seNas

Sarkozy's call in Strasbourg : People need Europe's ReNewal !

- For a Democratic and Political Rennaissance of an integrated and popular Europe : Not a Technocratic Dilution ..

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    - "There are in Europe all the Spiritual Forces, all the Energies, for a Miracle to be achieved : It's up to us to set them in motion !".

    - It's true that "Europe was at risk, undermined by repeated Crisis, by People's mistrust and by Doubts". But now, "it will be saved". Because "a political will to save her life, to start debating on Europe's aims and to overthrow usual dogmas, was expressed, at last".

    This belief was strongly stressed by the new French President, Nicolas Sarkozy at an inspired Speech in Strasbourg on Europe's present and Future perspectives after the recent agreement on EU's "Simplified Treaty", and before imminent developments on the Monetary EuroZone, Turkey's controversial EU-bid, etc.

    Brushing aside "Bureaucracy", "an endless Enlargement", and other "Technocratic drifts", who proved "unable to share Europe's aims with the People", becoming "the cause which provoked the "NO" at the Referenda in France, the Netherlands, and probably in other countries if they had a Referendum", Sarkozy launched a vibrant appeal for Europe's "rebirth", stressing that "Europe needs a New Rennaissance !"

    With Focus on democratically elected Political Will, he painted a vast spectrum spreading from EU's Institutions, to Economy and Geopolitical aspects of EU Enlargement, but concluded will a call for "a policy of Civilisation".

    Speaking in front of some 3.000 enthousiastic people who filled up Strasbourg's "Congres Palace", Sarkozy came "to give account for the commitments" he took at an Historic pre-electoral speech on Europe "here, in Strasbourg, last February 2007", and to confirm that "promises will be kept".

    - "It seemed impossible. But it was achieved", he said, pointing at the agreement of "27" Member States to relaunch EU's Institutional reform in a "Simplified" version, focusing on what is strictly necessary to boost its decision-making capacity :

    - "If things go as scheduled, from 2009 Europe will have New Institutions, with a stable President, a High Representative for Foreign Affairs", "a reinforced EU Parliament", "Majority-vote extended in many areas", and a "legally binding EU Charter of Fundamental Human Rights".

    It's true that the Democratic principle of a "Double Majority" (of States and Citizens) in EU's decision-making, will only "enter into force on 2014, and definitively from early 2014", while the UK opted out of EU's Human Rights' Charter, due to some opposals by a few.

    But, at the same time, "EU Commission's proposals will be controlled by National Parliaments" to check that EU stays in its area of competence, while "EuroGroup was legally recognized", and now, it's time "to create an Economic Governance inside EuroZone", the French President observed, citting facts which indicate new possibilities at Europe's core, as some other EU leaders also ask, including the experienced Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi...
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  - "The cause for (2004) EU Constitution's failure, and for EU's crisis", "was not so much in the Constitution itself, but in a long-term incapacity to give a Meaning for the People" : "There was a Drift towards substituting Technocratic choices to the Democratically elected Political Will", "far away from the Spirit of the Founding Fathers' ideal, that of Monnet and Schuman" :

    - "Instead of saying to the People "what grandiose aims we can achieve together", they were only told that "we cannot do this, or that, because of Europe !". This "provoked unpolitisation, passivity, renunciation", and a "dangerous confusion", precisely "at the same moment that other Continents defended vigorously their interests".

     - "It isn't the "NO" to the Referenda in France and the Netherlands, which provoked EU's crisis". On the contrary, "It's a Crisis of the European Spirit which provoked the "NO" to the Referenda", Sarkozy denounced.

    - "No Technocratic machine can go on for long without the Legitimacy and the support of Values, Aims and Ideals, shared by the People", he stressed.

    Nobody can deny the recent existence of a "growing disillusion and disappointment of the People vis-a-vis the EU", as Sarkozy reminded, expressed by 1999 and 2004 Majority Abstention in EU Elections, the "NO" to 2005 Referenda, earlier negative Polls in big countries, and many other facts.

    But, "before coming to Strasbourg on February 2007, I visited Verdun's Battlefield", to "remind the Tragic Fatality of Wars preparing other Wars in the Past", and "the will born in Europe to do anything to save the Values of European Civilisation from destruction in European Civil Wars". This will, expressed by Churchill, De Gaulle, Schuman, Monnet, Gasperi, and others, forged a real European Conscience" : "Not to forget, but to overcome the sufferings of the past and look together to the Future". This "Common Will for a Peaceful Europe stems from the Franco-German reconciliation, which is at EU's origine and its cement, and that's why Strasbourg is Europe's capital for ever".

    => Today, "in order also to urgently face the huge unheavals of World's Globalization, the only solution for Europe was to make a Synthesis between the "No" and the "Yes" : "This doesn't mean a middle point between them, but to overcome the contradiction by a new VISION of a Europe able to act and protect" :

    - "For the 1st time, the recent EU Summit started doing that kind of politics at the highest degree", "by recognizing Citizens' protection as an EU's aim, that Competition is a means and not an aim, that Public Services have a specificity, and that the Charter of fundamental human Rights becomes legally binding".

   
(People filled up Strasbourg's Congres' Palace -soon "Pflimlin" building- leaving many eager for more seats)..

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A) On Economy :
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  - Well beyond that, "the New Treaty, by recognizing EuroGroup's real decision-making power, provides a basis for the Future Economic Governance of EuroZone", added Sarkozy :

The move aims to revitalise a fundamental idea which was already aired in an Historic "State of the  (European) Union" Debate, back in 1995 in EU Parliament in Strasbourg, when EU leaders warned that by creating "EuroZone" they expected to stimulate reactions leading to an EU Economic Governance.

    - "The synthesis between the "Yes" and the "No" is in a Europe which is not naive but acts against any Dumping, sets up an EU preference and organises an Industrial Policy", "without staying idle in front of outsourcing and is not submitted to a pseudo-Dictatorship of Markets".

    - "We created the EU in order to keep Factories, Industry in European land, and not in order to watch them leave for other Continents without doing anything : That's not Europe !"

     - And "I said to the G-8 (Summit, at the beginning of June, in Heiligendam, Germany), in front of Mr Lamy (WTO's chief) : Europe should be open to free trade and globalization, but with Reciprocity : F.ex. Europe should not accept for the U.S. to get from WTO a derogation to help their SME, while Europe doesn't get that derogation in the same conditions : That's not a fair competition !"

    - "I want to raise the issue of Monetary, Social or Ecologic Dumpings : Our Entreprises have to compete with countries who disregard Environment, violate Social Rights and practice Fiscal Dumping : This is not competition, but unfairness".

    + Moreover, "all Europeans need to have a strong and modern European AGRICULTURE, able to defend EU's Food Security and Independence" : "As I said to (U.S.) President Bush : - "Congratulations for defending American farmers. I'll do exactly the same for European farmers !"

    - "As for EUROs over-rating : Will we be able to continue making Airplanes in Europe, when each time the Euro gets 10 cents higher, AIRBUS gets a deficit of one Billion ?", asked Sarkozy, pointing at the denunciation made by a German Manager of AIRBUS at the latest event organized in EU Parliament May 2007 in Strasbourg.

    - And "how long Europe's Security can still be guaranteed by only 4 or 5 Countries who make a considerable effort on Defence, while respecting the same rules on Deficit as those who don't spend as much for defence ?" This "raises the question of Defence efforts in relation with the (Monetary) Stability Pact".

    - "I believe in Euro, but not as a Tabou  : Money must serve Growth and Jobs in Europe, and it's not only an issue reserved to Bankers".

    The synthesis able to overcome the contradiction between the "Yes" and the "No" (to 2004 EU Constitution) is in a Europe, which, without being malthusian, is able to massively invest in the activities of the Future, in Infrastructures, Training, Research".

    - "We can't ask an Economic Governance for EuroZone, without Politics being able to speak on Economy and Money, and without getting involved at the Highest Political level", he concluded, at the eve of his venue at July 9 EuroGroup's meeting in Brussels, before EuroGroup's President, Luxembourg's Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker speaks at a special EU Parliament's debate next week in Strasbourg.

(Who can deny that Sarkozy's stimulating criticism is Popular in Europe ?)

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B) On EU's Enlargement (Turkey, etc) :
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  - "We (EU political leaders) have a duty to speak out at the table of EU Council", when it comes to "certain very Big Issues", the new French President went on to stress : 

    - In order "to overcome Europe's Crisis", by "a synthesis between the "No" and the "Yes" (to 2004 EU Constitution Referenda), the solution "is a Europe with Borders, which is not diluted by endless Enlargement".

    - "The real pro-Europeans are those who want an Integrated Europe, which does not enlarge again and again until to become a mere UN Sub-Region"...

    => - "The Time has come to raise the crucial Question of Europe's Borders, ..and to set the Criteria and Principles which define Europe. ..Because otherwise there will be no European Identity, nor a strong Europe, and the European Will shall be condemned to endless Dilution", declared Sarkozy.

    For that purpose, he refused the attitude of "those Experts who POSTPONE things for later".
  "We (the EU) must avoid Misunderstandings, and apply on relations with EU's neighbors the principles of Truth and Sincerity, which are necessary for Friendship". And not do like "those who say one thing behind, and another in front" of those concerned, he added. (Indicating that, in fact, there are also other EU Countries opposed to Turkey's controversial EU bid, but avoid to reveal it openly)...

    In fact, "I think at all these countries who are EU's neighbors, and with which EU must build Special Relations, but who have not all of them a vocation to become Full EU Members", he added, extending to many countries, as a matter of general principle.

    The appeal launched this week in Strasbourg by New French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, started to be confirmed by Prime Minister Francois Fillon, who formally announced first measures on Turkey, after obtaining a strong Majority in the French Assembly on a general policy statement including Sarkozy's call to "define Europe's Borders and Identity" :

    - "It's clear that the Question of Turkey's accession to the EU must not be dealt in the way it was until now", Fillon stressed. - "We do not think that Turkey should enter in the EU", and, therefore, "France will maintain a firm stance on Turkey's EU accession demand".

    => "That's why we agreed with President Sarkozy that we (France) shall not accept to open any new Chapters in EU - Turkey negotiations which might lead to Accesion. We'll only accept those chapters which lead towards a "Privileged Partnership", as we have already proposed to Turkey", Fillon announced.

(Prime Minister Francois Fillon, after gaining some 100 MPs' votes more than the opposition, announced in a Chat concrete measures to start realizing President Sarkozy's Strasbourg statements on EU Enlargement and Turkey).

    - Because "we believe that EU's Borders must be defined, and that a Debate on Europe's Identity should start", he added, referring to Sarkozy's earlier Statements in Strasbourg.

    - "When I take commitments I keep them, and I'll do what I promised before the Elections", Sarkozy stressed, making many references precisely to his Historic pre-Electoral "Strasbourg speech on Europe, last February", where he had clearly refused Turkey's controversial EU bid, as contrary to EU's Geography and a risk against a Political Europe strongly supported by EU Citizens.

    Later, during the electoral campaign, Sarkozy had picked the problem of Turkey as "an example of (his) Independence vis-a-vis the USA", who notoriously push for Ankara's entry to the EU "since President Bush's predecessors" (i.e. Clinton, etc.). And he had observed that "it's not EU's interest to make of the Kurdish problem a European problem", while "it's difficult to explain to a pupil that Europe's borders reach Irak"...

    This point was also raised in Strasbourg this week, by the President of Serbia, Boris Tadjic, who chairs the Council of Europe from May to November 2007 :

    => - "Today, Europe has to take important decisions : - EU's Borders will be at Eastern Balkans, or at Eastern Turkey ?", Tadjic wondered, (pointing at Irak, Iran, etc).

    Tadjic added that Serbia and other Western Balkan countries (as Croatia, FYROM, etc), have "no doubts" for their "vocation to European Integration", since they "always belonged to Europe's Geography, History and Culture".

    Questions about Ukraine and other neighbouring countries vis-a-vis EU Enlargement, started to be discussed, this week in Strasbourg, during 2007 joint EU - CoE session for Political Democracy Schools, with some 900 participants.

    - "In this framework, we think that Turkey is a big country with many relations to Europe, we want to help its development, as it plays a considerable role in the Mediterranean, but we don't think that it should enter in the EU", French Prime Minister Fillon explained.

    The move was backed also by mainstream French EuroMP, Jacques Toubon, in comments made to "SENAS" after Sarkozy's speech :  - "The President will certainly raise Turkey's issue at the December 2007 EU Council. And, at any case, France's EU Chairmanship follows in 2008", observed Toubon.

    - "Most likely", the President could raise EU's Enlargement and Turkey issues "at Top Political Level", and in December 2007 EU Summit", agreed with "SENAS", Sarkozy's Press Attache, Veronique Wachet.

    Sarkozy brushed aside reactions from some EU officials who search to avoid a Turkey and other "hot" debates in EU Council :

    - "I didn't know that it was so "New" to simply say what we think at the Table of EU Council !".  When it comes to "save Europe", "there will be No more Prohibited Debates, as in the past, when people didn't have the right to say anything"...

    Naturally, the forthcoming EU "debate" and "Reflection" on EU Enlargement, including Turkey, are to be done "with all 27" EU Member States, Sarkozy observed.

    But, since EU decided to shift from a "Constitution" to a "Treaty", "all EU Acquis is preserved", including "the Luxembourg compromise", (where De Gaulle guaranteed each Member State's right to "Veto" decisions affecting its vital interests). "This is of Essential importance, because it means that .. each (EU Member) Country remains Master of its own Destiny". It proves that "EU is founded on sharing, and not abandoning power, and on a constantly reaffirmed will to act together for common aims, without keeping anyone prisoner in a chain", Sarkozy warned.

     - "You already know President Sarkozy's position on Turkey. He is due to speak anew on this and other related issues, as Cyprus, etc, once EU's No 1 priority for an Institutional Treaty has been agreed", alerted earlier "SENAS" French President's Spokesman David Martinon.
    Martinon added later that, "on Turkey, the President has an absolutely clear idea about what he wants to do". "Until now, he did not want to complicate the negotiations on (EU's) Treaty. But there is absolutely no change in the President's stance on Turkey's EU accession bid : He still considers that there is no room for Turkey inside the EU".

