Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-05-16-Speech-3-177"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20010516.6.3-177"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, I support what Mr Swoboda said about Macedonia and at the same time, wish to contradict him slightly. I think that we must definitely view Macedonia as a potential member of the European Union. But we cannot of course say that it is in fact already a candidate, for the simple reason that the Copenhagen criteria are just not being met in Macedonia. Therefore those political criteria must be fulfilled. For that reason, I think – and I should like to make a minor correction to what Mr Swoboda says – we should offer the prospect of possible membership, but only if, for example, that dreadful concept of a state-constituting nation disappears from the constitution and statutes of Macedonia. It is a huge obstacle, often in other countries too, to reaching a reasonable ethnic understanding between citizens. Surely we must be able to make Macedonia into an ordinary secular state and there are enough indications that the president of the country with his American experience understands that.
Secondly, we as the European Union can do something ourselves. I remember very well from a previous period that a departing Danish Foreign Minister, Uffe Elleman-Jensen, surprised the House by exclaiming that the whole Council was sick of Greece’s behaviour towards Macedonia. That caused a row. But I believe it was an extremely salutary expression of feeling, particularly since the Council could after all exert some pressure on Greece as a fellow-member and say : conclude those negotiations, ensure that there is a reasonable solution, do not persist with measures that are in fact humiliating for Macedonia. We can also ensure from outside that destabilising effects which were in fact at issue in those negotiations, are removed.
Mr President, I would urge the Council to look into its own heart and say to its own members: friends, what can we do? Stop going on endlessly about that name, that flag, etc. We can also ask the Macedonians to achieve a European approach to their own constitutional structure. Otherwise it will be impossible for them to become normal members of the European Union in the future."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples