Bluezoo
03-09-2005, 01:04 PM
Germany and France Are Cooking the Euro Books
Introducing the euro turned out to be a breeze. Establishing and following the rules underpinning it, however, is proving much dicier. On Wednesday, German commentators stick it to German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and French President Jacques Chirac for dissing attempts to rewrite the EU monetary rulebook. Commentators also ask whether Ukrainian President Yushchenko is a hero or the president of a nation of criminals?
DPA
European monetary policy is proving a constant source of EU strife.
Luxembourg's Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker is not a happy man. After slogging through a series of marathon meetings with European finance ministers Tuesday, he emerged to say that efforts to rewrite Europe's battered rulebook were on the verge of collapse. Juncker just couldn't squeeze enough consensus out of European Union members to come up with a new version of the much maligned Stability and Growth pact, which forbids euro-zone countries from maintaining a budget deficit in excess of 3 percent of their gross national product. "I am seriously considering the option of not changing the pact at all," he told reporters. "I have no desire to replace a pact which works badly with a pact that gives the impression of working but that will work badly later." He also said he had no intention of turning the pact into a "banal instrument which has no effect on budget policy." Two of the most flagrant violators have been Europe's economic motors -- France and Germany. Both nations have pleaded extenuating circumstances, saying social reforms -- and in Germany's case, absorbing the former East Germany -- have made it impossible to play by the rules.
On Wednesday, the conservative daily Die Welt lambasts both Berlin and Paris for their lack of foresight and for selfish tunnel vision when it comes to monetary policy. "The Franco-European policy could not be more contradictory," the paper laments. "On the one hand, the ratification of the EU constitution cannot happen quickly enough for Paris and Berlin. On the other, they do everything to undermine existing EU agreements.... This contradiction ... shows how much they misunderstand the EU." Plus, insists the paper, both leaders are revelling in the power their EU status gives them, but not looking at the bigger picture of what the EU needs to accomplish. "When they use the EU as a vehicle for their global political ambition and play the constitutional fathers, Berlin and Paris are profiting from something the EU is not there to do, increase the power of heads of state," the paper says. "Berlin and Paris constantly attempt to avoid what the EU is supposed to do, and has done: to open up markets and free citizens from the paternalism of individual states."
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, doesn't pull any punches either, but says directly, "The actual targets of Juncker's threat are in Berlin and Paris." The chief offenders, Schroeder and Chirac, are to blame, the paper says, for giving the impression that they are in cahoots. On the eve of the finance meetings, the two men met in Blomberg, Germany for talks. "Juncker simply cannot accept the way Schroeder and Chirac seemingly moved the emphasis of the negotiations from Brussels to Blomberg in a calculated act of disrespect for the Luxembourg compromise," the paper writes. It also dismisses Juncker's threat to leave the pact as it is as "political tactics aimed at reaching an agreement." Still, it questions if the reforms called for are sensible and wonders aloud if the "best option isn't to stick with the old."