    - "A first Step would be EU Commission's 2007 Report on Turkey, due on October of November", Sarkozy's deputy Spokesman, Pierre-Jerome Henin told "SENAS".

    At the eve of such important EU decisions on Turkey, Sarkozy, together with the entire New French Government, will return in Strasbourg for exceptional meetings on September, between EU Parliament's and CoE Assembly's sessions. Meanwhile, "we already started to prepare during this Summer France's mid-2008 EU Presidency draft program", revealed the Minister for Health, Youth and Sport, Roselyne Bachelot, (former vice-President of French Governing UMP party), who spoke earlier to "SENAS".

    It's in this context that CoE's Parliamentary Assembly decided, earlier this week, to invite the New French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner in Strasbourg the day that it will debate "States' Duty to cooperate with the European Court of Human Rights" (ECHR).

    - "UE and CoE will cooperate more and more closely on Human Rights, after an Agreement according to Luxembourg Prime Minister Juncker's proposal, for EU Commission to consult CoE's Human Rights Commissioner or Legal Experts when it prepares decisions which may affect Human Rights", said to "SENAS" the New EU Ambassador-Representative in Strasbourg, Luisa Pavan-Woolfe.

    The moves came while ECHR and Amnesty International revealed this week that  Impunity of Tortioners still persists in 2007 Turkey, even when victims are Women : Jailed young girls, or an old woman "arrested in her home"...
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=> "Politics of Civilisation"
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  - "EU is also founded on the will to preserve and keep alive Europe's Cultural Heritage and Human Rights' ideal, and to share it with the World", Sarkozy stressed in his Strasbourg's speech.

    - "It's a Political approach which unblocked Europe", the French President observed in conclusion. Previously, "political paralysis had left room for Bureaucracy".

     That's why, "I want to go well beyond that : Europe is not only about Money, Budgets and Competition or Voting methods, nor only about Borders : Above all it's a Civilisation Project".

    => "Europe needs a New Renaissance", Nicolas Sarkozy declared.

    - "It needs to create the Conditions for that Renaissance", by "creating the Moral, Intellectual and Psychological Ambiance", to give anew to the People of our old Nations a belief that his Dreams can be realized, that there are endless Possibilities, and make him Trust himself and Europe's Future".

    - "This Renaissance will start from Knowledge, Education, Culture, through Schools, Universities and Research, raising the awareness of all European Young People".

    (Sarkozy with Strasbourg's Young -and less young- People...)

    That's why, "in the middle of any difficulties and huge upheavals of the World, Europe needs a Policy of Civilisation".

    - "The biggest challenge is to imagine Policies able to bring Life, Creation, Spirit of Conquest everywhere, and to change any conservatisms in order to put it into real practice", with "Audace, Intelligence, Heart and Courage, so that Europe will anew astonish the World".

    Sarkozy expressed his belief that "Europe can do it, if it wants".

    - "But is there a real Will to do that ?", he wondered. "From the Reply to this Question, depends all our Future, .. and that of the World. Because the World will not be the same if Europe will achieve its Renaissance, or not", he concluded.

(A "Renaissance Civilisation" famous painting  :
"Raphael's School of Athens depicts contemporaries as Classic scholars, with Leonardo da Vinci central as Plato").

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       Developments point at 2007-2008-2009 political rendez-vous.
But you're wrong if you think that it'll leave you time to be lazy at 2005/2006 Christmas - New Eve..  And that's why :

EU Financial Perspectives 2007 - 2013 : A feeling that "something" might happen before the line goes down..

    UK prime minister, Tony Blair, needed more than anybody else a deal now, because, as BBC puts it, "In June" 2005 he was "accused of bad behaviour and causing a crisis in the EU because he rejected a deal then. To cause a 2nd crisis in a year of shocks would have meant Blair would have been cast as a demon in Europe's mythology"...

    Various EuroMPs, British included, recently accused the UK EU 2005 presidency to give "nothing except Turkey" to the EU, and more had started to denounce risks against Civil Liberties by a controversial EU Directive on mobile phones and Internet data retention, voted this week in Strasbourg :

    EU Parliament Rapporteur, German EuroMP Alvaro, resigned when his pro-citizen amendments were rejected, denouncing a "sell-out" by a tight majority accused to prefer "citrons to diamonds". Civil LIberties Committee President, Jean-Marie Cavada, told "SeNas" that such incidents show that "Europe needs a Government" and "European Monitoring for Citizens Freedoms' respect", to avoid any risk that, in future, undemocratic national Governments might abuse of such Laws, as in the Past. "Initially, UK's proposal faced reactions. But London Bombings occured the same day we had a meeting for "Data retention" EU Directive, and hesitations faded away".

British JHA Minister Clarke said he was "very satisfied" for the Personal Data Retention deal. He spoke under heavy Security measures, but in the absence of EU Parliament's Rapporteur, EuroMP Alvaro, and among strong criticism on UK Government's initial proposals on EU Funds.

    Blair felt that Strasbourg's symbol might help : Exceptionally, he came to the European capital of Human Rights to visit EU Parliament on Thursday noon, before meeting anyone else in Brussels, later-on. And, for once, despite EuroMP's strong criticism, he guessed right :

 
Blair in Strasbourg : Red carpet after EuroMPs ..saw red on EU funds controversy before decisions.
EU Parliament's Rapporteur, Böge, expressed EuroMPs' feeling at the initial British proposal : - "It's a Provocation !", he told SeNas..

    As new German chancellor, Angie Merkel, said, main EU proposals had been previously "fine-tuned" through Franco-German "cooperation" with President Chirac, followed by "open and honest negotiations with the British".

    Preceded by Strasbourg EU Parliament's public debates, (and Franco-German Summits in Paris and Berlin, half-way from here, allowing SeNas attend both), Brussels' EU council's main conclusion points back to ... Strasbourg, focusing on political developments of 2008 - 2009 :

Franco-German couple looked like a strong enough pilar for EU in Berlin's Glienicke Castle summit Merkel - Chirac (under the careful eye of Government Spokesman Wilhelm), ..while "Paris square" looked bright at famous Brandenbourg's door...

    - The substance of Brussel's over-night compromise is to open a possibility for reforming EU Budget's structure (including Agriculture) at 2008-2009, while UK will be decelerating its Rebate on EU Enlargement funds progressively, with a possibility to start in 2008 or 2009...

    Both processes are due to conclude at 2013, when the UK must complete its Rebate's overall deceleration, while France and other EU countries may agree to start Agricultural and other EU Funds' reduction.

    - Decision-Time's Dates for these issues coincide with important Political choices that French and EU Citizens have to make almost at the same period : French Elections during 2007 - 2008, followed by EU Elections on 2009 for a new European Parliament in Strasbourg.

    This two-steps' Timing, seems conforted also by the fact that, immediately after EU Council, WTO called to slash funds to Agricultural exports from the end of 2013, and scheduled a "substantial" review of aids before 2010.

    According to some observers, chancellor Merkel might have kept a rather compromise-oriented line in British-chaired December 2005 EU Council, but next day many German Media looked rather happy : Her coalition-partner, social-democrat Foreign Minister Walter Steinmeier was glad to announce, one day later, that the unique German hostage in Irak's history, a woman Archeologist and aid-worker, Ms Osthoff, had been suddenly released. Denials from a group that they had kidnapped her, and a black-out on how release was obtained at the outcome of 2005 EU Council, reminded the similarly unclear circumstances of the kidnapping and the release of French hostages after 2004 EU Council's decision to start accession negotiations with Turkey.

    Meanwhile, the finalisation in Brussels of EU financial deal paves the way for a March 2006 debate on EU Enlargement's Strategy, and gives an opportunity to relaunch European construction dynamics :

    - It's not with a slim increase of only +1,23% in EU Budget, as EU Commission vainly asked, and even less with just +1,04%, as it was fixed in Brussels, that Europe could reply to the huge challenges of Globalisation, generate Citizens' energy for an efficient Political contruction, and succeed to seize Historic opportunities to develop its role in the World.

    An important new opportunity, this time for homefully much-neaded far-reaching decisions on European Strategy will be given on March 2006,
when a Franco-German Summit in Berlin will again be followed by EU Parliament's public debates in Strasbourg, before an informal EU Summit.

    But, at the same time, a Franco-German-Russian Summit Chirac-Merkel-Putin might take place at Tomsk on March 2006, at the eve of Russia's 1st CoE Presidency in History, which will extend from May to November 2006.

    During this exceptional period, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov's proposal, at CoE's Heads of State and Government Warsaw Summit, May 2005, to hold a 1st "Summit of Summits" in Europe, bringing together Heads of State and Government from all European and Paneuropean organisations : EU, CoE, OSCE, etc., might extend Strasbourg' links not only up to .. Vladivostoc, but even to Washington; USA being a main OSCE member...

    => 2005 Christmas and 2006 new year's eve should be used not only as Holidays, but also for urgent brain-storming, to create much-needed New Ideas for Europe !

SAKHAROV-prize 2005 co-winners looked logically well-placed at EU Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee this week in Strasbourg : - "When you say that EU will suspend a deal with a foreign country unless it respects freedom of speech, you should really do so, otherwise you'll be discredited ! ", warned Robert Mesnard of NGO "Reporters without borders". He was accompagnied by the wife of a Cuban dissident freed from jail in 2004, who denounced that Friends of other dissidents had been delayed too much to come to Strasbourg on time, (reminding interdictions for Turkey's Kurdish dissident Leyla Zana in 1995, or South Africa's Nelson Mandela). And a Nigerian lawyer against dilapidation of women accused for adultery, who said, on the contrary, that things went better in her country, even if everything wasn't settled at a few northern regions and in other countries.

RWB at EU's Press Conference : Interesting remarks, but ..Half-empty of arguments  for journalists ?

But when Mesnard announced that RWB will focus on Cuba's "dictatorship", while praising "Turkey's extraordinary progress on freedom of speech", as he said, (even if it's "not yet a Democracy", since "it still hinders RWB to visit because of criticism made in the Past"), and accused all those who may complain for any kind of oppression of freedom of press in Europe to "insult" "prisoners in China or Cuba", observers regretted the fact that RWB only started to be invited in Strasbourg by CoE after July 2000, and expressed the hope that Mr. Mesnard will be permanently invited in the future to open, public debates here by his "friend", Jean-Marie Cavada, President of EU Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties in (and around) the EU...

- "Dare take the risk to raise the biggest challenge of all : The challenge of Humanity", by defending Values, get everyone involved in a Democratic, Republican Order, and "create new Perspectives for People", by boosting Education, Technology and Science :

    That's the essence of the "European wind blowing over Strasbourg", ("pioneer witness at Europe's Geographic and History's Crossroads"), that new Prime Minister of France, Dominique de Villepin, breathed here, after visiting an open-air Lake with fresh water stemming from Swiss mountains, surprised that gloomy weather forecast prognostics were belied by a bright Sun plenty of oxygen...

Welcome back Home : DGV with ENA's Director, Durrleman, a Strasbourg sunny day.

    In 2 complementary speeches, he inaugurated Alsace Region's new High-Tech building, (greeted by Polyphonic Music at its spectacular Amphitheatric multi-level interior court), and concluded the anniversary of 60 Years since the creation of prestigious Top Administration School "ENA" (see earlier SeNas News), where he shared with students from France, Germany, Europe and all over the World his own sense of civil service's mission.

Concluding the 60th Anniversary of ENA before inaugurating New Alsace Region building while keeping an eye to EU Parliament : DGV with Strasbourg's Mayor Fabiene Keller and Alsace Region's President Adrien Zeller.

    The double move was developed by other Strasbourg-related events, extending from a Colloquy for key-actors involved in "a History of European Convention of Human Rights", organised by "Robert Schumann" University, up to "European Science Foundation"'s (ESF) annual meeting, parallel to "European Region's Assembly" (ARE), where a proposal to join "Social Cohesion" with "Innovation" was made by EU Commission's President, José Barroso.

    It logically coincided with the renewal of Franco-German EU motor, after new German chancellor Angie Merkel met with French President Jacques Chirac in Paris, (where "SeNas" exceptionally moved to take the pulse), before Merkel's fast-track trip to NATO in Brussels, and to British PM Tony Blair, a "busy Thursday" in London, among meetings for "Pakistan Earthquake response", Cabinet, new Polish PM, or Malta summit on "Terrorism, trade and Africa", (according to a Downing street dispatch)...

Between France, Germany and other EU states : Strasbourg' invented European flag,
whose 50th anniversary was just celebrated here by EU and CoE leaders Barroso, Borell, Davis and Van der Linden.

    A taste of salt and pepper was served by De Gaulle's historic call to develop "qualities of Human touch, sense of Duty, Imagination and be fearlessly Bold", reminded from the outset by ENA's Director Antoine Durrleman.

    - "Reconstruction", was Dominique de Villepin's first reply to "Difficult Times, today in France, Europe and the World". With a "feeling of Urgency", among fast-moving events, « tomorrow may be another day » when « everything has to be done anew ».

    "Together with other European countries", we have to "reconstruct, defend and give life to Values and Principles", where "everybody must have a role to play", opening new "Perspectives", he resumed.

    Placing "Humanity at the heart of action", we must get all people "involved", and overcome a "split evident in many Cities in Europe", without leaving any "abandoned territories", where "many suffer by the feeling of not being recognized for a role they deserve", he said in dialogue with ENA students who helped young people from poor neighbourhood' Schools : As German-diplomacy lady, Laurence, or a French teacher helping Kosovo-born Dietmur, who didn't speak a word in French when he came in Strasbourg as a kid, to learn fast and become a fluent, performant student.

    Calling to "change things through Education", and Training for jobs" to "give a chance to everyone", Villepin rectified the controversy on early-age professional training, explaining that it faced a problem of School drop-outs, while keeping, in parallel, a basic General Education. "Nobody should be stigmatised", he said, describing "those young people who are proud of having a job in building construction, cars, restaurants or bakery", etc. At the same time, he announced that neighbourhood's buildings would be massively renewed, at a fast pace : « in 18 months ».

  "Everybody should have a role to play" : Local brass band took it seriously ...

