Under the controversial initiative, Algeria, Morocco, Lebanon, and Israel will be separated from European countries in the EU's European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) on the grounds that they will never be allowed to join the EU.
The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, who is to spearhead the shake-up when Berlin takes over the EU's presidency next January, believes the EU is sending out the wrong signal by lumping continental and non-European countries together
Angel Merkel should have put her foot in her mouth on this one. She, and she's not alone, still doesn't understand that the E.U is a concept not a continent, it's the idea that countries with the same democratic values can join forces regardless of border lines, language or faith since it's a secular concept. It should have been called the United States of Europe to make things clearer for the dimwitted.
Statesmen(women) are visionnaries, she definitely isn't. The founders of the E.U were. They built an organisation on the promise that after two bloody, costly wars we would no longer resolve our issues at the barrel of a big Bertha, on the promise that if we pull our ressources together, food scarity would be a distant memory, excellent health care would not be a luxury only for the upper class...etc When the iron curtain fell, that promise was extended to Poland, Hungary and others, which made them surpass themselves. People need visions, dreams, hope, if that promise is extended to mediterranean countries, I surmise that our country would reach economical and social progress targets faster than any eastern country. North Africa's future is in a union with Algeria, Tunisia and Lybia, later when that Union is fully on its feet it would naturally coalesce with the E.U like bits of oil in a glass of water, because it's the nature of things, stability and wealth always meets stability and wealth. But, and this is the part that's going to make people cringe, religion has to be taken out of the equation, the future is secular or we will have no future. A mosque is a place of worship, a parliament is a place of law, the law of Men and, yes, of Women. M6 gave us some freedoms, what did we do with those freedoms ? who is leading the polls in the next elections ? I put myself in a post 9/11 european mind, I'd be worried.
But Angela Merkel is a leader, a true leader should be able to look 20/30 years down the line, she's not, she's a "parvenue", she is part of the nouveau riche society that lived behind the iron curtain, she's still under the impression that the U.S re-built Europe after the war, that's why she went hobnobbing with the moron at the White House. Europeans re-built Europe, I won't go into financial details but the Marshall Plan was financial wizardry, that's all it was. Scriptural money was made available to give the illusion, the hope of prosperity, the Americans took credit for the all thing but the sweat was definitely european.
One last detail for Ms Merkel, you want to expand eastward ? include Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia...etc : you think Putin is going to let you get away with it ? With all his rethoric about the old Mother Russia, he'd rather build another iron curtain than see you put european borders on his front lawn. Europe's peace of mind and stability is with an expansion southward for a simple reason : a stable, wealthy north Africa is the best barbedwire border you could ever dream of and wealthy people....don't fight so much.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/18/2006 06:24 by chelhman.
just without emotions we know very well that our country is faaaaaar away from satisfaying the EU membership conditions...talking economically...a true leader is also who keeps protecting the interests of the leaded country....we wanna be a part of Europe we should first free our head from the idea that the Europeens are there to take us away from our relegion, traditions and values...we can not see them as a monster and enemy...on the other hand we wanna be their partner...if you see what I mean....
I don't see Europe as a monster, if you read my post, it's quite the opposite. I think Europe is a wonderful political and economical experimentation and I'm looking northwards for our future. However, as you said we are not ready at all, and Europe is not ready for us as well. But in the meantime, if we could stop squabbling with the Algerians over the Sahara issue or our other north african neighbours, we could draw from that experimentation and grow. But so far, we doing ok on our own, I believe we are heading in the right direction.
The chance of morroco ever becoming an EU member is close to nil for unerstandable reasons. It would not be beneficial to either the EU or Morocco I think.
it's not about you...I'm talking generally...this is mostly what a lot of people in our country think about Europe...just check a couple of posts when it comes to some of our issues involving Europeens you will see how negative we think about them....yes we are not ready yet ...either economically nor mentally to be aible to work with europe....we got long way to go... if we are heading in the right direction?...I don't know...maybe?...before we haven't overcome poverety...correption....we haven't got social, health and an educational system....a good employement rate...the approprate infrastructure...I can't say....
About the negative view you're mentioning, if you're referring to the forums here, most of the posts are from MREs and they're more conservative than their fellows citizens in Morocco (MRM). The discrimination and racism issues some of them face, play a large part in that view. But when I speak with MRMs, they have no problem with Europe, most of them would jump at an opportunity to emigrate. As for going in the right direction, I'm just thinking ahead, I know the situation looks gloomy now for some, but I'm factoring in the initiatives that are being taken now, I believe that when they start yielding results, it'll be more apparent. The social european model is definitely something I wish for my country now : a solid healthcare system, an unemployment compensation system that doesn't leave people stranded when they're in between jobs, because looking for a job is a job, it requires money to take a bus to go to an interview, to make phone calls to answer ads...etc, there's also the retirement system which might be failing in Europe because the age pyramid is now reversed but it's not the case in Morocco, it's the opposite. Whether we or the europeans (specially Ms Merkel), like it or not, we are bound together by a geographic and historical reality.
