Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-01-13-Speech-4-022"
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"en.20050113.3.4-022"2
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"Mr President, first of all, it is a pleasure for me to hear the positive references being made to the Bible in this plenary. That is something that I, as a convinced Calvinist, should like to mention.
On Monday evening, 10 January, Ukraine’s central election committee officially declared Viktor Yushchenko to be winner of the presidential elections and with this, a stunning fact became reality for the West and East alike. In a large former Soviet republic, the opposition managed, by democratic and peaceful means, to beat the post-Communist
. It stands to reason that the democratic forces in neighbouring Belarus, in particular, draw courage from this. It looks as if they will need a great deal of patience, though, to repeat the political masterstroke achieved by Mr Yushchenko and his supporters. At the same time, I expect the Council and Commission to give their support to the reformist citizens of Belarus to the best of their abilities. Incidentally, the Yushchenko camp cannot manage without the same level of European backing either.
In very practical terms, Mr Klich has illustrated this backing in two useful amendments. Europe helped promote Ukraine’s accession to the World Trade Organisation and its speedy recognition as a market economy, Europe’s support is just as much needed in combating the widespread evil of corruption and strengthening the legal system. Meanwhile, the new Ukrainian President and Government are faced with two sensitive tasks. Domestically, they will need to deal with the supporters of the bad loser, Mr Yanukovych, with much tact and reconciliatory skill. Externally, the most important thing is to be self-assured in striking up the necessary good relationship with Moscow.
So we see Ukraine, 15 years after 1991, being given a second chance in the form of a new start. Under President Yanukovych, this would certainly not have been possible. Striking in this respect is the historical parallel which Ukraine specialist, Professor Gerhard Simon, recently drew in a presentation at the University of Eichstätt. Ukraine’s so-called Orange Revolution is as politically significant as the fall of the Berlin Wall or the end of the Soviet Union."@en1
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