Barcelona, 15/11/2005 (Agence Europe) - During debates which took place in Barcelona on 11 and 12 November, which were attended by the President of the Socialist Party Walid Joumblatt and political figures from civil society from countries on the southern shores of the Mediterranean, the Socialist group of the European Parliament affirmed its commitment to work for the emergence of a European citizenship and for a "genuine regional entity with a voice in world dialogue", with a final objective of the creation of an "alliance of civilisations", as supported by the Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero. In the view of Josep Borrell, president of the European Parliament (and of the Euromed Assembly), some thought should be given to including those fundamentalist movements which have turned their back on the use of violence in this dialogue. This theme was often taken up in the debates, with almost all present reiterating the risk of drawing parallels between Islam and terrorism or of looking at problems in the countries of the southern shore through a religious filter. "The Socialists must not forget their own values, including secularity", which they should try to promote in the southern Mediterranean countries, said one of those who took the floor. The Manifesto adopted in Barcelona also note that care should be taken not to "speak out solely against religious fundamentalism, but also to take issue with economic and political doctrine justifying inequality and exclusion". Building "a vast Euro-Mediterranean area which is young, dynamic and united " on these foundations is the best guarantee "for a better world ", according to the Manifesto.
Reporting mixed results of the Barcelona process, the European Socialist MEPs committed to extend the content and to continue to play an active role to make Mediterranean into one of the priorities of European policy. In 10 years, "much has been done, but much remains to be done", said the president of the Socialist group Martin Schulz during debates which revealed willingness to promote a Socialist concept of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership, based on the values of solidarity and social and economic justice. The Euromed Parliamentary Assembly is the most appropriate place to promote these values, said those who took part in the meeting, who, having examined the various planks of relations between the two sides of the Mediterranean, stressed the need, amongst other things, for determined action to fight inequality and exclusion, the scale of which were most dramatically brought to light in the French suburbs recently. Almost all those who took the floor stressed the fact that human rights is a fundamental issue, in all countries taking part in the Barcelona process. "In our countries as well, the democratic question is raised by the way in which the mass of migrants who have become citizens are treated", said Martin Schulz, in another explicit reference to the troubles in France.