I’m not gonna defend Ms. Merkel ...I don’t agree with a lot of points in her politic anyway but I understand her when she says we may not be able to be a part of Europe... I’m sure she is not the only one…. many European leaders think the same….certainly we are related to Europe geographically and historically…but!..is that enough to enter the EU…? In a country where you still find a family with 5 persons living in one room apartment with 100 Euro income…not to mention the situation in the public hospitals…the street’s kids…ect… which future or perspectives have got those persons?….how will they contribute to this union??…I really don’t know …..that’s the reality!…there are conditions to enter the EU …can we satisfy them the question could be discussed otherwise it won’t work !….that’s the economical aspect …the other aspect is how do we see Europe ? the different experiences show that our people have never accepted the European culture and lifestyle …indeed some tolerate it but the most of them would never see much in common with them …even people who were born and grow up in Europe a lot of them had problems to find themselves in those societies (integration’s issue)…not to mention the religion that makes a real barrier between the two "worlds".....I think the EU membership isn’t a priority for us at the moment ..we’ve got so many serious problems to fix regardless of what Ms. Merkel thinks.....
I agree with what you say, Europe is not a priority right now, we have enough work to do. I just don't like what's behind the flat out "no way !" from Merkel, especially when Morocco isn't a even a candidate, I don't like it's where it's coming from, it's the same "no" she's giving to Turkey, it's not based on reason or any sound judgement. It's a bigoted, ignorant, populist "no". Call it pride or plain berber stuborness but I don't appreciate some former east-german peasant to tell me "no" when I'm not even asking, we're not beggars.
I understand your anger! it’s quite frustrating to know how negative some countries could think about us…but that’s the game ….if we don’t follow the rules the result will be as you’ve said “no”…the ball is in our camp now to work hard in order to improve the situation in our country and our image will automatically change…… as for the “East German peasant”…..I can’t see clearly why are you pointing out the fact she is East German! …it sounds for me like because of her East German background she is not allowed to say what she thinks?!…the fact is she was chosen by more West German than East German which means she represents rather what the west German opinion even I don’t like the separation EAST and WEST simply because it doesn’t exist anymore….for sure we are not beggars but we are in a position that doesn’t allowed us much to decide in the European politic …however .in the politic and business there is no place for emotions….. hope you will not feel offended …I’m just saying my point of view…….
I understand your anger! it’s quite frustrating to know how negative some countries could think about us…but that’s the game ….if we don’t follow the rules the result will be as you’ve said “no”…the ball is in our camp now to work hard in order to improve the situation in our country and our image will automatically change…… as for the “East German peasant”…..I can’t see clearly why are you pointing out the fact she is East German! …it sounds for me like because of her East German background she is not allowed to say what she thinks?!…the fact is she was chosen by more West German than East German which means she represents rather the west German opinion even I don’t like the separation EAST and WEST simply because it doesn’t exist anymore….for sure we are not beggars but we are in a position that doesn’t allowed us much to decide in the European politic …however .in the politic and business there is no place for emotions….. hope you will not feel offended …I’m just saying my point of view…….
No, of course you have not offended me, it would take way more than that About the "east german" thing, I work a lot with Germans in my business, so I know a little bit about their mentality, my friends in the west part also agree with me : the older generation like Merkel who still remember living behind the Berlin wall are very conservative, usually bigoted, that's why I went off on her, I knew where that comment came from. She's part of those people who agreed with Rumsfeld when he divided Europeans with his "old Europe" strategy, they think the US is still a benevolent force. One of the first thing, she did when she came to office was to warm relations with the moron in the White House. I couldn't listen to him more than 10 mn even you pay me, did you see what he did to her in the G8 summit* ? Serves her right ! And again here, I'm not an anti-US, quite the opposite, I think the US is a great nation but it has been hijacked a long time ago by corporate interests.
As for Morocco joining the EU, this is something that might be raised 25/30 years down the line, but I expect a head of state to be more diplomatic in her phrasing not pander to the dummest of the electorate, that's populism.
I believe you ...however I lived in Germany more than 10 years and trust me conservative are they all not only the eastern part.….living in other countries I sometime had the impression that Germans are so conservative that they become too old… I mean the mentality…… indeed when Merkel became chancellor one of her plane was to improve the relations between the USA and Germany as the previous chancellor Shroeder didn’t invest much in this point to avoid getting involved in the Iraq issue ….but her idea was much more making the difference between Shroeder’s and her politic that people think she’ll fixe again what Shroeder destroyed in the relations with the States …..anyway this is another story... back to our country I agree we have a long way till we even could think about the membership in the EU…..this is the reality ….how a head of a country express it will not change much …I guess…..
chargement...
