Opening of the Solemn Debate with President François Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Opening of the Solemn Debate with President François Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel European Parliament President Martin Schulz Opening of the solemn debate with President François Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel Speeches Internal Policies and EU Institutions Strasbourg 07-10-2015 Monsieur le Président de la République Française, Sehr geehrte Frau Bundeskanzlerin, I extend a warm welcome to you both. This is an historic moment: the President of France and the Chancellor of Germany, here in the European Parliament - the home of European democracy - in Strasbourg - the symbol of Franco-German reconciliation - speaking today, together, about the future of Europe. For centuries, Germany and France were arch-enemies - trapped in a vicious circle of war, defeat, humiliation and revenge. Millions more had to die, with Europe destroyed, before there was reconciliation between the two states - thanks to the courage of Charles de Gaulle and Konrad Adenauer. That was one more historic step on the road to peace in Europe. Without reconciliation between France and Germany, the European unification process would never have been able to develop as it has. But, by the same token, without European unification, Franco-German friendship of the closeness we see today would certainly have been unthinkable. Through school exchanges and town twinning schemes, millions of people have found new friends and somewhere else they can call home. Monsieur le Président de la République Française, Sehr geehrte Frau Bundeskanzlerin, It is 26 years since Helmut Kohl and François Mitterrand made a joint address to the European Parliament; you are the first heads of state or government, since then, to follow their example. In what are difficult times for Europe, when we have unprecedented challenges to deal with, you have come to Strasbourg to debate with the Members of the European Parliament. That is something we are pleased about; and it is a significant event. Recent decades have shown us that Europe suffers when Germany and France do not work well together. Harmony and unity have not been the forces driving Europe forward - discord and disagreement, and the compromises reached to overcome them, have proved far more fruitful in that regard. The fact is that, if France and Germany can agree, then negotiations, however tough they may be, usually produce a sound compromise - one that combines the strengths of both to the benefit of all. For that reason, Mr President, Madame Chancellor, we are very eager to hear what you think about how to shape our shared future and what impetus you can give to that process. For further information: [email protected] Armin Machmer Maud Noyon Spokesperson Press Officer +32 479 97 11 98 +32 473 86 56 56 Opening of the solemn debate with President François Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel 1/2 European Parliament President Martin Schulz Opening of the solemn debate with President François Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel 2/2.
Recommended publications
  • The Constitutional Requirements for the Royal Morganatic Marriage
    The Constitutional Requirements for the Royal Morganatic Marriage Benoît Pelletier* This article examines the constitutional Cet article analyse les implications implications, for Canada and the other members of the constitutionnelles, pour le Canada et les autres pays Commonwealth, of a morganatic marriage in the membres du Commonwealth, d’un mariage British royal family. The Germanic concept of morganatique au sein de la famille royale britannique. “morganatic marriage” refers to a legal union between Le concept de «mariage morganatique», d’origine a man of royal birth and a woman of lower status, with germanique, renvoie à une union légale entre un the condition that the wife does not assume a royal title homme de descendance royale et une femme de statut and any children are excluded from their father’s rank inférieur, à condition que cette dernière n’acquière pas or hereditary property. un titre royal, ou encore qu’aucun enfant issu de cette For such a union to be celebrated in the royal union n’accède au rang du père ni n’hérite de ses biens. family, the parliament of the United Kingdom would Afin qu’un tel mariage puisse être célébré dans la have to enact legislation. If such a law had the effect of famille royale, une loi doit être adoptée par le denying any children access to the throne, the laws of parlement du Royaume-Uni. Or si une telle loi devait succession would be altered, and according to the effectivement interdire l’accès au trône aux enfants du second paragraph of the preamble to the Statute of couple, les règles de succession seraient modifiées et il Westminster, the assent of the Canadian parliament and serait nécessaire, en vertu du deuxième paragraphe du the parliaments of the Commonwealth that recognize préambule du Statut de Westminster, d’obtenir le Queen Elizabeth II as their head of state would be consentement du Canada et des autres pays qui required.