The left-leaning Die Tageszeitung leaves no doubt as to its opinion on the debate. In its opening line the paper states flatly, "The Germans want to grill themselves an extra bratwurst in Brussels and the French stand by and say 'bon appetit.'" Unfortunately for them, the other 23 member states aren't willing to accept the pact as a "Lex Germania," says the paper. Although each nation has different opinions about how the pact should look, everyone agrees that Germany should not be treated as a special case or be allowed unique privileges because of the financial strain of reunification. "Once again, the Paris-Berlin axis has caused a huge reaction of defiance. Not for the first time, one wonders if Schroeder and Chirac are aware of what effect their public show of good-old-boy friendship has on the smaller EU member states. Their meeting on the eve of the council of finance ministers once again conveyed the message: if we agree beforehand, the rest of you can forget your proposals." The other big subject of discussion was the state visit by newly-elected Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko in Berlin. On Wednesday, the hero of the Orange Revolution was due to speak in front of German parliament, but already much of what he intends to say has already been leaked, namely his hope that Ukraine will one day join the EU and his praise for beleaguered Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer. Fischer is immersed in a visa scandal in which tens of thousands Ukrainians -- including *** slaves and pimps -- were allowed to enter into Germany. Yushchenko insists that the affair is giving Ukraine an unfair reputation as a land of criminals. The sad part of the affair is the timing: in addition to being hailed as Europe's darling and the force of change for Ukraine, Yushchenko is being portrayed as the president of a nation filled with rogues. The financial daily Handelsblatt ponders this contradiction in its lead editorial, saying, "A double Viktor Yushchenko takes the stage today. The Ukrainian is the celebrated leader of a peaceful revolution. Yet on the other hand, he is the president of a country which many Germans fear because they associate it with an onslaught of illegal workers." Such coupling, says the paper is silly. "It is nonsense to link clearing up the visa affair with the ideological accusation that freedom of movement, encouraged by the Schroeder-Fischer team, was a conscious 'opening of the floodgates' for migrants." In truth, says the paper, a new debate is needed. With a fairly-elected government installed in Ukraine, the "number of visitors from a democratic Ukraine will and should increase.... If Yushchenko's speech ignites this debate, then his visit will have been a success."
The Berliner Zeitung uses a cartoon to capture the double edge of Yushchenko's position. The cartoon shows Yushchenko with his hands splayed against a wall being searched by two gun-toting German security officers in front of Germany's parliament building. The caption reads, "Not so fast Mr. Yushchenko. You can't go in before you've explained to us where you got your visa."
Finally, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung remarks that Ukraine's desire to join the EU creates a dilemma for Europe. "On the one hand, Europe can be proud of the magnetic pull the union has for former East European states. On the other side, for various reasons, it has to cool hopes of membership." Plus, the paper says, for the moment, Europe has quite enough on its plate just with the members it has. Ukraine's development, though, should be applauded, although, as the paper points out, the nation is "not yet stable." Nor is its relationship with Russia entirely clear. Still, the paper asks, "Can Ukraine be deprived of chances that other states -- most recently Turkey -- were offered?"
http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,345546,00.html
Introducing the euro turned out to be a breeze. Establishing and following the rules underpinning it, however, is proving much dicier. On Wednesday, German commentators stick it to German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and French President Jacques Chirac for dissing attempts to rewrite the EU monetary rulebook. Commentators also ask whether Ukrainian President Yushchenko is a hero or the president of a nation of criminals?
DPA
European monetary policy is proving a constant source of EU strife.
Luxembourg's Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker is not a happy man. After slogging through a series of marathon meetings with European finance ministers Tuesday, he emerged to say that efforts to rewrite Europe's battered rulebook were on the verge of collapse. Juncker just couldn't squeeze enough consensus out of European Union members to come up with a new version of the much maligned Stability and Growth pact, which forbids euro-zone countries from maintaining a budget deficit in excess of 3 percent of their gross national product. "I am seriously considering the option of not changing the pact at all," he told reporters. "I have no desire to replace a pact which works badly with a pact that gives the impression of working but that will work badly later." He also said he had no intention of turning the pact into a "banal instrument which has no effect on budget policy." Two of the most flagrant violators have been Europe's economic motors -- France and Germany. Both nations have pleaded extenuating circumstances, saying social reforms -- and in Germany's case, absorbing the former East Germany -- have made it impossible to play by the rules.
On Wednesday, the conservative daily Die Welt lambasts both Berlin and Paris for their lack of foresight and for selfish tunnel vision when it comes to monetary policy. "The Franco-European policy could not be more contradictory," the paper laments. "On the one hand, the ratification of the EU constitution cannot happen quickly enough for Paris and Berlin. On the other, they do everything to undermine existing EU agreements.... This contradiction ... shows how much they misunderstand the EU." Plus, insists the paper, both leaders are revelling in the power their EU status gives them, but not looking at the bigger picture of what the EU needs to accomplish. "When they use the EU as a vehicle for their global political ambition and play the constitutional fathers, Berlin and Paris are profiting from something the EU is not there to do, increase the power of heads of state," the paper says. "Berlin and Paris constantly attempt to avoid what the EU is supposed to do, and has done: to open up markets and free citizens from the paternalism of individual states."
