Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-03-15-Speech-3-069"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2000-03-15"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Human rights, racism, xenophobia and antisemitism2
dcterms:Language	"de"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20000315.2.3-069"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2000-03-15-Speech-3-0702
lpv:speaker	lp:Michael Gahler2
lpv:spokenAs	substitute; Committee on Development and Cooperation (1999-09-01--2002-01-14)3 unknown; Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 member; EPP-ED (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 vice-chair; Delegation to the EU-Lithuania Joint Parliamentary Committee (1999-10-07--2002-01-14)3 member; Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy (1999-07-21--2002-01-14)3
lpv:translated text	"Mr President, I should like to concentrate mainly on certain aspects of the Belder report, which contains an excellent analysis of the current situation in the candidate countries. As far as these candidates are concerned, and this has already been said, we must avoid creating the impression that we demand higher standards of them than we meet ourselves. We should compare the actual situation in these countries with the reality in our own countries rather than with our perfect legal texts, otherwise the candidate countries will always come off worse in practice. Certainly nobody contests the fact that candidate countries which, for example, only acquired their independence recently, such as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, have the right to redefine and articulate their own national identity first. As the Communist dictatorship under which they previously suffered obviously did not foster a culture of pluralist debate, many forms of expression of national identity appear to us to be overstretched or even to be directed, indirectly, against minorities within the country or in one or more neighbouring countries. We should not look down from our high moral horse and condemn this phenomenon as long as it is only a question of temporary manifestations on the path towards self-definition. However, we should give these countries to the EU the specific support that they require so that the self-awareness which they need to find is not based first and foremost on negative restrictions on minorities or neighbours. I should like to use the situation in Estonia and Latvia as an example of a positive development between two sections of the population which is by no means self-evident. It is not self-evident given their history of illegal occupation and deportation and the politically motivated transfer of people into their countries, accompanied by the suppression of every expression of national self-determination up to the end of the 1980s. The fact that the Russian tanks which withdrew in 1994 were often daubed with the words “We’ll be back!” did little to foster understanding between the Baltic states and Russia. And yet, despite this history, there has not been one single incident of violent clashes between the majority and minority sections of the population since they regained independence. We should therefore voice to the Estonians and Latvians our express recognition of the fact that they have managed to keep a cool head and that they are receptive to our arguments when it comes to adapting their legislation in this area to European standards. I therefore take the view that the express call to continue measures to integrate the Russian minority contained in point 14 of the Belder report is unnecessary. This is already happening. This express reference creates the erroneous impression that this is not the case."@en1
lpv:unclassifiedMetadata	"en route"1

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