    [Show full text]
  • Political System of France the Fifth Republic • the Fifth Republic Was
    Political System of France The Fifth Republic • The fifth republic was established in 1958, and was largely the work of General de Gaulle - its first president, and Michel Debré his prime minister. It has been amended 17 times. Though the French constitution is parliamentary, it gives relatively extensive powers to the executive (President and Ministers) compared to other western democracies. • A popular referendum approved the constitution of the French Fifth Republic in 1958, greatly strengthening the authority of the presidency and the executive with respect to Parliament. • The constitution does not contain a bill of rights in itself, but its preamble mentions that France should follow the principles of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, as well as those of the preamble to the constitution of the Fourth Republic. • This has been judged to imply that the principles laid forth in those texts have constitutional value, and that legislation infringing on those principles should be found unconstitutional if a recourse is filed before the Constitutional Council. The executive branch • The head of state and head of the executive is the President, elected by universal suffrage. • France has a semi-presidential system of government, with both a President and a Prime Minister. • The Prime Minister is responsible to the French Parliament. • A presidential candidate is required to obtain a nationwide majority of non- blank votes at either the first or second round of balloting, which implies that the President is somewhat supported by at least half of the voting population. • The President of France, as head of state and head of the executive, thus carries more power than leaders of most other European countries, where the two functions are separate (for example in the UK, the Monarch and the Prime minister, in Germany the President and the Chancellor.) • Since May 2017, France's president is Emmanuel Macron, who was elected to the post at age 39, the youngest French leader since Napoleon.
    [Show full text]
  • Foreign Affairs Record
    1996 January Volume No XLII No 1 1995 CONTENTS Foreign Affairs Record VOL XLII NO 1 January, 1996 CONTENTS BRAZIL Visit of His Excellency Dr. Fernando Henrique Cardoso, President of the Federative Republic of Brazil to India 1 External Affairs Minister of India called on President of the Federative Republic of Brazil 1 Prime Minister of India met the President of Brazil 2 CAMBODIA External Affairs Minister's visit to Cambodia 3 Visit to India by First Prime Minister of Cambodia 4 Visit of First Prime Minister of Cambodia H.R.H. Samdech Krom Preah 4 CANADA Visit of Canadian Prime Minister to India 5 Joint Statement 6 FRANCE Condolence Message from the President of India to President of France on the Passing away of the former President of France 7 Condolence Message from the Prime Minister of India to President of France on the Passing away of the Former President of France 7 INDIA Agreement signed between India and Pakistan on the Prohibition of attack against Nuclear Installations and facilities 8 Nomination of Dr. (Smt.) Najma Heptullah, Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha by UNDP to serve as a Distinguished Human Development Ambassador 8 Second Meeting of the India-Uganda Joint Committee 9 Visit of Secretary General of Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to India 10 IRAN Visit of Foreign Minister of Iran to India 10 LAOS External Affairs Minister's visit to Laos 11 NEPAL Visit of External Affairs Minister to Nepal 13 OFFICIAL SPOKESMAN'S STATEMENTS Discussion on Political and Economic Deve- lopments in the region
    [Show full text]
  • The Gordian Knot: Apartheid & the Unmaking of the Liberal World Order, 1960-1970
    THE GORDIAN KNOT: APARTHEID & THE UNMAKING OF THE LIBERAL WORLD ORDER, 1960-1970 DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of the Ohio State University By Ryan Irwin, B.A., M.A. History ***** The Ohio State University 2010 Dissertation Committee: Professor Peter Hahn Professor Robert McMahon Professor Kevin Boyle Professor Martha van Wyk © 2010 by Ryan Irwin All rights reserved. ABSTRACT This dissertation examines the apartheid debate from an international perspective. Positioned at the methodological intersection of intellectual and diplomatic history, it examines how, where, and why African nationalists, Afrikaner nationalists, and American liberals contested South Africa’s place in the global community in the 1960s. It uses this fight to explore the contradictions of international politics in the decade after second-wave decolonization. The apartheid debate was never at the center of global affairs in this period, but it rallied international opinions in ways that attached particular meanings to concepts of development, order, justice, and freedom. As such, the debate about South Africa provides a microcosm of the larger postcolonial moment, exposing the deep-seated differences between politicians and policymakers in the First and Third Worlds, as well as the paradoxical nature of change in the late twentieth century. This dissertation tells three interlocking stories. First, it charts the rise and fall of African nationalism. For a brief yet important moment in the early and mid-1960s, African nationalists felt genuinely that they could remake global norms in Africa’s image and abolish the ideology of white supremacy through U.N.
