Strasbourg, 11/05/2005 (Agence Europe) - Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, who spoke in plenary on 11 May in Strasbourg, fifteen years after his father Jean at the time of another Luxembourg EU Presidency, stressed the “undeniable” and even “spectacular” success of these past fifteen years, but also recognised that “many young people experience a sort of uneasiness toward European construction” and “egoism tends to take the place of the spirit that moved the founding fathers of Europe”. Citing the French philosopher, Marcel Gauchet, who believed this “disarray” was due to “our era of gigantic changes of direction”, the Grand Duke Henri, who was accompanied by his wife, Maria-Theresa, said that “when the change is relatively slow, as was the case during the seventies and eighties, adjustment is done without trouble. (…) When there is a sudden upheaval of traditional reference points (…), and especially through globalisation, then it's another matter! We must (…) reinvent new markers, reconstruct instruments. In short, redefine perspectives and visions”. In his view, “the first task of our Union is to reconcile the heritage of the past with the challenges of the future” and “this rebirth of Europe - in which the identity of our collective ambition lies - should be the vision of society of the generations that are preparing to take over from us”. In order to define this vision of society, “the best method remains democratic debate”, the head of the Luxembourg State said, adding that it is especially appropriate to promote, “with the help of the civil organisation of our societies, the active involvement of citizens in discussions” on the ratification of the Constitution. Acknowledging the fact that, in the debate, “the theses defended and the options put forward sometimes, it is true, leave huge space for demagogy, if not counter-truths”, the Grand Duke Henri calls on MEPs to take on the ambition of “making Europe the actor of its own history”. He repeated what his father had told the Parliament in 1990: “You are the elected representatives of our countries. You must know how to rally to the task and take with you all our creative force”.
Speaking of his country, for which the choice of Europe remains “a natural choice”, the Grand Duke Henri cited a reflection by Milan Kundera who, shortly after the fall of communism, said that it often seemed to him that the known European culture hides another, unknown culture - that of the small nations. He went on to say that one supposes the small countries imitate the large but that is just an illusion. They are very different. Europe made up of small nations is another Europe and looks at things in a different way and its thoughts often form the real counterweight to the Europe of large nations.
Josep Borrell had welcomed Henri and Maria-Theresa of Luxembourg welcoming the readiness and the intelligence of the Luxembourg political officials and the results already achieved by their presidency (reform of the Stability Pact, the Lisbon Strategy, the agreement signed with Romania and Bulgaria), while admitting that the main dossier still open, that of the financial perspectives, will no doubt be more difficult. Mr Borrel told the Grand Duke and Duchess of Luxembourg that they have successfully managed to integrate people of different origins, avoiding social exclusion.