Altiero Spinelli fonds - European University Institute

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Veil
projet réalisable et efficace - devrait se traduire
lors de nos élections par une dynamique dans
toute l'Europe. C'est un pari qui a été fait, c'est un
pari auquel j'adhère totalement et, parodiant Pascal,
je dirai qu'en tout état de cause, ou nous avons
raison et nous avons gagné ou nous avons perdu.
Je préfère ne pas l'envisager, car je veux faire
confiance à l'Europe et aux Européens, pensant
qu'ils veulent se battre pour survivre.
(Applaudissements)
Velkomstord
BegriiJJung
KocÀroç flUJoc-re
W e/come
Souhaits de bienvenue
Benvenuto
Welkomstgroet
VORSITZ : BRUNO FRIEDRICH
Vizeprasiden t
Der Prasident. - Ich darf dem Haus mitteilen, dai'>
wir mit sehr grof>er Freude auf der Ehrentribi.ine
den Prasidenten des islandischen Parlaments,
Herrn Jon Helgason, begri.if>en, der unserer Institution
fi.ir einige Tage die Ehre seines Besuches
gibt.
(Beifall)
Das Europihsche Parlament unterstreicht die ganz
besondere Bedeutung dieses Besuches, da es sich
um den ersten Kontakt mit dem islandischen
Parlament in der Person seines Prasidenten handelt.
Wir hoffen, dai'> die verschiedenen Gesprache, die
Herr Helgason in Straf>burg fi.ihren wird, moglichst
fruchtbar und nutzbringend sein werden
und dai'> sein Besuch die Aufnahme engerer Beziehungen
zwischen unseren beiden Institutionen
ermoglicht.
79
Reform af traktaterne og den europreiske union
(fortsrettelse)
Reform der Vertrage und Europaische Union
(Fortsetzung)
Me-rocppv0p.HT1J -rrov !:vv01JKrov Kat:l -rijç
'EvpctJ1roclKijç 'Evwuemç (uvvtxeloc)
Reform of the Treaties and European union
(continuation)
Réforme des traités et Union européenne (suite)
Riforma dei trattati e Unione europea (seguito)
Herziening van de Verdragen en de Europese
Unie (voortzetting)
Der Prasident.- Das Wort hat Herr Horgan.
Mr Horgan. - Mr President, I feel very privileged
to be speaking in this debate on behalf of the
Socialist Group, and indeed on behalf of my own
party, the Irish Labour Party, as a comparative
newcomer to this Parliament, having been here
only since October.
The first thing I would like to do is to congratulate
the authors, and particularly Mr Spinelli, on the
idealism and the vision which have informed not
just this initiative, but all the work, and indeed the
passion, that have been devoted to the cause of
European unity for many years now. I welcome
the report in its board outlines, even though I
might demur on many of the details.
I think it is important that we should realize that
it is a bad time, unfortunately, for idealism now in
Europe. When we look at the moves towards
greater European unity, we have to ask ourselves,
whether the politica! will for greater unity is there
at the moment throughout the Community, and if
it is not there, why it is not there. I suspect that
the politica! will for greater unity is not yet there,
and that one of the main reasons for this is not
that anybody distrusts or dislikes Mr Spinelli or
this report or his beliefs in this matter, but that the
Community is not seen to have delivered on its
promises. That perception impels different people
in different directions. It impels people like Mr
Spinelli towards greater cooperation, greater unity,
greater institutional change. It impels the suspicious,
the sceptical and the downright hostile in
other directions. I fear myself that the political
will for greater unity will not come about until the
Community is seen to have delivered more in the
economie sphere than it has until now.
HAEU AHUE HAEU AHUE
One of the ideas behind the creation of the
Community is that of convergence, the idea that
the Member States economies and the standard of
living of their citizens would converge over a
period of time. Instead of convergence, we have
had divergence. The situation has got even worse.
The gaps in living standards between the rich and
the poor - whether they are farmers or industriai
workers is irrelevant - have actually widened in
many parts in the Community.
If we are to be honest, we shall have to accept the
fact that the problems of the Community relate
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