Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-07-01-Speech-2-046"
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"en.20030701.1.2-046"2
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"Mr President, when the President of the French Republic, Mr Chirac, referred to the Greek Presidency as brilliant, he articulated not a diplomatic, but an historic speech. I shall refer to just three of the many and useful successes of the Greek Presidency that justify Mr Chirac, allowing – especially today – my national modesty to take second place to my satisfaction as a European.
First, Greece had the misfortune, but Europe had the fortune, that the Greek Presidency coincided with the huge moral – without doubt moral – crisis which the European Union underwent in the consciousness of the European citizens with the stance taken by certain of its members on the illegal war against Iraq. This sort of incident could have resulted in the break up of the European Union. The Greek Presidency managed not only to prevent it from breaking up, but also to express the European Union with a word of consent, which will certainly withstand the criticism of tomorrow's historians. Of course, in the future we shall have work to do to restore the moral credibility of Europe as a whole.
The second major historic event during the Greek Presidency was the positive decision on the Constitutional Treaty submitted to the European Council in Halkidiki by the Convention through its chairman. The text submitted takes historic steps, it interconnects the European institutions more firmly, it safeguards more than ever before the social state, crowned with the concept of full employment, for which Georgos Katiforis deserves particular thanks. However, it also has serious shortcomings, some of which have already been pointed out by previous speakers. The European Parliament, in the report which I have the honour of having undertaken together with President Gil Robles, will expose these weaknesses in the Treaty.
The Greek Presidency respected the institution of the Convention and its results and thus politically – and this is important – the institution of the Convention was established as one of the major accomplishments of European democracy.
Finally, I would refer to the likewise historic fact that, after seven years of being unable to take a decision, common positions were found with the European Parliament so that the regulation on the operation and funding of political parties could finally enter into force. This is extremely important in consolidating the European democratic institutions."@en1
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