Win the Challenge of Humanity and Science : Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin's dual call to Strasbourg's "European spirit"

25 novembre 2005

Win the Challenge of Humanity and Science : Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin's dual call to Strasbourg's "European spirit"

- "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