  - But the main thrust of Dominique de Villepin's Strasbourg message was moved by a "Passion and a Duty to face the Future", via a "bold policy" to "create New Perspectives for Citizens" :

    Announcing a "decision to boost public Investment", France's Prime Minister stressed that "the No 1, will be Research and Innovation",
together with "big Infrastructure projects", such as Fast Rail Links "TGV-East" to Strasbourg, Germany and other European countries, due to start on 2007, after launching in 2006 works for a "North-South" cross-link through "TGV-Rhone-Rhine" (See "SeNas"' earlier publication).

    - "Competitive Clusters" will link business Enterprises with Universities and researchers to develop such Technologic products, as, f.ex., around Strasbourg, a "future's Vehicle", "natural Fibbers", or "Biotechnologies and therapy", etc., he said.

    Here, Villepin developed the idea of using Environment concerns to develop New Technologies, while signing with Alsace Region's president, Adrian Zeller, a deal on Renewable Energies and "energy-efficient" new buildings.

    - "Create Research and Higher Education clusters" with "cooperation between Universities, Research Centres, and National Schools", is also an "ambitious project" for "International visibility", where Strasbourg's Universities, ("1st in France to attract 3rd level -research- foreign students from Europe and the World"), were called by Villepin to respond to imminent "invitations for tenders".

     Thus, f.ex. Research advisor at Higher Education Ministry, Maurice Gross, stressed to "SeNas" his belief that Franco-German cooperation, extended to Switzerland and others, could boost an "Air-Space" sector even around Strasbourg, with "more than 400 enterprises, from Navigation systems, to Aircraft landing, or even Satellite-construction", via products integrating always fundamental science too. And Alsace Region's Director on Technology, Jean-Luc Tourman, described to "SeNas" the promises f.ex. of Photonics used in Health therapy, and asked "2 years" for possible economic development driven by Earth Science with Environment Research and Space technology, united around a "Globe"-research idea.

    Significantly, this was to "SeNas" said during a subsequent meeting in Strasbourg to boost EU's "core", organised by Francois de Grossouvre's Think-Tank from Alsace Development Agency, attended also by Secretary General of "European Confederation of Universities", EUCOR, Jacques Sparfel, who praised the potential of links between French, German and Swiss Universities at the upper Rhine river, but agreed that a solution of linguistic problems could be to switch over to a French/German/English triangle.

    Meanwhile, EU Commission's President, José Barroso, proposed in Strasbourg to earmark 60% of EU Cohesion Funds "for Innovation" projects, speaking to European Regions Assembly (ARE) which was dedicated, precisely, to the role of Regions for Innovation. At the same time, he warned that "gaps between Regions become even bigger than between countries", after the recent EU Enlargement, making Cohesion policy more necessary than ever.

    But European Science Foundation's (ESF) general assembly, gave a prize from Greek tycoon "Latsis" Geneva-based foundation to a British Researcher in optical Physics from London's Imperial College : The University from which comes also a Greek-origin professor recently elected at the head of EU's Science council. Earlier, speaking at another Strasbourg's ENA event, Barroso said that EU needed "a Synthesis of the British and French view of Europe as a Market and a Political organization".

    However, it is a nearby Munich's professor of fundamental Physics, winner of Nobel prize, who was congratulated recently by new German Chancellor Angie Merkel, herself an ex-researcher in Physics, married to a professor in Chemistry.

    A strong Political will for a renewed Franco-German EU axis, with a "Common Vision" for "a Political, organized, and Social Europe", in favour of "Democracy, Liberty and Peace", "able to develop European Integration", was expressed at a Summit between Angie Merkel and French President Jacques Chirac, meeting earlier in Paris at her 1st visit after her official election.

    This gave also an opportunity for Merkel to clarify new German Government's stance on Turkey, for the 1st time : - "There is a simple rule in International Law : pacta sund servanda", she replied to "SeNas" question whether Europe's core could ensure Ankara's respect of obligations undertaken when it started accession negotiations on October 3.

    Going-on to speak on Ankara's future relations with the EU, Merkel carefully avoided the word "accession", but underlined that "it's important for the EU to have a close, strategic link with Turkey". "We follow already taken EU decisions", but "we have also our views at the Coalition agreement in Germany", she reminded. "So, negotiations start and will continue, according to our countries' and EU's interests, as I said to Turkish Foreign Minister". But "there is a long process ahead of us", "and there is no point into speculating about its outcome", at least "during the next few weeks", she told "SeNas", being "entirely along the same line" with French President Chirac, as he added.

    During "next weeks", Chirac and Merkel agreed to renew the Strasbourg-born "Blaesheim" formula of regular Franco-German Summits each 1,5 month, joined by Foreign Ministers Philippe Douste-Blazy and Frank-Walter Steinmeier, starting from December 8, followed by Austria's taking-over EU Presidency from the U.K. on 1st January 2006, followed by Finland, before Germany's turn to chair from January 2007.

    It wasn't clear whether the reference to the "next few weeks" referred, or not, to an imminent change between the British and Austrian EU Presidencies, who notoriously have opposing policies on the "hot" debate about Turkey's EU bid...

Map : Chancellor Merkel and FM Steinmeier flying from Berlin to Paris, Brussels for NATO and London (2005 EU chair), caught working with a comprehensive Map looking towards Wiena and Helsinki (2006 EU chairs), in the middle of which lies naturally Strasbourg...

  Nevertheless, during Strasbourg's Colloquy on "a History of ECHR", Heidelberg's professor Johen Frowein, member of International Jurists Committee's leadership at nearby Geneva, and experienced former member of European Commission of Human Rights, described his surprise when he saw that the Director of a prison where a jailed youngster "obviously Tortured" had wept when he described the grave ill-treatments he faced at Turkish jails, had kept his job, despite Ankara's authorities' promises to combat impunity of all those responsible for Torture.

URS' Colloquy for "a History of ECHR" : - "Gone are the days when EuroJudges ordered Champaign if a case arrived at the Court !". Now, ECHR, victim of its success, faces a cases' overload. But some regret certain regressions, as. f.ex. on Torture's definition, which seems more restrictive lately, concluded Professor Patrick Wachsman.

    "Judgements which cannot be implemented, don't even worth the paper which they are written on !", replied to a "SeNas"' question Hans-Christian Kruger, the ex-Director of European Court of Human Rights' registry with the longest experience. And "if you don't implement landmark judgements, then you produce many repetitive, clone-cases, adding to ECHR's heavy case-load", said to "SeNas" another official from CoE's Ministerial Committee, where a growing number of judgments are pending, waiting for execution, sometimes even after 5 or 10 years, as f.ex. some among the first condemnations for usurpation of Refugees' homes, Killings or Torture, dating back to 1995 or 1996..

    - On the contrary, "all Judgements of the (EU) Court of Justice are complied with. Otherwise there are Sanctions", and the average procedure takes only "some 2 Years", said to "SeNas" smiling Francis Geoffrey Jacobs, Advocate-General at nearby Luxembourg...

    However, even Jacobs observed that ECCJ's jurisdiction to check against possible Human Rights abuses by EU agents, even if they exist in "appeals against EU decisions", they are "rather limited", at least as long as EU's draft "Charter of Fundamental Freedoms" has not yet entered into force after the due ratifications.

    This continuing gap adds obviously another reason to urgently search how to boost a more decisive European integration.

      
For Human Rights to be implemented with the same foce as Common Market rules further EU integration is needed : ECCJ and ECHR
  

while launching new ENA School to form High-level civil servants for European and Global governance, "based on Cooperation and Solidarity" :

  - "When everything has to be reconstructed, .. even hope". 

Is there Light in looking towards Quebec, Latin America and elsewhere in the World ? Strasbourg in search of a "new European model" going "Global".

- "Today, we, Europeans, are living a Paradox", said French President, Jacques Chirac :

"Europe seems hesitant to affirm its Project, to agree on its Future, even its Identity"."But, what's new, is that it became a real Power, that all countries and regions must take into account".

"At the same moment that Europe doubts, for a while, inside its borders,
it represents, for the rest of the World, the renewal of a continent united around shared values, inventing a desirable and unique model, beyond national antagonism. Thus, Europe asserts itself as en essential actor of Globalisation".

Saying "No" to a "blind" "competition between countries", and refusing for "some to be over the others",
the French President expressed his "belief in "a singular approach", "based on Cooperation and chosen, Global Governance". "Because, for an open and competitif system to remain stable, this implies Social justice and Solidarity".

In a parallel to 2005's European dillemas, the French President reminded that "in 1945" at the aftermath of WW2, " everything had to be reconstucted : not only towns, industries, roads, but also social concord and even Hope".

    - "Train a Civil Service for European and Global new governance", founded on "cooperation" and free "choice", "is an essential task for ENA", the prestigious National School of Administration, after its recent relocation from Paris to European Capital Strasbourg, said Chirac, in a message to the celebration of ENA's 60th Anniversary (1945-2005), read by its Director, Antoine Durrleman, at the presence of political representatives and Heads of State or Government spreading from E.U. up to Bulgaria, Quebec, or even Brazil.

  - "For Latin America, President Bush's father proposed a Free-Trade area, but we don't have yet a project for Political Integration. That's why we are now looking at the European model, its strong and weak points, (as "too much technocrats"), and we think about starting some big Infrastructures", said Mayor Marco Garcia Aurelio, representative of Brazil's President Luis Inacio Lulla.

    - "If Oil prices raise too much, the U.S. might find interesting to propose to Canada and Latin America to forge a partership", joked Quebec's ex-Prime Minister, Bernard Landry. "Europe proves that Integration is possible while also respecting Cultural Diversity", and we share its "Humanist" tradition, Landry added.

    All agreed, however, that the main point is not competition but cooperation with USA based on "Multilateralism".

    Europe's reply to Globalisation is threefold : "At the political governance level, with UNO's reform, at the Marketplace, in the WTC, and at the Social field", said Chirac's message.

    Inviting "all ENA's students" to "feel at Home everywhere in Europe, the French President called upon young students' "generation to give Life and develop a New European Model, able to become a promise for the World"

> Strasbourg turns France's classic "National School of Administration" into "International"...-   

  - "ENA has now more than 250 Foreign Students, from Europe and all-over the World", said to "SeNas" Mrs Henrik, who has the responsibility of providing such students with an opportunity to experience real-life governance at various high-level posts of every-day public administration "in France, Brussels, or elsewhere".

    More than 30% of all ENA's students' curriculum is due to deal with International issues,

    Germany and France also founded together a "European Magister" diploma for students from all over Europe, which has just started to be integrated into ENA from 2005.

    ENA's Center for European Studies in Strasbourg (CEES), a "youngster" aged only "10 Years" on 2005, adds a purely E.U. flavour by systematically organising a growing series of conferences, meetings, debates, and other EU-related events.

    - But, "we don't have yet a real Political Europe". Mainly "because there isn't yet a feeling of common belonging, nor the right institutions" to regulate a political power, observed EU Convention's President, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.

    Therefore, the main question, today, is "how to give Impetus" and "dynamism" to the Political construction of Europe, while also safeguarding its double nature as "Europe of nations", concluded VGE.   

- We want to "open the Debate in Strasbourg" : Perhaps, "a New Foundation for Europe ?" "We must re-invent a project that makes People dream !", sparked Strasbourg's Mayor, Senator Fabienne Keller.

- This was at the focus of another, general message to all European countries that French President Jacques Chirac published the same day :

    We must be "Faithful to the Humanist Heritage at the Heart of European Identity", he said. "Human Dignity is at the Heart of Europe's social project". "Betray this ideal would be betray the European heritage".

    "Europe's genes embody the History of our Wars and Reconciliations, the Memory of our struggles for Liberty and Social progres". "Its model is social market economy", with "the alliance of liberty and solidarity", where "public power safeguards the General Interest" of society as a whole.

    We "shall never acccept for Europe to be reduced into a mere "free-Trade" area". "That's why we must revigorate the project for a Political and social Europe, based on Solidarity".
-----------------
NEW INSTITUTIONAL ROADMAP ?
-----------------
  The Institutional roadmap to attain this aim was highlighted by Chirac, observing that the Time has come now to develop "proposals presented since 2000" (when EU's Helsinki Summit accepted Turkey as a candidate).

- "We must allow for States who want to act together, ..to be able to do so. These pioneer groups, .. would be forged by all countries who want and can do so, while remaining open to all those ready to join". "That's what we have done with the common currency, the free movement of persons in Shengen's area, or some defence initiatives."

"In this perspective, Eurozone's members (i.e. : 12 countries participating in the common currency) are due to deepen their political, economic and social integration", indicated Chirac shortly after meeting with Jean-Claude Juncker, Prime Minister of nearby Luxembourg and EuroGroup's President for 2005 - 2007.

"History of Europe is marked by crises that we have overcome in order to move ahead". "Europe will prove it anew, faithful to its values". "By gathering its forces, respectful of the diversity of its nations, peoples and cultures", Chirac concluded.
------------------
- "Turkey ? What ?"
-------------------
  - "Many People raise questions about Turkey", was obliged to acknowledge Jacques Fortier, Strasbourg's correspondent of "Le Monde" Newspaper, inundated, as moderator of the debate, by small pieces of paper bringing-in the participants' concerns. .. But he found it hard to obtain any clear reply from the speakers :

    -  "I have many friends in France, that's why I prefer not to speak about the Turkish issue", cautiously replied Quebec's Landry. Bulgaria's Simeon de Gotha prefered to focus on the importance of "Europe's Values", while reminding that it was Cold War that had pushed Europe to need a Turkish Army close to its South-Eastern borders to ex-USSR, before the fall of Berlin's wall and the present movement towards reUnification and peace in the Europe of 21st century.

    But, crystal-clear, EU Convention President, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing's intervention, filmed specially for Strasbourg's debate, was adamant : - "We are speaking about Europe, that is to say the continent, and mainly EU's 25 Member-States, added to a few countries still remaining to join the rest of the continent, and, therefore, not for Turkey, which is in Asia", VGE simplified.

VGE

    Somebody went on to joke by asking why integrate Turkey and not Quebec to Europe..
And others observed what each country may offer to Europe : 

    - "Quebec's Economy  is strong in Air-Space, Bio-Technology and Informatics' sectors", highlighted a sparkling Landry to "SeNas".

    Ex-King and ex-Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Simeon de Saxe-Cobourg Gotha, whose party participates in the Governing coalition at Sofia, due to join the EU at 2007, speaking to "SeNas", found an artful way to link "Human Rights" and ambitious Infrastructure projects : As f.ex. fresh thoughts to link Greece, Bulgaria and Romania with Western Europe also through rail and river Danube and Rhine transports, going from South Eastern Europe, crossing Strasbourg, "up to Rotterdam", at the Northern Sea.

From South East Europe, through Strasbourg, up to the Northern Sea : Rail + River links could boost European Integration, said Bulgaria's ex-Prime Minister, Simeon de Saxe - Gotha, to "SeNas", at rivers-flanked ENA's Headquarters.
--------------------
  Strasbourg's first stage of Debates on "What Governance, for what Project in Europe ?", spreading for 2 months, will conclude in the middle of November, when is due to be formed a new coalition Government in Germany.

A New-born Galaxy is not yet as well-formed as the "Old" ones. But it's much Brighter.. Time is ripe, and there is an obvious urgent need, for a New level of higher European Integration to launch.

The substance of the most far-reaching recent developments, as seen from Strasbourg's main debates at the end of 2004/beginning of 2005, including on EU Financial Perspectives, Elections and Constitution, EU - Turkey and EU - Ukraine, New European Architecture prepared at paneuropean CoE's 3rd Heads of State and Government 2005 Summit, etc., accentuates an Historic Dynamic Contradiction between a trend towards an Enlarged EU, and the even more urgent need now to create a Deeper Integration at Europe's core.

SeNas' latest Newshots on particular, specific items, will be progressively completed also in the version open to all Public, in due course.

But the most important at this historic juncture is to Highlight what is felt by many here :  the Vital Need to urgently launch a New level of Higher European integration, able to win European Citizens' participation, politically strengthened enough to foster an autonomous capacity for real Development, create worldwide sympathies and alliances, cooperating as Equal in World affairs.

There is no simpler and brighter Symbol than the birth of Stars' constellation, to form a New Galaxy, among clusters of galaxies in the universe ..

Best Wishes for a fruitful brand-New Year 2005, to all SeNas' team, members, Friends and readers, both "old" and new..

French UMP, according to British Reuters.

- "A New, Popular Europe in the World is urgent", said Prime Minister Raffarin, at the 60th Anniversary of Strasbourg's Liberation from Nazi Oppression (1944-2004). Freedom to become a symbolic Flag, to Bridge Memory and Future of Enlarged Europe's "New Altar" ?

- There is a "primordial need" for a "New, Popular and Democratic Europe", "well alive in Strasbourg", "according to lessons of the Past", but also in order "to meet, Today, an Urgency to make Europe's voice better heard in big Global decisions", "organize better its Institutions, Enlarge and reinforce Europe for balanced Planetary politics and for Peace in the World", stressed here French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin.

"Our Memory meets our Future" in Strasbourg, Raffarin said, 60 Years since the city was Liberated from Nazism after fierce battles in 1944 : To preserve from errors condemned by History and "meet the Social need for a meaning, in quest of Humanity", "we must make appeal to a Universal concept, a Value beyond material world" :

- "This Value is Freedom : The freedom for which struggled and died many men and women to whom we pay tribute". And "this Freedom is, I believe, today as well as yesterday, European".

- "Let's drop giving up. Let's measure what is really at stake. Let's stand at the height of lessons for Courage, Confidence and Enthousiasm given by Heroes as those who liberated Paris and Strasbourg !",

"Write Europe's Future with Law instead of Arms, in ballot boxes instead of battlefields, offer to new generations Peace and Freedom : That's being really Faithful to the Ideals which inspired those who resisted and struggled 60 years ago".

- "1944 Liberation marked the end of a tragic Nightmare of 4 Years", during which, the borders of Inhumanity were pushed beyond any limits" : At Strasbourg's Alsacian region "the worse was committed". "Evacuation, annexation, nazification, incorporation by force, forced work, brutal oppression, from Shirmeck to Struthof Concentration Camp, without forgetting Tambow".

But, "one of the most brillant pages of history" was written by General Leclerc and his men, according to De Gaulle, by realizing an Oath taken while in Desert to liberate Strasbourg. While general De Lattre helped defend the region, "with our American brothers in arms and other Allies", by countering ennemy's counter-offensive, before crossing the Rhine and accomplishing its mission up to the heart of (Hitler's) 3rd Reich", reminded Raffarin.

=============================

Strasbourg brightly commemorated 60 Years since the symbol-city of European reconciliation, reconstruction and Unity, as well as capital of Human Rights and Parliamentarian Public Debates, was liberated from Nazi Oppression in a deadly battlefield, by inviting 500 Veterans who risked their lives back in 1944, into an exceptional Mega-Ceremony at its central Square, chaired by Prime Minister Raffarin :

- Placed under the key-word "Freedom", over De Gaulle and general Leclerc's portraits, stood Army, Officials and People, while Airplanes crossed Flag-lifting on Cathedral's top, followed by Eluard's world-famous Poem on Liberty, with Orchestra Music playing "Marseilleuse", the French anthem initially composed in Strasbourg during the 1789 Revolution against Feudalism.

After an Inter-Religious event, an exceptional mass symbolically inaugurated a "New Altar" in Strasbourg's impressive Cathedral full of Thousands of People, while Bals, Music, Banquets, Exhibitions, and other Popular events were organized throughout a down-town dressed with French and European Flags.

  Raffarin pointed at Religions' potential contribution on European Values, by observing that "Laicity is not refusing Religion, but, on the contrary, opening a Dialogue between Religion and Politics, at the Public sphere".

During a popular Inter-Faith ceremony at Strasbourg Cathedral's central square, Prime Minister Raffarin was welcomed by Vatican's Apostolic nonce Mgr Baldelli, Rabbin Rene Gutman, and German cardinal Carl Lehmann, Mayence's ArchiBishop Carl Lehman, President of German Conference of Bishops, before assisting at an "exceptional" mess celebrated by Paris' cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger and Strasbourg's ArchiBishop Joseph Dore, in the presence of many officials and religious representatives from Fribourg, Limoges, Bale (Switzerland), or elsewhere, in a huge building full with thousands of People.

Emotional prayers gathered representatives of Christian Catholics and Protestants, Jewish and Muslim communities : - "While my father, an Officer of French Resistance, was welcoming Leclerc at Saverne, my elder brother, incorporated by force at German Nazi Army, was at the East front", reminded a local inhabitant, describing borderline Alsace's particular drama. - "We want to thank God and those who sacrificed their lives so that France becomes anew a country of Human Rights", added another. - "Pray God to safeguard our homeland from any renouncement to evil, and give us the strength to face it with Audace", they concluded.

- "We must be guardians of the invisible Shrine of Memory", stressed Rabin Rene Gutman, speaking earlier at the main Synagogue of Strasbourg, whose Jewish community paid a heavy price during 2nd World War with some "50% refugees, deported or killed". "Servitude's memories were transfigurated by the impressive example of those young soldiers who sacrificed their lives for Liberty". "We hope that France will remain faithful to its noble tradition of defending always and everywhere justice, law and liberty", concluded Gutman, who has a reputation of being active participant to interconfessional gatherings.

- "Memory is our valuable asset that we all join together for Europe", said Paris' Christian cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger. "The exceptional sacrifices made to struggle against the implacable Nazi regime, and Strasbourg's Cathedral itself, are silent calls for new self-renunciations, to guide our action at Present and in the Future, he added. "So that Strasbourg's Message for Liberty becomes anew a fervent appeal".

- "Europe's common Future and Peace cannot be based on Power alone, but on Respect for Liberty and inalienable Dignity of every Human being", stressed Karl Lehmann, archibishop of Mayence and President of Germany's Conference of Bishops. "Those who put an end to the Barbary and Occupation that Nazism had imposed to a large part of Europe", 60 years earlier at this Cathedral, in fact, symbolise Franco - German links, and what's best in European Christian tradition and Values, Lehman concluded.

- "Let the same Courage", which guided "1945's Liberators to become victorious", be "engraved in the Rock" of Cathedral's "New Altar", (inaugurated this day), as "a shrine" for "causes (issues) which call for Commitment and Sacrifice, so that there may be Light", said Strasbourg's archiBishop Joseph Dore. - "We are United to denounce any kind of Oppression, and to strive for Liberation", Dore stressed, after reminding that even Catholic Priests had been deported to Nazi Concentration Camps or killed for helping fugitifs. But he also pointed at historic Strasbourg Mayor Pflimlin's commitment for "Franco-German Cooperation", and as one of the first Presidents of European Parliament

- "Let Light and full Truth shine !", Strasbourg Cathedral's "exceptional" historic mass and chorus asked in conclusion.

"During 5 painful and dramatic years, the darkest in Strasbourg's history, nothing was spared to our city : deportation of jews, enforced incorporation, merciless tracking of dissidents and resistants". "Strasbourg hoped for Freedom with all its Soul, as people hope for someone they love but is far away", said the town's Mayor-Senator, Fabienne Keller.

"Freedom came a foggy November day, brought by heroic men, who fought with self-sacrifice and saw many of their comrades killed, during a long way, through oceans, from Africa until Strasbourg, Leclerc's men kept an Oath taken at Koufra (Libyan Desert) to raise the Flag with the colours of Freedom at Strasbourg Cathedral's spire, and wrote one of the best pages of Freedom's adventures. They came from various regions, Countries and Beliefs. .. But one idea united them, only one horizon guided them : bring Freedom in Strasbourg. 60 years later, we owe them to live free and build a Europe of Peace", concluded Keller.

- "After 4 Days of hard and heroic struggle, we entered Strasbourg at the afternoon of 23 of November 1944, while battles were still going on around", reminded President of Veterans of 2nd armoured division, (Leclerc's famous "2DB"), Jean-Pierre Martin. "Today, 60 Years later, we are proud of Strasbourg's importance as Symbol-city for Europe's Unity. At this land, source of the same Hell which pushed us to struggle for Liberty, Democracy's fundamental value".

- "Tortured in down-town Strasbourg : It still gives me the shivers today !", says for resistant Wodli ex-refugee Monette Bohrman

- "It seemed unbelievable, then, that Georges Wodli was atrociously tortured in down-towvn Strasbourg, inside a well-known Youth Hostel, so close to many Family Homes around. But whenever I pass by, only to think about that, it still gives me the shivers, even today !" told SeNas ex-refugee Monette Bohrman.

After being arrested with her Family while aged 3, in Southern France, Bohrman returned to a liberated Strasbourg where she became a University professor for Russian and Serbo-Croatian language - "After 1945 Liberation, ex-URSS was popular. Things became hard later, during Cold War. But when it was all over, even an ex-CoE deputy Secretary General, Peter Leuprecht, in view of Enlargement to Moscow, wanted to learn Russian !", Mrs Bohrman told SeNas.

Many other outstanding, simple or famous victims and/or actors of Resistance to -and Liberation from- Nazi Oppression, were reminded at an Exhibition for Strasbourg's history, at its Synagogue and Cathedral. But among them, it's impossible to forget the stories of 1 Year old Jewish Baby "Missing" after being separated from his Family, deported to Concentration camps. The team of Youngsters, aged 15 to 18, who created a Resistance group with Marcel Weinum, but were caught and executed. Or the Catholic Priest from nearby Obernai, Robert Bengol, who saved Jewish Children by hidding them in villages, and asked to translate in Latin a popular jewish prayer to help them sleep quietly overnight. The famous Historian, Marc Bloch, executed in 1943. The couple Madeleine and Andre Elbogen, united even at a no-return trip to Nazi Death-Camp of Aushwitz. Or Bertie Albrecht, a woman who strived to write and publish clandestine Newspapers under Occupation, was arrested, liberated, but again cought and tortured until she was pushed to commit suicide in Nazi jails. The list looks endless.. particularly in the presence, at Strasbourg's ceremonies, of Oradour's Mayor, Raymond Frugier, the notorious Limousin village where more than 642 civilians were massacrated while homes were burned down.

People vote with Flowers for the Right to Memory : at International Military Graveyard, "Unknown Soldiers" plebiscitated !

An astonishing, original event, witnessed by SeNas, was the spontaneous reaction of thousands of People who clearly and massively "voted" at Strasbourg's international Military Cemetery, in favour of the Human Right to Memory, by .. plebiscitating with Flowers in great preference the graves of "Unknown Soldiers" killed from the 1st up to the 2nd World War :

Invited to honour with a bunch of flowers the graves of soldiers killed during the Wars which tragically Divided Europe for a Century, and mainly those who sacrificed their lives for Strasbourg's Liberation from Nazism, thousands of simple People saw for the first time a large open space with graves of victimes spreading from French to German, but also African, Russian, Ukranian, Polish, British, Irish, North American/Canadian, Australian, and other origins, (even a Greek-like name, meaning "Black Horse", was found among those killed near Germany's "Black Forest" mountain). Christians, Muslims (mainly from French-speaking Southern Mediterannean countries, as Marocco, Algeria, etc), Jewish, or free-thinkers, etc., stood side by side.

This went well beyond Helmut Kohl, ex-German reUnification Historic Chancellor's call, reiterated earlier in 2004 at Strasbourg, about having - "NO More Graveyards in Europe !" The local military cemetery was initially constructed by Germans, at the aftermath of 1872 war, but French gathered together all 1st and 2nd World War victims, both soldiers and resistants or simple civilians, including those who died later from wounds, from 1917 to 1960, and the whole area was renovated around 2000, said to SeNas its guardian, M. Belz.

Strasbourg's Synagogue and Protestant St Pierre le jeune Church added previous or following events.

SeNas was surprised to witness the fact that, throughout a large area of thousands of graves, not only no one had been left without being honored with at least a bunch of flowers, but, what is more striking, Strasbourg's People had massively chosen to concentrate and multiply bunches of flowers at those victims which had not only been killed, but also deprived of the elementary human right to their Name : The 'Unknown Soldiers", "Soldat(s) Inconnu(s)", or 'Unbenkamte", etc, clearly gathered the most numerous Popular support, everywhere ! It all looked as if simple People understood well the meaning of World-famous writer Well's novel warning about a worse "Hell" : "1984", where a Nazi-like Oppressive and manipulating, undemocratic regime, threatens its political opponents not only to kill them, but also to "distord or <<erase>> their memories from History"..