    [Show full text]
  • Administration of Donald J. Trump, 2019 Remarks Prior to a Meeting
    Administration of Donald J. Trump, 2019 Remarks Prior to a Meeting With President Emmanuel Macron of France and an Exchange With Reporters in Caen, France June 6, 2019 [President Macron began his remarks in French, and no translation was provided.] President Macron. I will say a few words in English, and I will repeat them exactly what I say. And I wanted first to thank you, President Donald Trump, for your presence here in this place. And thanks to your country, your nation, and your veterans. This morning we paid this tribute to their courage. And I think it was a great moment to celebrate and celebrate these people. President Trump. It was. President Macron. And I think your presence here to celebrate them, and their presence, is for me the best evidence of this unbreakable links between our two nations. From the very beginning of the American nation and all over the different centenaries, I think this message they conveyed to us, and our main tribute, is precisely to protect freedom and democracy everywhere. And this is why I'm always extremely happy to discuss with you in Washington, in Paris, or everywhere, in Caen today, is because we work very closely together. Our soldiers work very closely together—— President Trump. It's true, it's true. President Macron. ——in Sahel, in Iraq, in Syria. Each time freedom and democracy is at stake, we work closely together, and we will follow up. So thanks for this friendship. President Trump. Thank you very much. President Macron. Thanks for what your country did for my country.
    [Show full text]
  • U.S.-South Korea Relations
    U.S.-South Korea Relations Mark E. Manyin, Coordinator Specialist in Asian Affairs Emma Chanlett-Avery Specialist in Asian Affairs Mary Beth D. Nikitin Specialist in Nonproliferation Brock R. Williams Analyst in International Trade and Finance Jonathan R. Corrado Research Associate May 23, 2017 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R41481 U.S.-South Korea Relations Summary Overview South Korea (officially the Republic of Korea, or ROK) is one of the United States’ most important strategic and economic partners in Asia. Congressional interest in South Korea is driven by both security and trade interests. Since the early 1950s, the U.S.-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty commits the United States to help South Korea defend itself. Approximately 28,500 U.S. troops are based in the ROK, which is included under the U.S. “nuclear umbrella.” Washington and Seoul cooperate in addressing the challenges posed by North Korea. The two countries’ economies are joined by the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA). South Korea is the United States’ seventh-largest trading partner and the United States is South Korea’s second- largest trading partner. Between 2009 and the end of 2016, relations between the two countries arguably reached their most robust state in decades. Political changes in both countries in 2017, however, have generated uncertainty about the state of the relationship. Coordination of North Korea Policy Dealing with North Korea is the dominant strategic concern of the relationship. The Trump Administration appears to have raised North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs to a top U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • The Issue of Cyprus in the EU Accession of Turkey
    Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union Volume 2011 2011 Article 4 April 2013 The sI sue of Cyprus in the EU Accession of Turkey Melike Baştürk Pitzer College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarship.claremont.edu/urceu Part of the Eastern European Studies Commons, and the International Relations Commons Recommended Citation Baştürk, Melike (2011) "The sI sue of Cyprus in the EU Accession of Turkey," Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union: Vol. 2011, Article 4. DOI: 10.5642/urceu.201101.04 Available at: http://scholarship.claremont.edu/urceu/vol2011/iss1/4 This Chapter is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at Claremont at Scholarship @ Claremont. It has been accepted for inclusion in Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union by an authorized administrator of Scholarship @ Claremont. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Claremont–UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union 15 2 The Issue of Cyprus in the EU Accession of Turkey Melike Basturk A Divided Island: Cyprus It has always been hard to draw the map of Europe due to incomplete depictions of its geography. The borders of Europe include the states settled in Asia such as the Russian Federation, Azerbaijan and Armenia in the Council of Europe and even Israel in the song contest of Europe, Eurovision. However, the Europeanness of states like Turkey and Ukraine are always in question when it comes to the European Union (and the EC, its pre-1993 pre- decessor), even if both are in the Council of Europe simultaneously.