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, doesn't pull any punches either, but says directly, "The actual targets of Juncker's threat are in Berlin and Paris." The chief offenders, Schroeder and Chirac, are to blame, the paper says, for giving the impression that they are in cahoots. On the eve of the finance meetings, the two men met in Blomberg, Germany for talks. "Juncker simply cannot accept the way Schroeder and Chirac seemingly moved the emphasis of the negotiations from Brussels to Blomberg in a calculated act of disrespect for the Luxembourg compromise," the paper writes. It also dismisses Juncker's threat to leave the pact as it is as "political tactics aimed at reaching an agreement." Still, it questions if the reforms called for are sensible and wonders aloud if the "best option isn't to stick with the old."
The left-leaning Die Tageszeitung leaves no doubt as to its opinion on the debate. In its opening line the paper states flatly, "The Germans want to grill themselves an extra bratwurst in Brussels and the French stand by and say 'bon appetit.'" Unfortunately for them, the other 23 member states aren't willing to accept the pact as a "Lex Germania," says the paper. Although each nation has different opinions about how the pact should look, everyone agrees that Germany should not be treated as a special case or be allowed unique privileges because of the financial strain of reunification. "Once again, the Paris-Berlin axis has caused a huge reaction of defiance. Not for the first time, one wonders if Schroeder and Chirac are aware of what effect their public show of good-old-boy friendship has on the smaller EU member states. Their meeting on the eve of the council of finance ministers once again conveyed the message: if we agree beforehand, the rest of you can forget your proposals." The other big subject of discussion was the state visit by newly-elected Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko in Berlin. On Wednesday, the hero of the Orange Revolution was due to speak in front of German parliament, but already much of what he intends to say has already been leaked, namely his hope that Ukraine will one day join the EU and his praise for beleaguered Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer. Fischer is immersed in a visa scandal in which tens of thousands Ukrainians -- including *** slaves and pimps -- were allowed to enter into Germany. Yushchenko insists that the affair is giving Ukraine an unfair reputation as a land of criminals. The sad part of the affair is the timing: in addition to being hailed as Europe's darling and the force of change for Ukraine, Yushchenko is being portrayed as the president of a nation filled with rogues. The financial daily Handelsblatt ponders this contradiction in its lead editorial, saying, "A double Viktor Yushchenko takes the stage today. The Ukrainian is the celebrated leader of a peaceful revolution. Yet on the other hand, he is the president of a country which many Germans fear because they associate it with an onslaught of illegal workers." Such coupling, says the paper is silly. "It is nonsense to link clearing up the visa affair with the ideological accusation that freedom of movement, encouraged by the Schroeder-Fischer team, was a conscious 'opening of the floodgates' for migrants." In truth, says the paper, a new debate is needed. With a fairly-elected government installed in Ukraine, the "number of visitors from a democratic Ukraine will and should increase.... If Yushchenko's speech ignites this debate, then his visit will have been a success."
The Berliner Zeitung uses a cartoon to capture the double edge of Yushchenko's position. The cartoon shows Yushchenko with his hands splayed against a wall being searched by two gun-toting German security officers in front of Germany's parliament building. The caption reads, "Not so fast Mr. Yushchenko. You can't go in before you've explained to us where you got your visa."
Finally, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung remarks that Ukraine's desire to join the EU creates a dilemma for Europe. "On the one hand, Europe can be proud of the magnetic pull the union has for former East European states. On the other side, for various reasons, it has to cool hopes of membership." Plus, the paper says, for the moment, Europe has quite enough on its plate just with the members it has. Ukraine's development, though, should be applauded, although, as the paper points out, the nation is "not yet stable." Nor is its relationship with Russia entirely clear. Still, the paper asks, "Can Ukraine be deprived of chances that other states -- most recently Turkey -- were offered?"
http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,345546,00.html