Speeches

Iraq - world politics impossible without International Organisations


"President, President in Office of the Council, President of the Commission, Dear Colleagues,

"First of all I would like to say a word of thanks and recognition to you, President Simitis. We are now in a difficult time, and this is a time where we should not split and divide Europe, but bring it together. I have seen you make this attempt. We shouldn't forget that this Europe does not belong to one political party but to us all. I wish you therefore great success in leading our Europe into the future.

"These hours and days we have in mind the allied soldiers in Iraq, about 30.000 of them are from Member States of the European Union. But we are also thinking of the soldiers of Iraq who have been misused by a criminal regime. I hope that we manage to do what you so well expressed in the Brussels Summit, that is, that we will very soon make it possible to everyone to live in freedom and with good living standards, so Iraq can come back to be part of our international community. I think, this must be our objective. We as Europeans must therefore now continue to work together, to give peace a chance in the Middle East.

"This is why, we are saying to our American friends that the international institutions, which of course make mistakes, they are managed by humans, but the United Nations, NATO, and the European Union certainly have a future. We will not allow anyone to question these international institutions which tries to bring peace to this world.

"Mr. Richard Perle made a comment, that the United Nations and NATO no longer are of our time and have no meaning in this 21st Century. But what about the Middle-Europeans, the Polish and the Slovenians, what would they be now if we were to question NATO and our own alliance. They are looking for security against outside threats. We have got to think how we can improve these institutions, and certainly not start calling them into question. We also need a reasonable transatlantic partnership. The European Union is also in the interest of America. They shouldn't just see us in the light of American relations to France, Germany, Britain or anybody else. We have got to be seen as a European Union and we have also got to speak with one voice. Therefore we would appeal to our American friends to take the European Union seriously. This is the way of being strong in the world and living together in peace, of having a properly ordered relationship with America.

"The President of the Commission praised the Belgian initiative for a defence policy. I was chair of the Security and Disarmament Committee here in the Parliament, so I know what I am talking about, and I am very much in favour of this. But I don't know whether the way chosen by the Belgians is right. At the time we criticised what the British Prime Minister did once by inviting some EU leaders to Downing Street and not others. It seems to me that this will only create a North-South, a East-West, a Christian Democratic and a Social Democratic Europe. No, what we need is to use our Community Institutions and have common institutions which we work for together.

"On the Lisbon process, I would like to thank the President of Office of the Council for having mentioned this, especially since after Lisbon we have perhaps been exaggerating a bit by saying that we are the best economy in the world. The aim is quite right. Now, it is a question of using the instruments we have got. I would like to have heard more about the stability of our currency. A lot of people are talking about flexibility and the Stability Pact. But let us think about what the value of the Euro is. Can you imagine what would have been happening now if we had not got the Euro with the ups and downs of the currency market. We need to strengthen our European currency. Globalisation is often criticised, sometimes rightly sometimes wrongly. The big companies can seek to establish themselves where costs are lowest, but the SMEs can't do that. Therefore, we need to implement structural reforms, so that the SMEs can invest and so jobs can be created. This must be done through the Union.

"I hope that under the Greek Presidency, we will manage to get a Statute for political parties at European level.

"I would like to ask you, President in Office, that as regards the dispute between Council and Parliament over the financial package in the Accession Treaties that we find a solution. Of course we do not want to put off enlargement. We want to keep to the timetable, but we hope you can find a solution acceptable to all. I now turn to the President of the Commission to make sure that we can retain our parliamentary rights and that there are no discrimination against the new accession countries. We will work together with you to do that. We wish you great success with the Greek Presidency not only for you but for us all."

(Translation from the original German)