    [Show full text]
  • Presidential Transitions: Issues Involving Outgoing and Incoming Administrations
    Order Code RL34722 Presidential Transitions: Issues Involving Outgoing and Incoming Administrations Updated November 25, 2008 L. Elaine Halchin Coordinator Government and Finance Division Presidential Transitions: Issues Involving Outgoing and Incoming Administrations Summary The smooth and orderly transfer of power can be a notable feature of presidential transitions, and a testament to the legitimacy and durability of the electoral and democratic processes. Yet, at the same time, a variety of events, decisions, and activities contribute to what some may characterize as the unfolding drama of a presidential transition. Interparty transitions in particular might be contentious. Using the various powers available, a sitting President might use the transition period to attempt to secure his legacy or effect policy changes. Some observers have suggested that, if the incumbent has lost the election, he might try to enact policies in the waning months of his presidency that would “tie his successor’s hands.” On the other hand, a President-elect, eager to establish his policy agenda and populate his Administration with his appointees, will be involved in a host of decisions and activities, some of which might modify or overturn the previous Administration’s actions or decisions. Both the incumbent and the newly elected President can act unilaterally, through executive orders, recess appointments, and appointments to positions that do not require Senate confirmation. Additionally, a President can appoint individuals to positions that require Senate confirmation, and a presidential administration can influence the pace and substance of agency rulemaking. The disposition of government records (including presidential records and vice presidential records), the practice of “burrowing in” (which involves the conversion of political appointees to career status in the civil service), and the granting of pardons are three activities associated largely with the outgoing President’s Administration.
    [Show full text]
  • France Study Trip “Presidential Election in France” a Project Within the Boschalumninetwork
    Politicis of France Study trip “Presidential Election in France” a project within the BoschAlumniNetwork France Area Total 643,801 km2 Metropolitan France1 551,695 km2 Population Total January 2017 estimate 66,991,000 (20th) Metropolitan France January 2017 estimate 64,859,000[5] (22nd) Metropolitan France Density 117,6/km2 Politics of France The Fifth Republic The Fifth Republic was established by Charles de Gaulle under the Constitution of the Fifth Republic on 4 October 1958. It emerged from the collapse of the Fourth Republic, replacing the former parliamen- tary republic with a semi-presidential, or dual-executive, system that split powers between a prime min- ister as head of government and a president as head of state. De Gaulle, who was the first president elected under the Fifth Republic in December 1958, believed in a strong head of state, which he de- scribed as embodying “l'esprit de la nation” (the spirit of the nation). The nation declares itself to be an "indivisible, secular, democratic, and social Republic". The constitu- tion provides for a separation of powers and proclaims France's "attachment to the Rights of Man and the principles of national sovereignty as defined by the Declaration of 1789." The Fifth Republic is France's third-longest political regime, after the hereditary and feudal monarchies of the Ancien Régime (15th century – 1792) and the parliamentary Third Republic (1879–1940). Executive branch Executive power is exercised by the President of the Republic and the Government. The Government consists of the Prime Minister and ministers. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President, and is responsible to Parliament.
