Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-07-07-Speech-4-215"
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"en.20050707.30.4-215"2
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"Mr President, I envy Ethiopia. Yes, you heard me correctly – I envy Ethiopia, but not for its government, as there is little cause to do so. I envy the Ethiopian people for their belief that so much depends on them. I do not believe there is a single European country that can boast an electoral turnout of almost 90%, as recorded in the elections held in Ethiopia on 15 May of this year. Such a high turnout merits our respect and our support, and a country that can achieve this deserves democracy. The only problem is that democracy comes at a very high price in Ethiopia. Thirty-six people were killed and several thousand imprisoned, although fortunately 4 000 of the latter have recently been released.
The word solidarity is one of enormous importance for the people of my country, Poland, and indeed it also holds great meaning for the European Union. This solidarity should be extended to Ethiopia too, and the country should not be condemned to oblivion, even if it is a long way from Strasbourg. We should not allow ourselves to forget Africa, and our thoughts should not only turn to it once a year, or whenever Bob Geldof organises concerts.
The non-attached Members fully back the motion for a resolution, because it amounts to nothing less than a political translation of Ernest Hemingway’s wise saying, ‘ask not for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee’."@en1
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