However, most people don't recall that even the Name of Strasbourg's Liberator, General Leclerc, was, in fact, only a .. pseudo : He had to hide his real name during action, "in order to protect his Family !" "Leclerc was austere and hard, but Human !", reminded Veteran Briallet, who worked with him, before a deadly plane incident, when he had become famous, later-on, after 2WW's end, at 1947.

General Leclerc at Strasbourg's central square, November 1944, (at the same place where PM Raffarin spoke, precisely 60 Years later, on November 2004).

- We are here to pay tribute "to those who sacrificed themselves to refuse Oppression and Arbitrariness : Not for vengeance or for taking revanche, but to respect that absolute Condition" of sanctity of Human Dignity, "against Nazi negation of Human values". Because their example can help "build the Collective Consciousness of Citizens today, for the security and development of Europe", stressed earlier the new Military Governor of Strasbourg, general Claude Dorange.

Dorange, (who bears a symbolic responsibility as Leclerc's successor in Strasbourg), pointed at Army's other "exalting tasks" at present, such as Reconstruction, Peace-keeping or restoring, Humanitarian operations, etc. throughout the World, but "always with a clear mandate by UNO and EU". Meanwhile, "as an ex-expert in Buildings, I'm glad to live and work in Strasbourg city, where an astonishing European Cultural Heritage in various Monuments has been gathered together", Governor Dorange said to SeNas.

Since EURO-CORPS' precursor, the 1989 Franco-German brigade, the Head-Quarters created in Strasbourg was enlarged to more than 5 European countries, opened to liaison-officers from many more, and undertook the responsibility of various operations, from Kosovo (2000) to Afghanistan's ISAF (2004), under NATO auspices, and at FYROM under EU mandate (2003). Important for EU's Rapid Reaction Force plans, it has to prepare the challenge of 2006 NATO's New Reaction Force, while being open for NATO or EU mandates in Peace-keeping or restoring, Humanitarian and/or Reconstruction missions, reminded new Head or EURO-CORPS' Information Office, Colonel Philippe Toussaint, (who has also unforgettable memories from Tambow Camp, South-East of Moscow).

This gave fresh interest to the Historic order entrusted by De Gaule to General Leclerc, shortly before the town was liberated from Nazi occupation army : - "If U.S.A. army heads for Strasbourg, support them. But if you are first, then, go-on and take Strasbourg !"

Leclerc became "first", by intelligently avoiding main roads, blocked by Nazi artillery, at Saverne's crossing point towards Strasbourg. Instead, he succceded to cross Mountains generally considered as "impossible" for any vehicle : He used an unknown path, indicated by a person who used to stroll around a beautiful, unspoiled Nature, ..."by foot and bicycle", 2004 ceremony reminded.

- "We were at War, without time to watch the Landscape, but we managed to cross the Mountains during a heavy rain, bypass the blockade, encircle it and start going straight ahead towards Strasbourg", described to "SeNas" 79 years-old Veteran Yves Martin, who was wounded and hospitalized during Alsace region's battles. - "Time was crucial, and, after all, November 22 was the Anniversary of my Birthday, as well as that of De Gaule and Leclerc's !", Martin added maliciously.

(A) Jean-Pierre Raffarin : "urgency for a Popular Europe" : In a symbolic start of making words meet deeds, French PM escaped from his escorters with an unexpected, Leclerc-like sharp tactic move, making a fast walkabout among People gathered at Strasbourg's Cathedral square, where he greeted simple Veterans, an infirm person in his wheelchair (who immediately became a smiling celebrity with many young girls-reporters asking for his feelings), families with young children, and even surprised SeNas ..

(B) Yves Martin, a 2ndWW veteran, wounded during battles for Strasbourg's Liberation, (the old man with the red hat), seems to think about his own Anniversary, one Day before the Historic event : - "November 22, by an incredible coincidence, is not only mine, but also De Gaule's and even Leclerc's birthdate !", Martin said to SENAS.

` - "They joined a Struggle not for their own sake, but in order to save other People : A struggle to liberate not only the national soil, but also Europe, from a Dictatorship which trumped Human Rights underfoot", "aggressing any political dissidents, jewish and other people", said Strasbourg's Academic Rector, Gerald Chaix.

"Europe cannot be built by erasing History, but by overcoming it with a Will for Unity in diversity, and for Common Reconstruction" "It was founded mainly by Franco-German reconciliation, which succeeded to emerge even after 2 World-Wars, since De Gaule - Adenauer" meetings at 1960ies.

Now, "at the Horizon of 2010, the aim of all 25 EU member countries is Europe of Knowledge, to be founded on a Community of Learning, from 1st grade School up to the University. We want to build the Europe of Education, after that of Politics, Economy and Defense", pointed out Chaix, (speaking the same day that Paris anounced far-reaching Educative Reforms, including a boost to learn English, but also German, a.o. languages, by all students).

This was partly highlighted at the Inauguration of Exhibition - "From Liberation of Strasbourg to European Citizenship" :  A well-documented and impressive work to revive Memories of Resistants, simple People, refugees, soldiers or politicians from all sides, outstanding events and collective atmosphere during Nazi Occupation until 1944/5 Liberation, which involved passioned students, (with a Universal message that meant much also to an enthousiastic youngster whose family originated from Vietnam !). Logically, it was hosted at down-town Lyceum "Rene Cassin", named after the historic 1st President of European Court of Human Rights.

But it also reminded the tragic fate of Young soldier Albert Zimmer, an 18-years old refugee from Strasbourg, who rushed to be the first to return at his beloved Rhine River, but was killed in his Tank, which remains as a Monument at the entrance of a School. - "It was a fierce battle !", stressed the letter of a young boy aged 12 who witnessed the events, read at a Ceremony to pay tribute to all those who were killed then, only a few meters away from what became, today, a brand-new "Garden of two shores", where Families and Children love to stroll around a splendid, peaceful Nature.

- "Rhine Bridge had been destroyed by retreating Nazis, and People had, for a long time, to use a provisional makeshift path crossing over barges", said an old couple to SeNas. But, nowadays, Central European Rhine Rhiver, changed "from a dividing line, to become a New Link", stressed French President Jacques Chirac in the recent Franco-German Summit with Chancelor Gerhard Schroeder in Strasbourg (See SeNas of 2 October 2004), reminded PM Raffarin. This becomes even more true since 2001, when Rhine started to be linked also to Danube..

Raffarin's call for Europe's Future at Strasbourg Liberation's 60th Anniversary, November 2004, looked Timely :

While European Union, only recently Enlarged to 25 member countries, has already to tackle issues crucial for its Future, such as ratification of EU Constitution and the question of Turkey, "in 2005 we have to define a coherent European Architecture", with a clear political mandate for Council of Europe's role (46 member-states, including Russia), said earlier in Strasbourg CoE's Chairman-in-office, Polish Foreign Minister W³odimierz Cimozewicz. This will be the main task of CoE's 3rd Summit of Heads of State and Government which will take place on May 2005 in Warsow, shortly after 1945 Liberation Anniversary celebrations at Moscow, added Cimozewicz.

Looking even at a larger World-wide horizon, Raffarin raised Global perspectives in Strasbourg after a visit to Mexico, where he was acompagnied by Jean Charest, Premier of Canada's Quebec, for better links to both Latin and Northern America.

Going "Global" : French PM Raffarin viewing an Aztec Monument in Mexico, 1 Day before Strasbourg's Cathedral, but after a threefold meeting between Premiers of Mexico, France and Canada's Quebec

Veil, a former Prisoner of Auschwitz in 2ndWW, agreed that EU Parliament and Human Rights in Strasbourg's crossroads, may offer a base for this evolution.

Veil chaired a CoE Conference on the Significance that the 200th Anniversary of French Civil Code (1804-2004) might have in Europe's Future, with the participation of Justice Ministers from France, Germany, Slovakia, and other countries, as well as Presidents CoE member-states' Supreme Courts, including Russia.

"Napoleon used the Civil Code as a tool of Foreign policy", spreading it to Germany, Netherlands, Italy, and other countries. But "he also developed ideals of French Revolution: Freedom, civil Equality and private Property, .. abolishing feudal rights", leading "to the definitive rejection of the Feudal system", said French Minister of Justice, Dominique Perben.

Crown Prince Albert of Monaco  to SeNas : "Explore interesting ideas" on Human Values, Diplomacy and Sea Science "links" to Strasbourg ?

Small, sometimes, may be much more than just beautifull and smart :

- Help "rediscover" many kinds of forgotten "Atlantis", might be Monaco's real contribution to Europe in Strasbourg :

Crown Prince Albert told "SeNas" that he hopes Monaco's accession to the largest European organisation, the Council of Europe, might help to "explore" "interesting" "links", both on "Human Values", International Law and Diplomacy "between big countries", as well as "Scientific exploration of the Sea" :

After Monaco succeeded to attract a crowd with more People than ever seen in a CoE's official ceremony, its Flag flies among 46 CoE's member States' : This "long awaited" accession to the CoE, which took "6 Years", was "designed by my Father" (SAS Prince Rainier de Monaco), reminded Albert.

- This may extend, in 2005, to the most mysterious and largest SeaMount in the Mediterannean, named after Eratosthenes, the historic head of Alexandria Library, and famous inventor of a witty way to calculate Earth's circumferance without any machine, but only Human intelligence and Sun's shades : Strategically located in Cyprus' territorial waters close to Egypt and Middle-East, at a crossroads of European, African and Asian tectonic plates, Eratosthenes Seamount, examined by Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) since 1996, may be not only key to Natural Resources and Earth's Biologic History, but even the main part of mythic Atlantis, which, according to American writer Sarmast, is located under Eastern Mediterranean's waters !

- Albert of Monaco is "extremely proud" to be chairman of the International Committee for the Scientific Exploration of the Mediterannean (CIESM), the oldest InterGovernemental Organisation, founded at the beginning of the 20th Century by his forebear, Albert Ist, followed by Oceanographic Museum, European Ocean Observatory, Sea Science Center (on radioactivity, earthquakes, climat, marine biology, etc), naturally extending to the popularity given to sea-exploration by Cousteau's famous Films.

- "Among CIESM's SeaMount projects, should be a specific Study examining Eratosthenes Seamount", replied Crown Prince Albert to "Senas" question. "In the next Year (2005) we shall know more about Scientific conclusions", he anounced.

CIESM October 2004 News highlighted the importance of "Underwater Mountains" and other "Seafloor surfaces" as reflects of plates movements tectonics, and not of magma flows from the interior mantle, contrary to what was previously thought. This augments the interest to explore their geometry and location because of their implications also on seismicity, climat history, natural or biological resources, etc.

Flat-topped, the impressive Castle-like figure of Eratosthenes' Seamount dominates from its heights a large surrounding Deap Sea area, which drops from its 1.200 meter-high slopes down to more than 2.000 meters under water's surface.

But findings of exceptional quantities in Organic material, Iron, and Earth-surface sediments, added to other facts, strongly support an astonishing Scenario : According to Geologists, Eratosthenes' Seamount was at least once, if not twice, a real Island in Mediterannean's PreHistoric times, before being covered up by water at Late Cretaceous, becoming anew an uplifted island at the Messinian period of our era, and again submerged for a few hundred meters only : A rock almost as large as Monaco's rock itself, Eratosthenes' Seamount outplayed many changes in Sea water level, as Monaco does today in Sea Science..

Thus, it should enclose unique footprints of Pre-Historic Biologic Life, near to Natural Resources. Without excluding, if not Sarmast's 2004 "Atlantis" hypothesis (which extends also to other under-Sea heights, Eastward from Cyprus to Syria, Lebanon, etc), may be some traces of other Prehistoric Cultures not far away from Egypt, as certain people suggested earlier.

Current Sea surface tels nothing about the level of water and land in Ancient times, nor on what may lie underneath : But discoveries that can be made by Deap Sea Camera and/or Ship Drilling, together with Satellite a.o. laser, electromagnetic, seismic data, 3D beam sonar, etc. on Seafloor's Geography, result, sometimes, into beautiful SeaMounts and other 3D images.

However, Prince Albert reminded at the CoE also another "wish, expressed long ago by (his) illustrious forebear, Prince Albert 1st", who was not only an "Oceanographer", but also "a Scholar and a Humanist", who, a Century ago, envisioned our goals in the form of a Dream" :

- "Only in concord and conciliation will Europe solve the problems that beset it. This .. can have no other aim but to seek well-being among men, who are of the same flesh and blood, and whose Hearts and Minds must be shielded from mutual Hostility". ... It's "absurd in face of moral progress." "Laws conceived of Education, Reason, Progress and the Common Interest of Peoples, will soon gain for Humanity a broadening of its mind, and a growth of its well-being, concern for which should always preside over the ..resolutions of modern Governments", he reminded. "There, precisely, at the level of our Continent, is the ambition of Council of Europe, and the reason of its existence", he concluded.

This, obviously goes well beyond the fact that, by a happy coincidence, at this moment, even USA is said to seriously consider ratifying the International Treaty on the Law of the Sea, which might boost Scientific Exploration and Cooperation on Natural Resources in future.

At CoE's Assembly : Diplomatic "Links between bigger States"...

- "I hope my country will be able to find its place at the CoE, as others, before it" :  - Small countries "do have a role to play in Europe", stressed Crown Prince Albert of Monaco to "Senas" : "If we can mediate or become a Link between bigger Nations, if we can be an entity interesting enough for big countries to Explore Ideas, then, we may have an interesting role", he said, after a reception organized in Strasbourg by Andorra, one of CoE's 12 small European States, who "often share similar problems and perspectives".

But, asked by a Russian Journalist "what were the relations between the Smallest and the Biggest CoE member State", Albert of Monaco was happy to say that they were "Excellent", both "in Culture, Diplomacy, Tourism and Economy".

Grimaldi Forum : from ..Captain Nemo to St-Petersburg, and well beyond ..

