the full integration into the Macedonian educational system of the University of Tetovo, which was created as a "parallel university" by Macedonia's Albanian-speaking professors and students. The university will train primary and secondary teachers and specialists in administration and management; teaching will be in Albanian, Macedonian, English, French, Italian and German.
*** Paneuropa: On the occasion of the 26th Paneuropa-Union Deutschland Days, President Bernd Posselt (Member of the EP, CSU) warned against President Putin, who he claims came to power through the genocide of the Chechens.