Brussels, 16/01/2008 (Agence Europe) - Rarely has an incoming presidency of the European Union been welcomed at the European Parliament with so much sympathy and with so many messages of encouragement than the Slovenian presidency at the beginning of 2008. As both a young and small country with modest administrative resources, Slovenia is the first of the “new” member states to pilot the EU, and it can count on the support of the main political groups at the EP, as demonstrated in the debate of MEPs with the Slovenian prime minister, Janez Jansa, on Wednesday 16 January in Strasbourg. Mr Jansa, who will be presiding over the European Council until the end of June said: “Our presidency will perhaps not be as spectacular as the German presidency or that of other big countries. Perhaps we will sometimes be a little naïve, a little too direct, but we will do all we can to get some results”. He affirmed that the aim was, through tangible progress in the different areas, to “get more citizens satisfied with the EU every month”.
The head of the EPP-ED group, Joseph Daul, said that Jansa's country was an example in several ways. Not only because it is considered “top of the class” among the 12 member states that joined in 2004/07 but also because of the way in which it was able to free itself from the Yugoslav communist dictatorship and become a prosperous democracy. Daul also said that due to its particular situation between Central Europe, the Balkans and the Mediterranean, Slovenia plays a role of “bridge between cultures”, making this presidency of the EU an “ideal promoter” of intercultural dialogue. Daul said that Slovenia had no reason to have any complex about its size even if the challenge of the EU presidency was sizeable, and that “the experience of Luxembourg and Austria showed that the performance of presidencies was not measured by the size of the country”. The president of ALDE, Graham Watson, echoed this feeling: “Slovenia is small in size but mighty in spirit”. Watson also said that the Davids of Europe often made better presidencies than the Goliaths. Martin Schulz, the head of the Socialist group, said that because of its struggle for independence, Slovenia will be able to, “demonstrate to European citizens that in the long term, freedom always wins out over dictatorship”. Schulz also welcomed the modest and very discreet and efficient working method of Mr Jansa. In an allusion to the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, Schulz said that this style ought to be an example for the French presidency of the EU that follows in the second half of 2008. He told Jansa that “at least, with you, we're talking politics and not private affairs”. The president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, had previously reiterated his confidence in Jansa's work programme and the capacities of the Slovenian presidency, promising “close cooperation” in all dossiers.
In his introductory speech to MEPs, Mr Jansa underlined the main priorities of the Slovenian presidency (EUROPE 9570, 9574 and 9575).
Lisbon Treaty. Jansa affirmed that the objective was its entry into force on 1 January 2009 but he also said that there's “still a lot on our plate” with regard to finishing the ratification process in time.
Energy/climate package. Mr Jansa said that the EU had to translate the commitments made at the European Council of March 2007, “where it won a lot of credibility”, into concrete decisions. The Council will begin work on 23 January when the Commission presents its proposals.
Western Balkans. The Balkans' European prospects, defined in 2003 in Salonika, should be “confirmed” in order to provide a new impetus to the European integration of these countries. Mr Jansa affirmed that this did not mean that they had to water down accession criteria or speed up the timetable but just “give them better support” on their European journey. He stated that with regard to Kosovo, they did not have any more news about the ongoing discussions at the Council, the sending of a civilian ESDP mission, or about the question of recognition of a future independent Kosovo by member states. He appealed for a “stable and sustainable solution” and stressed that the case of Kosovo could not, in any event, be compared to any other situation in Europe. Jansa said that Bosnia-Herzegovina deserved “particular attention” and highlighted this in respect of finding a solution for the problem of the return of refugees. Some MEPs asked about recent statements, affirming that the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina was more dangerous to the stability of the Balkans than Kosovo (EUROPE 9574). Mr Jansa explained: “I did not say that Bosnia was more important for security in the Balkans than Kosovo” but did insist that “serious problems” existed regarding the return of refugees to Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Lisbon strategy. The launch of the new round (2008-10) in March will be an important stage that will enhance European competitiveness, which has already been bolstered through the Lisbon strategy. Mr Jansa was pleased to announce that growth had resumed, productivity had improved, and labour markets were being modernised. Jansa also supports rapid implementation of the “fifth freedom”: “free movement of ideas” - those of students and researchers in Europe.
Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy. Accession negotiations with Turkey and Croatia will continue “because EU enlargement, which is a real success, is not yet finished”. The president of the European Council said that at the same time, countries such as Ukraine, Moldova and North African countries “should not be forgotten”, which is what the importance of European Neighbourhood Policy is all about. In a direct reference to Nicolas Sarkozy's proposal to launch a Mediterranean Union, the president of the European Council warned against duplication and said that they did not need new institutions that would rival those of the EU that already existed for Mediterranean cooperation.
During the debate that followed Jansa's presentation, a very clear majority of speakers supported the Slovenian priorities. Martin Schulz (PES) particularly welcomed the “categorical refusal” of the idea of a Mediterranean Union and stated that “the Socialist group supports you in this refusal”. The PES also supports the “very clear” commitment of the presidency in favour of continued accession negotiations with Turkey and the ultimate accession of this country. The next presidency of the EU by the French should also be very clear on this fundamental question, affirmed Mr Schulz. In connection with the Lisbon strategy and the EU's economic competitiveness, Graham Watson (ALDE) highlighted the importance of completing the internal market, including that for energy, services and medical care. He said that this would help them create jobs while increasing consumer choice. The Greens/EFA welcomed the fact that the energy/climate change package was one of the priorities, but feared that the Slovenian presidency could become a victim to “manoeuvres and pressure” that aimed to reduce the impact of the measures, explained Monica Frassoni.
Mr Watson said that the ALDE had a very firm position on Serbia: no signing of the stabilisation and association agreement while Belgrade failed to entirely cooperate with the ICTFY. Among the many speakers on the issue of Kosovo, some, like Elmar Brok (CDU) and Bulgarian Socialist, Kristian Vigenin, asserted that Slovenia could, better than the others, facilitate dialogue with the future state and all the other Balkan countries. Austrian Socialist, Hannes Swoboda, affirmed that while being aware of Serbia's problems, they should speak very clearly with the Serbian prime minister, Kostunica, if he thought that the future of his country lay with Russia, which would not serve the interests of his fellow citizens. Véroniqe De Keyser (Belgian Socialist) was the only speaker to mention the problem of the Middle East and called for people living there to be assured of a decent life.
Several Slovenians spoke during the debate to express their support for the presidency (we are going to play with it loyally, affirmed Borut Pahor, the representative of the Social Democrat opposition, even if elections are planned in six months' time). He said that they would also promote the freedom of expression (in a reference to the petition presented by a quarter of all Slovenian journalists), call for clarification about declarations on Bosnia-Herzegovina, and call on it to tackle other dossiers (health, particularly the fight against cancer, which according to EPP-ED MEP, Alojz Peterle, should be a priority). Jelko Kacin (ALDE-Slovenia) regretted that by talking about the Balkans and other regions the presidency had apparently forgotten about the North of Cyprus. Kacin said that Cyprus should be at the heart of the intercultural dialogue this year. French Socialist Bernard Poignant also mentioned intercultural dialogue and appealed for more importance to be placed on the issue. “Dominated by Bavaria, coveted by Venice, occupied by Napoleon, integrated into the Austro-Hungarian empire and then into the Yugoslav federation”, Slovenia would appear well-placed to promote this dialogue. (H.B./L.G.)