- Adding also Culture to Monaco's Sea-pole activities, he observed that, after a visit to Saint Petersburg, Russia lent to Monaco a rare collection of fine Artworks from famous Hermitage Museum, which had never been sent abroad before, in a larger Exhibition together with Kirov ballets in 2004, at Monaco's monument dedicated to Culture and Expression : the "Grimaldi Forum" :

Recalling Captain-Nemo's world-famous pioneer sumbarine "Nautilus", anchored at Jules Verne's "Mysterious Island", the "Grimaldi Forum" is an impressive technologic and esthetic, original creation :  An inversed crystal Scyscraper with many floors built .. under the Sea, where meeting places, exhibitions, conferences, Music Orchestra's, etc, blend with a wonderful Water-World...

- With "More than 7% of the national Budget dedicated to Culture, Monaco has the means and the willingness to develop Cultural Links with other countries", he pointed out.

  But the importance of Sea for Monaco is anchored even deeper inside History from which Europe emerged :

- Symbolically, Prince Albert brought to Strasbourg and placed inside CoE's building ... a whole Ship !

- A real-size replica of the famous Boat in which a mythic Young Girl of strong will, who struggled to defend her beliefs even by sacrificing her Liberty and Life, when Christianity was facing persecution by the old Roman Empire (304), was brought at Monaco's rock :

Becoming a Popular Legend, together with other Martyrs who sacrificed their blood for the establishement of Christianism in Europe by Emperor Constantin, she was proclaimed "Sainte-Devote", patroness of Monaco, which celebrates in 2004 her 1.700-th anniversary.

(Transports' Minister, Gilles de Robien, applauded Jules Verne's vision for Europe in Strasbourg)

World famous Science-fiction writer Jules Verne warned since 1875, that he "would not be astonished" if, around 2.000, a River flowing to North Sea, "might extend also up to Mediterranean and Black Sea !" :

100 Years after the death of this great anticipator (1905-2005), whose prognostics often proved true and were even outpassed by reality, Strasbourg-related developments, at Rhine River's banks, indicate that his hint may inspire important Transport projects, which became for the 1st time possible recently,  and are urgently needed, to ensure Europe's integration, safety and independence, particularly in Energy supplies :

- "Jules Verne would have chosen Strasbourg for his "Ideal City"-Project Essay if he wrote today !", said his Hometown Mayor, Gilles de Robien of Amiens, who heads France's super-Ministry for Transports, Equipment, Tourism and Sea.

Robien, whose role includes GALILEO Satellite Navigation Systems located at nearby Darmstadt (Germany), inaugurated Strasbourg's 2004 European Fair at the eve of a series of North-South axis EU visits, from Spain to Sweden, Finland, Estonia, etc, on Scientific Parks, Road Safety, EU Regional and Transport policies, etc.

- "In the EU we are currently preparing to launch 2007-2013 TransEuropean Transport and Energy Networks, while renewing also Marco-Polo program to link together a diversity of Inter-Modal transports (by Rail, Air, Sea, River, etc)", warned earlier "SeNas" in Strasbourg vice-President of European Commission, Anna Palacio (Spain).

- "We want to Dream the Future like Jules Verne, great anticipator and father of that kind of Science-fiction which becomes Reality when people believe in it strongly", observed, Strasbourg Urban Community's president, Robert Grossmann.

Grossmann broke new ground by teasing his compatriot, Robien, on "Geo-Politics and Geometry" : "Recent European developments, make us wonder "where is the Center ?" and Europe's heart-core : It might be less felt in Paris than here, at Rhine river" : "Industrial and Commercial exchanges with Central-Eastern european countries, as Hungary, Poland or Romania, a.o., develop at fast pace". At the same time, we are preparing, with our German neighbor-cities a novel formula for the creation of a 1st "Euro-District", (decided in principle by Franco-German Summit Chirac - Schroeder in 2003), well beyond simple transfrontier cooperation, which could strengthen Strasbourg's "International dimension" and foster its vocation to become "Europe's Capital of Human Rights".

He spoke shortly after Council of Europe's new Secretary General, Terry Davis from the UK, took over his 2004-2009 mandate, by stressing that he was ready to "meet the challenge" to "establish CoE in Strasbourg as the true Heart of Europe".

But Grossman was satisfied that "Public Investment multiplied here up to a level never seen before during last 40 Years", and welcomed French Government's decision to definitively implant since 2005 in Strasbourg the prestigious ENA, France's High Education for Heads of Public Administration and Senior Officers, at the same building which houses an emerging European Studies' College.

- But "coming to Strasbourg should never be assimilated with Jules Verne's famous "Extraordinary Trips" !, joked Mayor Fabienne Keller. "Several Euro-MPs are fond of our City's Quality of Life and Conviviality, but find it sometimes complicated to arrive here", she warned, (in an obvious reference to after-1999 airplane market and other developments).

"Despite of what some Technocrats might say", Keller criticised, "the best part of Europe's Destiny is Linking People and their Creations" :

Since Historic Times, "Strasbourg (ex-"Strate Burgum"), the European cross-Roads City, has permanently been characterized by exchanges and trade between North and South (ie. from Flanders to Italy or Spain, etc), as well as East-West (from the Atlantic to Urals)", Grossmann reminded.

"What is really at Stake now, is to provide our Continent, of now-Enlarged E.U., with great Railroad Axis, which would link East to West (Budapest, Wiena, Munich, Paris, etc), North and South (Hamburg, Frankfurt, Lyon, Barcelona, etc)", stressed Keller, extending on the Future.

TGV-East Fast Train maquette, with Zeller, Grossman, Keller and Robien : Towards EU Speed Rail crossroads ?

"At the Crossroads of those 2 European Axis is naturally located Strasbourg", in a threefold move :

- "France's TGV-East fast train link "must be rapidly completed", and "extend well beyond" our city : "It's out of question to skip crossing Rhine for a link to Germany's ICE fast rail", Strasbourg's Mayor stressed :

- "It's natural that TGV Atlantic stops at the Ocean... But it's unthinkable that TGV-East might stop at Rhine river !".

- "Another priority is the construction of Rhone-Rhine TGV, linking Northern Sea to Mediterranean : Hamburg to Barcelone", she added, (in a reference also to the Spanish region of origin of new EU Parliament's President, Josep Borrell).

Summing-up in conclusion, and highlighting forthcoming decisions and "perspectives", Minister Gilles de Robien, agreed that, "from Germany to Italy and the Mediterranean, and from Paris towards Eastern countries", Strasbourg is historically located "at the Crossroads of European mainstream Communications" :

- "European Economic Space extends Eastwards".

- "Transports are a Key-factor : Fast links are needed between main EU capitals and metropoles : By Road, by International Fast Trains (TGV), by direct Airflights (through main regional Airports), etc."

- At the same time, "Environment and Climat protection against pollution, Global-Warming gases, or noise, and road Safety", should go hand by hand with "Technologic Development and Innovation".

"High-Speed Internet connections", are also very important for "the will to create and develop an Innovation-based Economy, in a region at full mutation", added Robien, speaking of Strasbourg's Region : Alsace, the same day that its President, Andrien Zeller, launched an ambitious project for a 900 kms-long High-Speed Fiber-Optics Network, to connect 30 Towns for 44 million Euros.

Strasbourg - Paris : 1.50 h.  London - Strasbourg 4 h. by Rail ?

=> Meanwhile, for People travelling with Train, "since June 2007, Strasbourg will be only 2 Hours, 20 Minutes from Paris, going 15 times both ways each day", firmly declared the French Transports Minister, promising that basic funds for TGV-East will be completed "before the end of 2004". Afterwards, Strasbourg-Paris Train links should shortly become even Faster, droping to only 1 Hour, 50 minutes : "A crucial challenge, difficult but possible to win", for which "works should start on 2008".

=> In practice, this means, fex, that London - Strasbourg Train links would approach 4 Hours,  while crossing Paris and beautiful Landscapes, (some 2.30 now from London to Paris with "EuroStar", added 1.50 to Strasbourg).

Jules Vernes' 3 Insights

But Verne's "Ideal City" Essay, to which Robien referred in conclusion in Strasbourg, (at the eve of the International Year prepared World-wide on his work in 2005), highlights 3 main inspiring Innovations :

1) - European-wide Train Links.

2) - Modern Electronic Communications, allowing for a Collective event to include, simulatenously, many Towns. (Illustrated by an "Electronic Concert" of Music, playing, at the same moment, a composition with many Pianos located at various Capitals).

3) - The possibility, for a River flowing to North Sea, to "arrive until Mediterranean and Black Seas" : "That wouldn't astonish me !", Verne wrote.

- Robien, Grossman and Keller largely covered the 1st point, concerning EU Rail links (see above).

- Sketchy, but topical references were also made to the 2nd point : I.e. High-Speed Internet connections.  EU Parliament and CoE's use of the World Wide Web recently provide only a few more raw materials in Digital Form, useful, but without more.

However, Verne's 2nd idea has already inspired in Strasbourg an innovative Project to use Digital Technologies in order to systematically organize topical and pluralist Debates with European Press and Citizens on EU - CoE Decision-making process : This was initially presented in the framework of EU's "ESPRIT" program and officialy registered since 1997 by "SeNas" Friends, (Project called : "Europe in the World"). After a 2003-2004 fresh experience, they thought to renovate it, by adding, inter alia, also a Multi-Lingual dimension, (etc).

- On the contrary, surprisingly few progress was made on the 3rd Insight of Verne : - Link Europe's Seas through its Rivers.

Towards a "4 Seas - 4 Rivers"' European Integration Network ?

But "SeNas"' friends gathered, (since a 1st presentation made as early as February 2002), enough data and hard facts to firmly believe that :

=> a "4 Seas - 4 Rivers" pan-European project, to link all Seas around out Continent (Northern, Baltic, Mediterranean and Black Sea), by establishing a Network of Ship Transports thourgh its Rivers, directly crossing Europe's Central Core, (Rhine-Danube, Rhine-Rhone, Rhine/Danube-Elbe and/or Oder/Vistule, etc, before Dniester), became today both possible, and necessary :

- A 4 Seas - 4 Rivers' Network Strategy would boost European Integration, from North to South, and from East to West.

- Modern Technology provides the Tools to rapidly complete the few "Missing Links", (f.ex. Rhone to Rhine, Elbe/Oder, etc), as well as to upgrade Sea-River Ship Transport efficiency and safety.

- Energy and other important Economic exchanges can find, thus, an urgently needed Transport Network, for Oil/Gas transfert from Eastern Mediterranean/Suez/Middle East (fex. through Rhone-Rhine, etc), and from Caspian and Black Sea (fex. through Danube/Rhine, etc), leading Directly into Europe's Industrial Heart !

Gain of Time is obvious : It's enough to have a look at a Map and compare : Instead of having to run all-around the External borders of Europe (f.ex. Gibraltar, Manche, etc), it can all go Directly at Europe's Center. (F.ex. Germany a.o. obtains a door to the Mediterranean. France a.o. obtains a link to Baltic Sea. And both, together with other EU Countries, obtain a link to Black Sea, which can boost their already existing River link to North Sea).

But it can also add more Safety : F.ex. a Pipeline hit by terrorists, sabotage of war, immediately stops all its flow. On the contrary, a multitude of fast-moving Ships (with Containers which can be transported via Rivers, Seas or Rail, etc) can NOT be all stopped 100%.

- Global warming and current needs for Climat protection naturally give a priority to Environment-Friendly means of transport, like Rivers, which can easily be linked to Rail, etc.

(Rhine Navigation Committee's Headquarters in Strasbourg : A New European Future for the Oldest International Organisation in the World ?)

Rhine river obviously plays a Pivot role, because it can link to the Black Sea through Danube, to the Mediterranean, via a channel towards Rhone, added to its natural Northern Sea outlet. Elbe, Oder, Vistule, and/or other possibilities, before Dniester, can link even to the Baltic Sea.

Strasbourg could greatly help to establish such a European Sea-River Network : CCI's Head, Burgstahler, pointed at its Autonomous Port : 2nd or 3rd in France, with strong links from Swiss Bale Port, up to Dutch coasts at the Northern Sea, and with a great Potential for much more : The City is located at Rhine's borders, and is Headquarter of the oldest and most experienced River Navigation International Organisation in the World : the Rhine Navigation Control Committee (CCNR : with 5 member-Countries). It's also very close to Danube's sources, (almost linked to it through Kinzig small river), and already communicates with it via a 1st link built near Mainz. Moreover, long-standing plans to boost a Rhone-Rhine Channel are currently renewed. The rest (comparatively few) may follow at any moment.

But, the main point are Europe-wide Economic and Technologic recent developments :

- "A main Novelty in the TransEuropean Transport and Energy Networks (TENS), that EU adopted on Summer 2004, is "Sea-Highways", which can be linked to River inland ship transports, as EU Parliament asked recently in Strasbourg. "Thanks also to the renewed Marco-Polo EU program : An idea for which the Dutch EU Chairmanship (July-December 2004) shows a Keen Interest", stressed earlier to "SeNas" vice-President of European Commission, Anna Palacio.

+ "River traffic", and "intra-european Maritime freight, (a kind of "Sea-Highways" : an Idea "that France supported inside the EU from the start"), should be developed", in conjuction with Rail", "in pertinent sectors", declared now in Strasbourg French Minister for Transports, Gilles de Robien : "Massive, long-Distance transit" for "Rail" and "Sea" transports. "Specific goods, needing particular Efficiency" and Safety, by "Rivers", he pointed out.

"River transport is Prosperous : Its rate-Growth goes beyond any expectations", revealed Robien, expressing support for "Rhone to Rhine Channel", and to the Spatial Planning of the surrounding region.

In France, "between 1997 and 2000, River freight has grown about + 28%, reaching 7.26 Billion tons/kms. After an exceptional deceleration provoked by 2003 record-breaking Heatwave, the 1st Half of 2004 marked a + 4.5% Growth in services and + 5.9% in volumes, according to the French Ministry.

Strasbourg-based International Rhine Navigation Committee (CCNR) is also optimist for a growing trend to use River Transports not only for Agricultural products and Steel, but also for Energy (Oil, Gaz, Coal), and "even High-Tech products, as Computers, etc"., Jean-Marie Woehrling, Secretary General of CCNR earlier said to "SeNas".

Even 2003 exceptional Heat-wave, (which hit heights unrecorded in History), did not stop a constant Progress of Containers' transport, which went up for + 8% on Rhine, where also Coal and Steel prospects look good, announced in 2004 the President of Rhine Navigation Committee, Michiel I. Van der Zee, (Netherlands).

