• 10 DOWNING STREET 16th April, 1991 Tnank you so much for your letter of 151'h Ar,ril. It is very good of you to have taken so much trouble in preparing this report for the Prime Minister, following your important discussions in Bonn on 19th and 20th of last month. I will show your letter to the Prime Minister on her return to London on 25th April. Ian Gow Tom Normanton, Esq., T.D., M.P., M.E.P. From: Tom Normanton, TD, MP, MEP. • HOUSE C)F COMMONS LONDON SW1A OAA 15th April 1981 As promised, a memo for the Prime Minister. On Thursday and Friday, 19th and 20th March I flew to Bonn to attend for the third time the annual get-together between French and German industrialists, bankers and prominent politicians of the "centre right". The names read rather like an extract from Debrett. The political objectives of the 60 or more attending includes a powerful commitment to European unity and complete integration, with Franco-German relations as the keystone around which all developments should take shape. During the discussions which lasted two days there was scarcely a reference to Britain, although on two occasions I have been invited to take the Chair. As you know I speak French and German fluently. Ex-President Scheel, Leisler Kiep, Manfred Worner, Helmut Kohl and Martin Bangemann were among the prominent German politicians and several influential German M.E.P.s. See list which is attached. It includes the French participants. I had an intense discussion, a deux, with Helmut Kohl lasting almost two hours over lunch. I believe the Prime Minister could be interested in some of the views he expressed very strongly:- Europe's future depends on Franco-German relations. These relations must take fully into account German feelings on "our family being artificially divided". He is convinced Giscard will win 54% to 46% but will not last more than 2/3 years: "And then who? Le deluge?". cont'd • • 2. He feels acutely that there is only one political party in Europe with which he can identify - the Conservative Party. There is no Party or personality of major power significance in France (after Giscard) and this worries him for the future. He is to meet the Prime Minister in a few weeks time - "but what is happening to her Government? Revolt? Serious dissension? It's terribly distressing. Will she survive? If not....etc". "Of course she is not a European like us. Ever since the Community was formed, we (the Six) have lived in each other's pockets day and night. I am in constant touch with political friends in the other States as if they were in the same office block. For example, I have the sons of A4wiTsrt-s_staying at my home as guests.etc.". grlielmutkSchmilt will not last longer than 1981 and we with the FDP will take over Government in Spring 1982". He was deeply interested in relations of British M.E.P.s to Westminster and commented personality-wise about German M.E.P.s to Bundestag. Very knowledgeable of political currents in and with the European Parliament and appeared to place great importance on future developments of it as a key element in European unity. Worried about political fragmentation and anti- Europeanism in Belgium, Holland and Denmark - "This highlights the vital importance of Franco-German integration. But however 'zersplittert' the small Member States must be and feel part of Europe". Kept off the Italian question:: The growth of Brazil, ASEAN and Japan in industry and technology presents a rising challenge to Europe. Without unity and integration impossible to meet. Just as significant as USSR or USA. 1) "Born in Pfalz, I simply do not recognise the existence of a frontier. As a student I breathed in my Europeanism from Robert Schuman personally at his home". ....cont'd../ 3. 15th April 1981 "Paris to Moscow is only 4 hours longer tank drive than Bonn to Moscow". 'There is no military or political safety in separate national policies". "Barbed wire divides our family, we want to be united". Hope the Prime Minister will find these notes of interest. I spend a lot of time in contact with German industrialists and politicians and could write a book about what I hear! Ian Gow, Esq., M.P. LISTE DER DEUTSCHEN TEILNEHMER • AN DER KONFERENZ AM 19.120.3.1981 IN BONN-BAD GODESBERG Herr Theodor Althoff, Mitglied des Vorstandes der Karstadt AG, Essen Herr Siegbert Alber,Mitglied des Europaischen Parlaments, Stuttgart Frau Gabriele von rrnim, GeschaftsfUhrerin des Deutsch-Franzbsischen'Kreises e.V.,DUsseldorf Herr Wichard von Arnim, Düsseldorf Dr. Martin Bangemann, Mitglied des Europaischen Parlaments, Bonn Dr. Bruno Baur, Mitglied des Vorstandes der Kreditanstalt fUr Wiederaufbau, Bad Homburg Dr. jur. Curt Becker, Mitinhaber der Herrenkleider- fabrik Clemens August Becker, MOnchengladbach - Herr Heiner Becker, Mitinhaber der Brauerei Gaffel Kblsch, Kbln - Dr. Klaus