Greece prefers Euro-federation
The official opening of the EU constitutional assembly was a good opportunity for Kathimerini to speak to Deputy Foreign Minister Tassos Yiannitsis about the planned reform of the European Union. Yiannitsis speaks openly about the thorny problems involved in European unification and he presents, for the first time, a full picture of the Greek position. He comes out in favor of some kind of federation of nation states but warns that Greece will not accept the formation of a directorate of powerful states. An equal player What can a small country like Greece expect from the constitutional assembly? Greece participates in the constitutional assembly as an equal player in Europe. Besides, each country has the same number of governmental and parliamentary representatives in the assembly. We hope the assembly will arrive at cohesive proposals for the institutional composition of the EU that will transform it into a global player that is stable under the pressure of globalization; create flexible conditions so as to promote policies which are vital for Europe; and, in particular, allow Europe to function effectively after enlargement. Many observers liken this new-looking European institution to the 1787 constitutional assembly of Philadelphia which laid the foundations for the United States of America. Is this an exaggeration? Certainly we’re going to hear many fine words. But let’s be realistic. The basic question which needs to be answered is where Europe is going. Is it moving toward a federation – which of course would not cancel out the role of the nation states – or will it go in the direction of inter-state cooperation? Whichever line prevails, we will not be drawn into a superstate or the formation of the «United States of Europe.» You mentioned the divide between the supporters of a federation of nation states and those who want looser, inter-state cooperation. Which side are you on? First of all, I must make it clear that these two poles are two models of reference, but in practice the proposals being made are less extreme. There are proposals that fall in between these positions. If you want me to give you the Greek position, I’d say we have a strong preference for a Europe that is closer to a federal state. Small and large What does a European federation have to offer Greece? First of all, it will give us a European Commission that can play a substantial part in promoting political initiatives for solving problems. The commission has shown that it has a broad European outlook and takes into serious consideration the real problems of all states, small and large. By contrast, in an interstate cooperation model, the interests of the small countries would have less chance, and the stronger member states in the union would dominate. Do you believe that a tighter Europe would offer Greece more security guarantees? So far the EU has refused to take initiatives on common defense to protect its borders. What we call Euro-defense refers to peacekeeping and humanitarian missions outside Europe. In any case, the experience of the past 20 years shows that our interests are taken into consideration, and have recently gained ground, much more in the EU than they would if we were to go it alone. However, our partners have a disappointment in store for us on the subject of Euro-defense: the participation of Turkey, in particular the British-American text which says that the European force would not intervene in the case of a Greek-Turkish crisis. That is not the point. The European force would not have any role to play in any crisis on the border of Greece or Germany or any other member country because, quite simply, it is exclusively intended for missions outside EU territory. The question to be resolved involves EU and NATO relations when it comes to taking initiatives, and the role of other states such as Turkey in the decision-making and planning process. We don’t want to see the independence of EU decisions being embroiled, or regulations decided in Nice being indirectly invalidated. A broader consensus needed The prime minister of Finland expressed concern that there are some attempts to create an EU directorate. Do you have the same feeling? No such proposal has been officially tabled. Whenever the leaders of large states have taken initiatives involving the exclusion of smaller member states, there has been strenuous opposition both from Greece – Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis has made the Greek position clear – and from other countries. We would certainly oppose any such scenario for a directorate. In any case, the agreement of two, three or four countries is not enough for a successful outcome to the constitutional assembly. A broader consensus is needed. Some of our partners want a European constitution, others don’t. Do we want one? I don’t want to go into the formalities, but the essence of the matter. When we speak of a constitution, we have in mind the formation of a state which, as I explained, is not the issue. Apart from that, I believe that a text setting out the basic principles and objectives of the Union, its institutional mechanisms and the rights of citizens would be very useful. The question isn’t what we would call this text, but whether it would be legally binding on member states or simply a political declaration. Does Greece favor a binding charter of rights? We do. And such a charter would obviously be the common denominator of all member states’ opinions. Consequently none of them would object when their citizens appealed to the European Court, for instance, invoking the provisions of this jointly agreed charter. Besides, this option already exists. The French-German axis Do you believe that the French-German axis is still the basic engine of European unification, or is it a fading remnant of an earlier period? I believe the French-German axis plays a substantial part in the development of the EU. At many crucial moments in European unification the fact that two powerful countries which had been opponents in earlier phases of their history have presented common political initiatives has played a decisive role in furthering the progress of the EU. From time to time, and on specific issues, this axis is joined by other important countries, but that does not mean that the French-German axis has come to an end.