Containers facilitate Optimal Planning for inter-modal Combination of all transports : Sea, River, Rail, even (special) trucks, making it easy to adapt the most adequate formula for each case. Their growth on Rhine River towards SeaPorts was surprisingly fast.

A New Technology of Strategic importance is Liquidification of natural Gas, which may boost even further Energy transports via Containers by Sea and River Ships, etc..

An EU Commission Study concluded, in recent years, on the "great Potential of Europe's River transports".

Only Bale Rhine Port, at nearby Switzerland, already moves about 4 million tons of Oil products per Year, according to 2004 data.

River transport costs less : 8 times Cheaper than Road, (and 4 to 5 times cheaper even than Rail), as well as more Nature-Friendly, protecting also Climat, since it uses only few fuel linked to Global Warming.

Dr. Hilbrecht, EU Commission's Director for Inland Transport, said to "SeNas", earlier in Strasbourg, that he found "4 Seas - 4 Rivers" project interesting, and expressed the wish that Berlin would not hesitate to open larger Elbe-Rhine connections on time.

Smaller and swifter River ships could bypass even exceptionnal Heatwaves (while also upgrading Safety), observed after 2003 Heatwave, its Secretary General, Jean-Marie Woehrling (CCNRhine). New Technologies on River Ships (presented particularly since 2002) may also boost efficiency, he added to "SeNas".

Shortly after 2001 the opening of Danube - Rhine large transport flows, a Netherlands-based European Ship Organisation adopted on 2002 at Bucarest a Resolution asking "to establish a Pan-European River Transports Network".

Finnish' Journalist/Editor Meisnar, told "SeNas" that he had even seen "a big flat River Boat from .. Baku (Azerbaidjan) arrive (through ex-URSS) to Finland !", at the Baltic Sea.

 (Caspian to Black Sea, through Russian a.o. Caucasus : Sketchy outlines of Armenian Sevan and Azeri Mingacevir Lakes, as well as River Kura and Georgian valleys until Poti a.o. Seaports).

Caspian could even be directly linked to Black Sea, by diging a new Channel towards Europe for all Energy-producing coastal countries of Central Asia, said Strasbourg-educated Scientist Parviz Torabi, a specialist on River Hydro-Geology. Looking at a map which includes Armenian Sevan, Azeri Mingacevir and other Lakes, River Kura and Georgian valleys until Poti a.o. Seaports etc, he argued that Lakes can be interlinked by modern Technology : - "France and Europe's mainland was linked to England by digging a Channel even as deep as under the Sea of Manche : Why couldn't we built a channel simply on Earth's surface ?", he wandered.

Russia already has a Ship transport link between Caspian and Black Sea, thanks to a Channel passing through Lake Manych and Sea of Azov. More generally, ex-URSS had profited from the integration of a large geographical space in order to boost links between Lakes-Rivers-Seas : Why not the Enlarged EU, after 2004 ?

 (Russian Lake Manych Channel already provides a Caspian - Black Sea link, through Azov Sea)

In History, French were able to establish ship links between Mississipi River in North America and .. Canadian Quebec province, through the Great Lakes, even ..before Jules Verne was born !  It's enough to have a look at a Map to immediately grasp the astonishing but simple coherence of the full picture. Already 3 Centuries earlier, (long before 1789), it was almost done, in one way or another, allowing exchanges to flow accross a central axis spreading all over a much larger space, that Americano-Canadians took over, after a British intermezzo.

Ex-URSS systematically accomplished various similar Sea-River-Lake links of strategic importance, long before 1989. Why could it not be done in Modern and Enlarged, reUnited 2004 Europe, Today ?

Added to its fast-growing interest for Economy and Integration of Europe, Sea - River Ship "Highways", might also become Financially interesting for Governments, as Car Highways are now : French Minister of Transports, De Robien, observed in Strasbourg that the government intends to keep Car Highways' current regime of Public concessions, mainly because it generates Revenues beneficial to the country's transport and other policies. But, if the current trend in favour of Sea-River Ship Transport grows and multiplies (via also to a "4 Seas - 4 Rivers" European Network), then, analogous Public Revenue-producing "Concessions" might be established and shared by all River/Sea bordering Countries involved.

Pipeline Foreign Interests against European Rivers-Seas Integration ?

- After Danube - Rhine first link was established in 2001, a scheduled Rhone - Rhine link was due to complete Europe's overall River - Seas' main Network on 2005. On Time to efficiently compete with expensive, too long, and dangerous Oil/Gas Pipelines, not controlled by European interests, but depending on Foreign countries, which might expose EU's Energy supplies to Political or Financial blackmails, added to various risks from Earthquakes, violent Conflicts, etc.

But, at the same moment that Foreign Pipeline plans had just started to push for their interests, Rhine-Rhone project was suddenly blocked at the end of 1997 ! A striking "coincidence" : It looks as if somebody had manipulated certain NGOs and/or politicians, to provoke local upheaval under various pretexts : Some spoke only about.."Fishes" (sic !), others of "Karsts" at a short crossing near Jura, while others pretend that it would be "faster and cheaper" to .. continue old, too long Sea zig-zags "via Gibraltar" !

Curiously, such so-called "Ecologic" NGOs, close their eyes to the fact that too long Oil/Gas transports through Seas exposed to bad weather, difficult navigation at dark or foggy deep waters, with fragile old ships, and heavy traffic at less-controlled International waters, may risk to provoke much more Dangers for Environment, with more accidents and coast pollution, as Erica, a.o. dramas, proved. And it's strange for some "Civil Society" NGOs to ignore Pipelines' negative repercussions, which, in certain cases, threaten to aggravate violations of Human Rights, expulse local Populations, destroy Historic Cultural sites, etc., while also being an easy prey to any Terrorist or military attacks, as explosions blocking everything in Irak and elsewhere show.

New Plans for Rhone - Rhine "Missing Link" ?

However, Rhone-Rhine Rivers' Channel came back to frontpage News after May 2002, a few months later than SeNas' Friends had started a fresh pan-European overall view on Energy transports, which included a key-role to Rhine-Rhone link (February 2002).

A fresh look into Rhine-Rhone Channel projects is expected by Strasbourg Senator Francis Grignon, who was appointed, in 2004, France's Raporteur. It's interesting that Grignon stressed from the outset that he intends to examine present prospects "integrated to a European, larger overview".

Environment specialist, Strasbourg's vice-Mayor Hugues Geiger, warned, however, "SeNas" that a Big dimension Channel might have unexpected effects if it crossed Jura mountains Karsts, since "nobody really knows what might happen if water leaks into the underground". Therefore, Geiger found wiser to create a Rhine-Rhone Channel of Middle dimension.

This might go hand by hand with CNRhine's Secretary General, Woehrling's 2004 preference for "Smaller Ships", able to bypass even strong Heatwaves (See above).

("Small is beatiful" ? Some think that Environment-related issues plead for Smaller Ships and a Middle dimension Rhone-Rhine channel : Could it do the job ?)..

Scientist Torabi, agreed that Jura is "almost full of Karsts", and that, as a matter of general principle, Water-leaks to any eventually existing Fault might even provoke Earthquakes.

But "a careful Geologic study could help to simply avoid karstic regions" for the channel, he said. Indeed, "SeNas" found that even earlier plans for Rhone-Rhine channel through river Doubs only crossed a very small part at Jura's foothills, away from the mountain itself. At any case, Torabi added, even if a few karsts remain, various technical methods exist in order to prevent any eventual water leak, (fex by filling up small cavities with concrete, etc). Even "huge Dams on Rhine River and elsewhere have been built close to some karsts, but technicians always found a way to ensure safety", he added, optimistically.

2005, celebrated as "International Year" for World-famous Father of Science-Fiction, Jules Verne, a Century after his death (1905), is High-Time to find or invent practical ways to realise also the prediction he made for interlinking Europe's Seas and Rivers as early as since 1875.

Many other of his Insights have already been realised, earlier and larger than initially thought. Why not that too ?

Jules Verne, after hesitating, had finally located his "Ideal City" Essay, (which includes the idea of a North Sea River extended until Mediterranean and Black Sea), at the Year 2.000.

Aren't we at least 4 or 5 Years late ?

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Practical Local NewsData :  

Strasbourg's European Fair, (a traditional 1st opportunity for regional decision-makers to meet close to Franco-German border with European and International Diplomats after Summer-break), spreads over 100 square Kms, during 3-13 September, bringing together 200 foreign representatives from 25 Countries : Accross enlarged EU (Poland included) westwards, to far eastern Iran, India, Nepal, China and Corea, even Latin America, and from southern Cameroun, Kenya or Senegal, through Algeria, Tynesia or Maroc, up to northern Russia, (but including also "US football" and "UK boxing" sports), etc. Totaling some 1.200 participants and an Innovation competition, it aims at about 240.000 visitors accross the Franco-German border, with a + 7,5%-high Growth since 2003.

In

- Criminals "Video-taped" their innocent Victims, taken Hostages or executed, to "report to those who Commanded the crime" : "terrorists only carried out Orders which came from Elsewhere", revealed Russian Ambassador to CoE in Strasbourg (6/9/2004)

- In fact, it's a larger Attack against Council of Europe's Human Rights Values, warned CoE's official.

(Children kidnapped and parked like Animals ! Video by the commando of odious kidnappers, released at Russian TV one day after it was first revealed in Strasbourg : 7/9/2004)

===================================

(NDLR : Provisional, Incomplete Draft, as many parallel events evolve)

====================================

Children Massacre after massive-Hostage-taking in Russian School is also an "Attack" against Human Rights' values by "Criminals", stressed in Strasbourg Council of Europe's HR Commissioner, Alvaro Gil-Robles, of Spain, while the 45 member-states' strong organization lowered all its flags at half-mast after the odious, unprecedented atrocity.

- "Such a Criminal act is an Attack against all who share our Organisation's Values. It shows once again the need for the Citizens and States of Europe to reaffirm their Solidarity and commitment to Liberty and Human rights in the face of Terrorist Threats that seek to Undermine them", warned Robles at an unprepared quasi-spontaneous CoE's staff ceremony organized at the last minute, speaking on behalf of all CoE's political leadership which travels to Oslo (Norway) for meetings scheduled a long time ago.

(European Commissioner on Human Rights, Alvaro Gil-Robles, and Russia's Ambassador, Alexander Orlov, at the CoE in Strasbourg)

CoE's leaders unanimously condemned the Children Hostage-taking and massacre that most denounced as a "Barbary" : - "Nothing can take away the sheer Barbarism of .. the Criminal actions of Hostage takers, and those who supported them" : "No cause justify it nor diminish their Responsibility for the hundreds of Innocent Victims", added Robles. - The "Horror felt" after "this Barbaric act", which "ended in a dreadful blood bath", "Shocked us all the more as it Targeted what is most precious to us, our Children". "There are no words strong enough to express our Consternation, nor our feelings of Friendship and Solidarity", said a message to Russia by Jan Petersen, Norwegian Chairman CoE's Ministerial Committee, Peter Schieder, CoE Assembly's President. Parliamentary Assembly, and Terry Davis, new CoE's Secretary General, sent Saturday from Strasbourg.

- "The fact that Victims are Children makes this act of terrorism even more Barbaric and Despicable", earlier said the Norwegian Foreign Minister, who had called from the outset "for the immediate release of all hostages, without conditions". Reminding the Series of Caucasus-related "Barbaric Attacks" which hit Russia recently, ("two Aeroplanes", "underground Railway station in Moscow", "seizure of School in Beslan"), Terry Davis had warned, since 1/9/2004, that "Despicable acts such as these only strengthen the resolve of Democratic nations to fight terrorism".

If there are complaints for some acts by certain public agents in Chechnya, it's for local Courts to deal with that, as Russian authorities have promised us. But nothing justifies attacks against innocent men, women and even children, had added CoE's Secretary General at a Press-Conference in Strasbourg, the eve of the unexpected massacre, when, on the contrary, a negotiated release of 30 hostages had opened some hopes for a peaceful outcome.

- "To commit this odious crime terrorists chose the First day of School Year which, in my country, has always been a celebration covered in Flowers. This time, (it) was covered in Blood", said Russia's Ambassador to the CoE, Alexander Orlov, in Strasbourg's ceremony.

"334 People, including 156 Children, were killed in a Cowardly way, coldly shot in the back". "116 bodies have yet to be identified. 200 people are still Missing".

Aggressors "came to kill : ..they executed hostages - 20 people were killed in this way in 2 days", he reminded.

- Orlov revealed in Strasbourg that "everything was recorded on Video camera, ..for the purposes of reporting to those who Commanded the crime "terrorists only carried out Orders which came from Elsewhere".

"Russia is not fighting against the Chechen People, but against ..terrorism", which is "International", stressed Orlov, pointing at the Foreign Ethnic origins of dead kidnapers, but without revealing more than only a part of what was already published in Moscow earlier. An important point, which triggers various Questions in Russia, Europe and the World : It's not yet clearly known Who were really behind these particularly vicious attacks, and Why Now.

- "Enquiry's results clearly show that the terrorists ....Prepared their Monstrous crime in Advance", stressed Russia's permanent representative to the CoE. Orlov was obviously making a reference to astonishing findings, strong suspicions and rumors, that Accomplices of Criminals with Foreign links had already hidden explosives and arms, both before the deadly destruction of 2 civil Airplanes, and at the odious Children hostage-taking :

In all these cases, findings point at "Maintenance" (for the Airport), and "Building Repair" or "Construction" services (for the School) : - "Explosives, weapons and ammunition there ahead of their planned operation. "The organizers of School seizure hid their explosives and weapons in a cache under the Floor". "Former hostages have said, ..that the hostage-takers had opened their cache immediately after the seizure". "Explosives, arms and ammunition were brought to the School during this Summer's Repair works. They were disguised as Construction materials," Interfax revealed.  No information on the "Maintenance" or "Construction" networks reportedly involved with such strange, unprecedented and atrocious Crimes, was released yet. But, given that three murderous attacks related to Caucasus, (AirFlights paths, revendications for the Subway, and Children hostage-taking), it seems probable that sly criminal networks might have found dirty accomplices among some pseudo-"islamic" or other Foreign circles notoriously active at that conflict-striken region, which includes various States.

