Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-03-26-Speech-3-084"
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"en.20030326.5.3-084"2
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"Mr President, I do not know whether to comment on the hysterical remarks by some Members of the House, or simply to ignore them. There have been calls for some Western leaders to be brought before the International Criminal Court. Such statements are sectarian, irresponsible and deny themselves all legitimacy inasmuch as they fail to call for the same treatment to be meted out to Saddam Hussein although he alone is responsible for this crisis.
No single political group or Member of this House has a monopoly over the cause of peace. I can understand that this cause generates strong emotions. There are two possible responses to the impotence demonstrated by the European Union. One such response involves behaving in an insulting and dismissive manner, casting blame on each other and perverting the noble cause of peace for particular national interests. A Member of this House did so referring to the situation in the Basque country. He failed to ascribe any responsibility for that situation to those who attack freedoms in the area on a daily basis or to those who have been in government there for over 20 years. The alternative response involves the responsible approach adopted by the Greek Presidency, making a virtue out of a necessity. The Presidency endeavoured to learn the lessons of this crisis and take a long hard look at the future.
The European Union has actually become an economic power. It is now a commercial, financial and industrial power. Unfortunately, however, it does not make its weight felt as it should in the international context. Consequently there is currently no alternative to the transatlantic axis, Mr President, at least regarding security and defence. This is probably due to our own shortcomings. Each and every one of us is to blame for the situation.
Mr President, I therefore wish to condemn the cynicism and hypocrisy of many Members of this House. They talk until they are blue in the face about the need for a common security and defence policy. When they go back in their constituencies, however, they are incapable of asking their voters to endow that same security and defence policy with the necessary resources. They have failed to understand that a united Europe can be strong whereas a divided Europe is bound to be weak."@en1
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