Gothenburg, 17/06/2001 (Agence Europe) - "I hope that I shall remember the results of the European Council itself rather than the violence, but for now, it is this violence that I have in mind", declared Swedish President Goran Persson on Friday evening, visibly shaken by the sacking along Gothenburg's main avenue by some 200 trouble-makers, with violence that then continued into the night, and which deeply disturbed the peaceful demonstrations and the attention paid to the Summit itself. "It's a tragedy, these people endanger democracy itself", he added, as the heads of States and Government are "democratic representatives elected by the European people, who have the right to meet and move policies forward". "We saw all that in Seattle, we saw it in Nice, and in Portugal, and I fear we shall see the same thing again", Persson stressed, clearly making a distinction between the thousands of peaceful demonstrators and the minority of trouble-makers. These acts of violence "are bad for NGOs too, who come here seriously to discuss in the respect of democratic traditions. They often have another idea of Europe than I so, but they express it democratically". Asked about the consequences of these events on the quest8ion of the location of the next Summits, the host of the European Council replied that that needed thinking about, without "giving in" to those who "want us to shy-off and hide". The Swedish Prime Minister stipulated that he understood these acts of vandalism even less as Sweden had organized many meetings between the participants in the Summit and the counter-Summit - he was himself, together with Romano Prodi, going to have talks with the demonstrators.
The very organisation of the Summit was turned upside down. Friday evening, the diner of Heads of State and Government scheduled for a restaurant in the centre of the city, was finally held in the same place as the summit, "for reasons of security". The delegations from Finland, the Benelux and Ireland had to leave their hotel, which was right in the centre, "as their security could not be guaranteed".
These scenes of violence were the main subject of most press conferences organised by Member states on Saturday. Sweden's fourteen partners reacted in unison: - very firm denunciation of these anti-democratic acts; - emphasis on the legitimate nature of a meeting of Heads of State and Government; - emphasis too on the fact that the acts of violence had nothing to do with Europe, but were "violence for violence sake, the will to destroy"; - concern at the presence from Summit to Summit, of these organised groups of vandals, that these event could have occurred anywhere, with their full solidarity with the Swedish authorities and police.
Friday evening, Chancellor Schroeder regretted before journalists that "a small number of deparadoes should harm the cause of thousands of people who demonstrate peacefully". He stipulated that these vandals came from Germany - as well as Denmark and the Netherlands, say police sources. "We must discuss in preparing the next summit", the Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar declared. Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, who will assume the EU Presidency from 1 July, came to Gothenburg with a team of police officers from the main cities of Belgium, to prepare for the presidency. He placed emphasis on the level of preparation of the Belgian forces of law and order who are used to demonstrations, especially in Brussels.
For Jacques Chirac, the Fifteen "will not change their decision of oganising all Summits in Brussels "for 200 trouble-makers". Silvio Berlusconi, for his part, said that he was very concerned for the next G8 meeting in Genoa end-July. "It is an unfortunate choice as this city is very difficult", he declared.
The Swedish Prime Minister reacted to criticisms made by the press - but not by his colleagues - on the management of events by the Swedish police, who were not equipped with tear gas or water cannons, which could have helped in dispersing the trouble-makers. The lack of these instruments was "unreasonable", he acknowledged. "We must be a little more realistic as to the world in which we live", he added.
See next pages for texts relating to the outcome of the Summit
We here publish the Presidency Conclusions" which include all the points broached by the Heads of State and Government of the Union at the European Council of Gothenburg. The first part is devoted to the debate on the future of Europe, with aspects linked to enlargement. Following in order: - sustainable development; - the economy and employment; - the area of freedom, security and justice; - cooperation for peace and security; - transatlantic relations; - external relations.
There are two annexes:
- declaration on prevention of proliferation of ballistic missiles
- declaration on the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
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