The "Aftermath of the Tragedy will be discussed" during CoE's top Political "meetings in Oslo", which had been scheduled since June, warned an official statement published meanwhile in Strasbourg : Inter alia, CoE Parliamentary Assembly's Bureau is due to adopt the final Agenda for a crucial Session of its Plenary, at the beginning of October in Strasbourg, Chechnya was expected to be discussed, in the presence of politicians from various States, including Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, (etc).

After the unprecedented events of last weeks, which hit surprisingly at the same time, both France and Russia, with Hostage-taking, it seems probable that "Urgent" CoE debates and resolutions might be prepared, according to further developments, also for Political Blackmails over aggressions against even Children and Journalists' Lives.

Strasbourg's experienced observers noted that, while History seems due to be forged either according to obscur aims of sly Criminals, or in another, different way, really opposed to them,  Vladimir Putin's recent dramatic call, includes certain very important points, which join some Council of Europe's core concerns and Values, as it was officially expressed also by CoE's Commissioner on Human Rights, Alvaro Gil-Robles in Strasbourg (See supra) :

- "We are Not dealing with isolated Intimidation actions or separate Terrorists' raids", the Russian President excluded from the outset.

But "with a Total, cruel and all-out War". 

"This is an Attack on our Country".  It's a "direct Intervention of International terror against Russia" .

"Some want to tear away a ..delicious Slice from us". "And others are helping them. .. in belief that Russia, as one of the largest Nuclear Powers, still poses a Threat to them (which).. has to be eliminated".

"Terrorism is .. only an Instrument for attaining such Goals".

(Causasus' region, in relation to which 3 Deadly Attacks occured recently against Innocent simple People in Russia, has notoriously complicated Geopolitics, often linked with veiled conflicts for the control of Caspian Sea Energy resources and supply roads).

" What happened was a terrorist act that was Inhuman and Unprecedented in its Cruelty."

"It is a Challenge ...to all of our People" "World experience shows that such Wars, unfortunately, do not end quickly"

Going well beyond needs for a "new system". to "control .. North Caucasus", and more "effective anti-crisis management, including ..new approaches to ..law-enforcement bodies", "in full compliance with the ..Constitution", while also struggling against "Corruption" which "pervaded the judicial and law-enforcement spheres", the President of Russia concluded with the following points, of particular importance for Strasbourg's European organizations :

- "But the Main thing is that the Nation should mobilize in the face of a common threat. ..terrorists are fought off most effectively ..where they are confronted not only with the Might of a State, but with a ..consolidated Civil Society".

They "think that they are stronger than we are and that they can Frighten us by their Cruelty, and that they will be able to Paralyze our Will and Disintegrate our Society."  "Those who sent Bandits to commit this Horrible Crime had the aim to bring our peoples against each other, Scare the Citizens of Russia and unleash a Bloody InterEthnic strife in North Caucasus". (... ) "In reality, we ..have no choice". If "we allow ourselves to be Blackmailed and abandon ourselves in Panic, we shall plunge Millions of People into the endless string of Bloody Conflicts, (like Karabakh, Transdniestrian and other ..Tragedies"). Therefore, "measures aimed at strengthening the country's Unity will be prepared shortly"

"We ..shall be Stronger than they, both with our Morale and Courage and our Human Solidarity."

"I saw that again this Night" : "In Beslan, literally saturated with grief and pain, People cared, and supported each other even more. "They were not afraid risking their lives for the sake of the life ...of others.", stressed the President of Russia. 

"Even in the most Inhuman conditions, they remained Humans.", he concluded.

Children, "God's Innocent creatures were under Sacred protection of all peoples in all Times," said Theophanes, local Bishop of Stavropol and Vladikavkaz in Ossetia.

Since odious Criminals' real aims are obviously Inhuman, People should not be trapped by them, and should "Not succomb to Fear and Hatred", said Russian Religious leader, christian orthodox patriarch Alexis II, from the outset of the Barbary against Children. "Terrorists declared War on all who live in Russia" Thus, he "appealed" to Russian People "to be on their Guard, not succumb to Panic, and not allow Hatred to take root in their Heart. We are to be One in our resolution to repulse Evil. Take Courage!'" We "used to go through Heinous times but always honourably emerged from trials". This "terrorism may seem an ineradicable evil, yet I firmly believe we shall vanquish it", he said.

History proves that Ideas and Values can become a stronger force, even than sly bombs. Strasbourg Human Rights' capital seems better equiped to develop mainly this part of Russian President's call, which obviously concerns all Europe, and well beyond, Worldwide Humankind.

(- "We are not afraid !"    - "Hands-off from our Children !")

- EURIMAGES' President, EuroMP Jacques Toubon's Idea might be good for both, new EU Commissioner Ian Figel agrees in substance, pointing at the importance of Digital Technologies for Culture and Education, but also Multi-Linguism.

Europe has a great potential for production and use of Audio-Visual works, thanks to its long History, Cultural Diversity and creativity, particularly at the moment of pan-european rapprochement and EU enlargement to 25 member countries, which became the largest Economic Group in the World with 450 million people.

But data show that it still has a problem on Distribution : It's rare for a Film produced in a european country to spread all over Europe, while American films, with much larger sums invested, continue to take the greatest part even at our continent's market, observed EURIMAGE's President, Jacques Toubon.

At the same time, Europe must find efficient ways to defend its Cultural Diversity at the International level, despite pressure inside the World Trade Organization, at nearby Geneva, by USA and other countries.

As long as Screens and Classic distribution methods remain without any major change, divided into small-medium entreprises working at local or national level only, while production is still fragmented, an interesting solution may be found by taking the challenge of Innovation, Toubon said :

        ****** 

CoE and EU should cooperate on AudioVisual creations, but by combining Different Tasks : Help Co-Productions or Promote Distribution : ex-Minister Jacques Toubon believes it so hard that he undertook both roles - as EURIMAGES' President (Left), and as brand new EuroMP at EU Parliaments' key Internal Market Committee (Right).

- New Digital Technologies as DVD discs, pay-per-view at the Internet, and other innovative methods of distribution, represent a growing tendency which is booming in Europe and Worldwide, according to the most recent data released by the European AudioVisual Observatory, based in Strasbourg.

Citizens have Human Rights to Freedom of Expression, Thought or Religion, and Education, as well as for the protection of their Private and Family lives, correspondencies, and choices. According to a well established case-law by the European Court of Human Rights, in Strasbourg, this includes also the Liberty to receive or communicate the informations and Ideas that each person wants.

All this pleads pleads in favor or larger possibilities for Individual Choices in real practice, while also offering a base for the protection and developpment of Europe's Cultural Diversity.

Much needed Industrial Investment might find in New Technologies a good ally :

- "Indeed, Novel methods of Distribution, through New Digital Technologies can boost and concentrate Industrial Investment at High-Tech sectors in Europe, while, at the same time, allowing a greater latitude for People's Individual Choices", stressed Jacques Toubon to "SeNas".

In this way, Human Righs and High-Tech may advance side-by-side, on AudioVIsual works, he agreed.

Toubon has the rare privilege to join together a valuable experience as President of Pan-European EURIMAGES' Fund at the 45 member-States' strong Council of Europe in Strasbourg (which includes even Russia), after earlier Ministerial posts in France, and as newly-elected EuroMP at European Union's Parliament, enlarged to 25 member-countries, where he actively participates at key Internal Market Committee.

CoE and EU should agree a on useful repartition of tasks, Toubon's experience with both, suggests :

- "CoE's EURIMAGES' Fund should focus on supporting Co-Productions throughout Europe, (probably also with EU's contribution). While EU should better focus mainly on Distribution and Promotion of AudioVisual works, in particular through its MEDIA program, a.o., he believes.

An interesting, practical point is also that Digital Technologies greatly facilitate New and easier ways for Sub-titles of Films or Documentaries, etc, in many Languages, according to each user's Personal Choices : Some EU Countries have developped recently advanced and valuable potential into Multi-Lingual sub-titles, Toubon pointed out : F.ex. users can easily switch-over and freely choose the Language each of them desires.

Significantly, New EU Commissioner Jan Figel, recently selected by EU Commission's next President, Jose Barroso, for the portofolio of Culture and Education, (decision announced on July, due to take effect after October's end, 2004), was given competence also on the "MultiLingual" sector.

New EU Commissioner, Jan Figel (a long-time Strasbourg MP at CoE), hopes to join the crucial sectors of Education and Culture, with Milti-Linguism in Europe, and many other things (as Tourism, etc) in 1 overall Synthesis : Boosting Development of New Technologies in EU should go hand by hand with Spreading them to all EU Citizens, he said.

Figel, who knows very well Strasbourg, as ex-MP member of CoE's Assembly, said to "Senas" that, instead of placing more staff into a local "office" of EU Commission, he prefers to multiply, himself, Direct Personal Contacts, at the highest possible level, at the occasion of CoE, EU and other European meetings : - "It's better to comme and visit Strasbourg frequently !", he said.

Speaking earlier to "SeNas", new EU Commissioner Jan Figel (currently in charge of Internet and Small-Medium Enterprises), stressed his belief in the important potential of the World Wide Web for Education, Culture, and related Economy, but observed that Computers have yet to be distributed also in areas where citizens have almost none, or only a few...

It's High Time for another, closely related area of European action, particularly 7 Years after CoE's Recommenation on New Communication means and Human Rights, (formally made by Ministers of Culture and Education at a PanEuropean Conference in 1998), which called to respect Citizens' Right to have at least an elementary Access.

By acting to boost these High-Tech related Economic sectors, Europe can also accomplish at least a part of its Duty to protect and promote its Citizens' Human Rights.

(NDLR : A more complete, and more accurate text, together with complementary News and Data, should be published asap).

- "Space is an immense Laboratory for Science !", warned Ene Ergma, a Moscow-educated top scientist on Physics and Astronomy, President of Estonia's Parliament, in a larger Interview to "SeNas" at the sidelines of Council of Europe's high-level political meetings earlier in Strasbourg.

Ergma gave as an historic example the saga of international research on "Gamma rays" : A long-time "mystery", studied and used by physicists, chemists, biologists, a.o., but elucidated by Astronomers at outer Space.

A new and concrete, down-to-earth example, which may lead to major breakthroughs on our Planet's History and future, will be revealed by a comparison of Earth's and Mars' geology :

They will be seen for the first time in a crystal-clear way facilitating overviews and surprising insights thanks to eye-catching high-resolution Images brought by Europe's 1st satellite mission to the red planet, obtained since January 2004 by ESA's Space operating center (ESOC) at nearby Darmstadt :

- Geodymamics and Planetology research Director at France's reknown CNRS, professor Christophe Sotin will reveal and discuss in public on September 21 in Strasbourg, the lessons that Earth can take from -and give to- its closest neighbor planet's geology, thanks to new data opening ways for conclusions breaking new ground.

Strange, "islet"-like shapes inside Mars' largest Canyon (horizontal + vertical view : Picture taken by ESA's Mars Express orbiter on 14 January 2004,  ESA/DLR/FU Berlin/G. Neukum)

During an International Conference on Continents, joined to larger Earth-Science meetings in Strasbourg, 2004 is the right time, of an exceptional interest, to take stock from 5 years of NASA-released data by combining them to "Fresh" images drown for the first time this year by Europe's 1st Mars' mission :

Europe's "Mars Express" 2003-2004 Space probe, followed by ESA/NASA Casini-Huygens mission on Saturn, seems sufficiently well-equiped in Remote Sensor Technologies to become a major step forward after NASA's older missions since Pathfinder 1997 : Carrying a colour high-resolution stereo camera, a radar, a supraspectral imager on visible infra-red, etc., it's able to explore not only a planet's surface but also its underground, for precious Minerals, internal structure and dymamics, physical and chemical processes which govern its evolution, going well-beyond key-questions on the role Water may have played on Mars :

F.ex., Rhine river region was really a Sea in pre-historic times, may be like Mars' biggest Canyon ? What happens underground when Continents and Seas meet eachother ? Oil, Minerals, heat and Water often join Seismic hazards at Rift bassins, where Continent Extension played an important role in Europe's Tertiary period. Mountains are like Books which "record" a History of fragmentation, upward and downward movements, erosion and sedimentation of a planet's plates, and may unveal its secrets..

Earth Science International events in Strasbourg spread from 20 to 25 September at Louis Pasteur University, including on-the-spot scientific excursions at the beautiful Vosges and Black-Forest mountains, organized by EOST Institute, German Geologische Vereinigung (GV), la Société Géologique Française (SGV), European group EUCOR-URGENT, with the participation of Scientists also from Switzerland and other interested european countries.

Ariane succesfully launched the greatest Telecom Satellite in the World at the eve of New EU Parliament's inaugural session in Strasbourg, Enlarged to 25 member-countries, to be attended by ex-Austronaute, Minister Claudie Haigneré.

"Senas" team and friends are glad for this Symbolic coincidence of two Historic events, closely linked to Europe's developpement and role in the World : The 6 tonnes-big Satellite launched by Europe's Ariane, a command by Bell-Canada built by Boeing, will ensure that High-Speed Internet connections will spread even to the remotest Canadian areas via a new frequency band, while also providing standard telecom services to larger north american and surrounding regions.

This careful European success will be followed by another, Spanish-American Satellite, and paves the way for a renewed 10 tonnes-big Ariane-5 launch on October, confirmed ESA's launch center in Kuru, French Guyana. But it should also stimulate on-going research for the creation of a new European launching vehicle, Ariane's "daughter" :

EU Parliament has strongly supported, in a Resolution adopted on May 2003 in Strasbourg, the developpent of "Europe's Autonomous Access to Space" : A principle energetically supported by ex-Austronaute Claudie Haigneré, then French Minister of Science and Technology, and officially endorsed by ESA, in a series of important decisions. Claudie Haigneré, who became Minister for European affairs, will be in Strasbourg for the inauguration of the new EU Parliament.

- Space, with Ariane5, GALILEO, and other dual, Civil-Defence High-Technologies, is a next Strategic step for Europe, after the "Euro" Monetary Union, said to "Senas" German Euro-MP, EU Parliament Rapporteur, Carl von Wogau.