    [Show full text]
  • VLADIMIR PUTIN: an ASPIRANT METTERNICH? by Mitchell A
    JANUARY 2015 VLADIMIR PUTIN: AN ASPIRANT METTERNICH? By Mitchell A. Orenstein Mitchell A. Orenstein is Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science at Northeastern University in Boston and an affiliate of both the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies and the Minda de Gunzberg Center for European Studies at Harvard University. As Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his military into Ukraine in 2014, people were quick to compare him to Adolph Hitler, whose annexation of Austria and invasions of Czechoslovakia and Poland set off World War II. Hillary Clinton commented in March 2014 that if Putin’s justification for taking Crimea to protect ethnic Russians sounded familiar, it was because, “it’s what Hitler did back in the ’30s. Germans by ancestry were in places like Czechoslovakia and Romania and other places, [and] Hitler kept saying they’re not being treated right. I must go and protect my people.” Since that time Ukrainian Euromaidan supporters have published dramatic images of Putin as “Putler,” mashups that have trended wildly on social media and become a staple of public protests. Yet, Putin’s approach to world affairs is more similar to that of another Austrian, Prince Klemens von Metternich. Like Metternich, the dominant force in post-Napoleonic era diplomacy, Putin is a conservative imperialist who seeks to create a balance or “concert” between the great powers in Europe, while suppressing liberal democratic politics and the aspirations of small nations. By comparing Putin’s worldview with that of Metternich, one can gain more insight into Putin’s approach to world affairs than can be understood from much contemporary debate.
    [Show full text]
  • Policy Brief Spoke About Preserving the Achievements of the Enlightenment)
    EUROPEAN COUNCIL ON FOREIGN BRIEF POLICY RELATIONS ecfr.eu THE YOUNG AND THE RESTFUL: WHY YOUNG GERMANS HAVE NO VISION FOR EUROPE Ulrike Franke SUMMARY The young are the future! Or so the world believes. Few tropes • German millennials (those born after 1980) appear are used as regularly in democratic politics as references to the to be unambitious about reforming the European young who will determine – and hopefully save – the world of Union. Their focus is on safeguarding what has been the future, by coming up with new ideas and visions. This hope achieved rather than creating something new. is particularly present within the European Union, because the • Data from various surveys and interviews indicate EU has a vision problem. In the early decades of the European that Germans aged between 18 and 29 hold project, its architects successfully linked their ideal of a unified stereotypically German views on European and Europe to initiatives that had a substantive real-life impact foreign policy. They maintain a cautious approach to on citizens’ lives, such as borderless travel and a common anything related to the military, and a preference for currency. Through this combination of lofty ambition and decision-making that involves the whole EU rather real-world projects, they secured support from both idealists smaller groups of member states. and pragmatists. But the system no longer functions as it once • Young Germans’ ideal EU would be carefully led by did. These practical projects have become a reality – along Germany, and focused on European unity, peace, with several of their unforeseen negative consequences – and and ecology.
    [Show full text]
  • Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 108 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION
    E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 108 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 150 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2004 No. 139 House of Representatives The House was not in session today. Its next meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 4, 2005, at 12 noon. Senate WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2004 The Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and was generations. Thank You for Your pro- ple with issues and wisdom to seek called to order by the President pro tection. You make wars to cease, de- Your guidance. tempore (Mr. STEVENS). stroying the weapons of those who Bless and strengthen the many staff- fight against Your purposes. Today, ers who provide the wind beneath the PRAYER guide our lawmakers with Your justice wings of our leaders. Bring to them a The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- and keep them as the apple of Your bountiful harvest for their many fered the following prayer: eye. Instruct them in Your wisdom and months of faithful toil. Let us pray. hide them under the shadow of Your Bless all who mourn the loss of Stan Faithful God, who stretches out the wings. Help them to find light in Your Kimmitt. He will be greatly missed. Earth above the waters, Your Name is laws and knowledge in Your instruc- We pray this in Your holy Name. great and Your goodness extends to all tions. Give them patience as they grap- Amen. NOTICE If the 108th Congress, 2d Session, adjourns sine die on or before December 10, 2004, a final issue of the Congres- sional Record for the 108th Congress, 2d Session, will be published on Monday, December 20, 2004, in order to permit Members to revise and extend their remarks.
    [Show full text]