F. Beckmann, Rechtsanwalt, Düsseldorf Dr. Ulrich Benner, Ministerialdirigent, Standiger Vertreter des Bevollmachtigten des Landes Schleswig-Holstein beim Bund, Bonn Herr Karl-Friedrich von Below, Mitinhaber und GeschaftsfUhrer der Firma Friedrich Helbig - Stahlbetonbau GmbH & Co, Kiel 411Herr Karl Heinz Bilke, HauptgeschaftsfUhrer der Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V., St. Augustin Dr. Philipp von Bismarck, Mitglied des Europaischen Parlaments, Vorsitzender des Wirtschaftsrates der CDU e.V., Vorsitzender der Gesellschaft zur Fbrderung eines Vereinigten Europas e.V., Bonn Dr. Ferdinand von Bismarck-Osten, Bonn Dr. Henning von Boehmer, GeschaftsfUhrer des Wirtschaftsrates der CDU e.V., Bonn Herr Wilfried Braun, Vorsitzender des Vorstandes der Hartmann & Braun AG, Frankfurt Herr Maurice Boutet, Belgische Botschaft, Bonn Sigismund Freiherr von Braun, Botschafter a.D., Bonn Herr Helmut Buecker, Düsseldorf Dr. Ernst Coenen, Köln Herr Dieter Julius Cronenberg, Mitglied des Deutschen Bundestages, Bonn Dr. Walter Damm, Direktor des Bankhauses Sal. Oppenheim jr.& Cie, Köln Dr. Wolfgang Deuker, GeschaftsfUhrer des Wirtschaftsrates der CDU e.V., Bonn Frau Maryvonne-Heldne Dieu, Essen Herr Gerhard Eickhorn, Generalsekretar des Deutschen Rates der Europaischen Bewegung, Bonn Dr. Otmar Franz, Mitglied des Europaischen Parlaments, Duisburg 3 Dr. Inge Friedrich, Mitglied des Europaischen Parlaments, Gunzenhausen Herr Rainer Funke, Mitglied des Deutschen Bundestages, Bonn Dr. h.c. Helmut Geiger, Prasident des Deutschen Sparkassen und Giroverbandes e.V., Bonn Dr. Michael Gelzer, Botschafter der Schweiz, Bonn Dr. Hans-Karl Glinz, Velbert Herr Walter Glössner,. Allgemeine Elsassische sank- gesellschaft, Filiale Köln Jean-Pius Graf von Goess, Geschaftsführer der Firma Villeroy & Boch S.A., Paris Herr Diethard Gottschalk, Prasident des Deutsch- Franzbsischen Arbeitskreises, Bonn Dr. Harro Gurland, Rechtsanwalt, Köln Dr. argen Hartmann, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V., Paris Herr Herbert Heinrichs, Forstassessor a.D.,-Rocquencourt Herr Horst Hoerster, Generaldirektor der Siemens AG, AuBenstelle Bonn Dr. Helmut Holl, Vertretung des Landes Niedersachsen beim Bund, Bonn - Herr Peter Hollenweger, Schweizerische Botschaft, Bonn Prof. Dr. Norbert Horn, Direktor des Zentrums für Interdisziplinare Forschung der Universitat Bielefeld • • 4 Herr Alphons Horten, Bonn Frau Erika Jantscha, Düsseldorf Frau Hildegard Kaiser, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V., Politische Akademie Eichholz, Wesseling Herr Walther Leisler Kiep, Mitglied des Deutschen Bundestages, Finanzminister a.D., Bonn Dr. Paul Krebs, Rechtsanwalt, Generalbevollmachtigter a.D. der Deutschen Bank AG, Bad Homburg Dr. Egon Alfred Klepsch, Mitglied des Europaischen Parlaments, Koblenz Dr. Helmut Kohl, Mitglied des Deutschen Bundestages, Vorsitzender der CDU-CSU-Fraktion, Bonn Herr Henning von KUrten, Mitglied des Vorstandes der Maschinenfabrik Esslingen AG, Esslingen Hagen Graf Lambsdorf, Ministerialdirigent, Presse- und Informationsamt der Bundesregierung, Bonn Prof. Dr.-Ing. Karl-Heinz Laermann, Mitglied des Deutschen Bundestages, Bonn Frau Dr. Gudrun Lassen, Inhaberin und GeschaftsfUhrerin der Firma Carl J. Weiler Eisen und Stahl KG, Köln Herr Gerd Lemmer, Mitglied des Europaischen Parlaments, Staatsminister a.D., Mitglied des Vorstandes der Maschinenfabrik Buckau R. Wolf AG, Kbln Frau Marlene Lenz, Mitglied des Europaischen Parlaments, Bonn, Dr. Karl Otto Lenz, Mitglied des Deutschen Bundestages, Bonn Herr Bernhard Mauchand, Gutrard Delbor Vallas & Panrevisa Treuhand, Dusseldorf Herr Wilhelm Maurenbrecher, Inhaber der Firma Textile Roh- und Industrie-Betriebsstoffe Chr. Cremer & Co KG, Krefeld Herr Paul Meiners, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V„ Politische Akademie Eichholz, Wesseling Herr Kurt Meissner, Rechtsanwalt und Notar, Berlin Dr. GUnter Metz, Mitglied des Vorstandes der Hoechst Aktiengesellschaft, Frankfurt Herr Georg Muck, Mönchengladbach Herr Reinhard Muller, Bonn Herr Willi Muller, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V„ Politische Akademie Eichholz, Wesseling - Dr. Dieter Murmann, Mitglied des Vorstandesund GeschaftsfUhrerdet Firma J.P. Sauer & Sohn Maschinenfabrik, Kiel Herr Alfred Hubertus Neuhaus, Mitglied des Deutschen Bundestages, Bonn Herr Dr. von der Osten, Deutsche BP Aktiengesellschaft, Unternehmensvertretung Bonn Herr Friedrich Pack, Krefeld Dr. Albert Pfeiffer, GeschaftsfUhrendes Vorstands- mitglied des Stahlrohrverbandes e.V., Düsseldorf Dr. A. Pikalo, Notar, DUren Dr. HG. Pöttering, Mitglied des Europaischen Parlamentsf BersenbrUck 6 Herr Ernst H. Plesser, Generalbevollmachtigter Deutschen Bank AG, Königstein Herr Eberhard Pohlmann, Mitglied des Deutschen Bundestages, Bonn Frau Renate Charlotte Rabbethge, Mitglied des Europaischen