: EUROPE'S ZERO HOUR
Gerhard Schroeder, himself under some pressure now to re-evaluate everything about his mandate and policies in Germany, few months before his new election, has suggested to his European colleagues that he feels now is a time for a "Thinking Break" related to EU, and he invites to have a quiet and frank talk about where Europe is now heading. Well, few politicians and their advisers really estimated the outcome correctly. We here at RMN did state the two referenda would send EU back to the drawing board. Schroeder wants to see a debate of principle about the EU to take place, preferably in fire place atmosphere where each one can talk openly without feeling the other one will nail him or her for what was thought out aloud... Well Gerhard, how about letting the Germans also vote NO to EU, so we get it all over with fast. My opinion honestly, is that Chirac here is helping out his friend to be re-elected.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4609053.stm
French President Jacques Chirac flies to Berlin later today to dine with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. The two leaders, who are due to discuss the future of the EU Constitution, have already called for the ratification process to continue across Europe.
They will be focusing their minds on how they can repair the damage caused by this week's "No" votes in France and the Netherlands. They will also look ahead to the EU summit later in June. Jacques Chirac may feel a tinge of envy when he sits down for dinner with Gerhard Schroeder. The German leader got the EU constitution ratified in parliament almost unanimously. By doing so, he avoided the mess that a referendum might have caused.
Britain's rebate
They both know there is considerable scepticism about the ratification process continuing and are particularly concerned that Britain might declare the constitution dead before the EU summit in mid June.
That meeting will also discuss the EU budget covering 2007-2013. Germany, the biggest contributor to EU funds, wants Britain to make concessions over the budget rebate won by Margaret Thatcher in 1984. But this would be politically explosive in the UK. Mr Schroeder can at least however expect support for the idea from Mr Chirac.
Peace
M StC.
German Spiegel online link below:
http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,358947,00.html
Bei der Suche nach einem Ausweg aus der EU-Verfassungskrise hat Gerhard Schröder vorgeschlagen, in der Europäischen Gemeinschaft eine Denkpause einzulegen. Notwendig sei zunächst eine Grundsatzdebatte, in welche Richtung die EU sich politisch weiterentwickeln solle.
DDP
Schröder: "Gewisse Zeit des Nachdenkens"
Berlin - Nach den gescheiterten Referenden in Frankreich und den Niederlanden sei für den Bundeskanzler eine Grundsatzdebatte über die künftige Richtung und nötige Korrekturen unverzichtbar, hieß es in Berliner Regierungskreisen. Dafür sei jetzt "eine gewisse Zeit des Nachdenkens" erforderlich.
Ein normaler EU-Gipfel mit 25 Teilnehmerländern Mitte Juni in Brüssel sei für die Beratungen über eine Neuausrichtung der Europa-Politik ungeeignet. Ein Treffen in "Kamin-Atmosphäre und ohne große Öffentlichkeit, wo der eine den anderen nicht gleich unter Druck setzt", biete sich dafür besser an.
P.S.
I am also for having the ratification process continue because I want to see each people vote, so we know for sure, without innuendo what the deal is. And here a link about how bloggers took on the EU Elite:
Intro excerpt:
The French newspaper dubbed Marseille law teacher Etienne Chouard "Don Quichotte du non".
Mr Chouard did not much care for the EU Constitution, but instead of simply voicing his upset to his neighbours, he wrote an essay and set up a blog to explain why he was voting 'Non'.
Just ahead of the vote, his blog was getting 25,000 hits a day and his anti-constitution broadside had been photocopied, faxed and blogged about across France.
Despite overwhelming support for the constitution by the governments of both France and the Netherlands and a huge media campaign by political leaders in both countries, voters have rejected the constitution.
And just as the media and political establishment in the US found during last year's presidential election, European elites have now felt the sting of these online upstarts, the bloggers.
An 'enormous force'
Mr Chouard, the teacher turned blogger, has become a folk hero for the 'Non' campaigners who rebelled against what they saw as an out of touch political elite.
Read on at link here below the pic of Chirac & Schroeder:
