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ITALY'S BONINO HAILS POPE'S VISIT, SAYS EU "PREVARICATING" OVER TURKEY
Corriere della Sera website, Milan, Italy
Nov 30 2006
Interview with Italian European Affairs Minister Emma Bonino in Rome;
"'Pope? He is Farther-Sighted than Many European Politicians'",
from Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera website on 30 November:
Rome - "Benedict XVI's visit to Turkey will be historic." Minister
Emma Bonino is convinced of it. The Radical leader, like her party,
has not indulged the pope, but now acknowledges that Ratzinger "is
better able to interpret the world than many European politicians".
[Corriere della Sera] Are you surprised by the pope's new line?
[Bonino] I am not surprised that Pope Benedict XVI expresses himself
differently from Cardinal Ratzinger: having the responsibilities
of a head of state is different from being a very authoritative
theologian. I welcome the change on his part and think it should
prompt a more visionary outlook on the part of all Europe's capitals.
[Corriere della Sera] Do you mean that?
[Bonino] Of course, I regret the fact that this message of dialogue is
being imparted by religious authorities and not politicians. I consider
it significant that it is the Vatican itself that realizes that Europe
cannot remain a Catholic fortress, that it is counterproductive to
erect another iron curtain against an entire world, the Muslim world,
because it would ultimately create a non-inclusive and intolerant
society, restricting the scope of democracy, the rule of law, and
human rights observance.
[Corriere della Sera] So is the pope behaving like a politician?
[Bonino] The Vatican has understood the need to clarify the "Regensburg
misunderstanding," partly by means of a clear message to Europe's
governments: there is no Catholic pretext for what are entirely
political decisions. In this respect it seems to me that the message
conveyed to [Turkish Prime Minister] Erdogan was addressed chiefly to
certain European governments. This, because I see in this detachment
a great deal of cynicism, many electoral calculations, a great deal
of political short-sightedness... The very same that I see when,
out of pure national selfishness, a country blocks a directive on
the certification of Parmesan cheese or fishing quotas, but applied
here to an epoch-making decision, perhaps the most important decision
that Europe has ever made and will ever make. I am astonished by the
pettiness of the arguments and pretexts used, the fears cynically
brought into the debate...
[Corriere della Sera] Indeed the Vatican's change of course occurs just
as mutual incomprehension is occurring between Europe and Turkey. The
Commission's decision on the negotiations is no surprise.
[Bonino] Recent history shows a unilateral rapprochement on Turkey's
part - NATO, the customs union, the launch of EU membership
negotiations. Unfortunately this approach has always been too
problematical. The Commission is proposing a suspension of membership
negotiations on some of the economic chapters. Of course this would
constitute a lull on the political plane. But not a break in the
process. Having said that, I am disappointed and frustrated. It is
47 years since Turkey's first request to join, and we are still here
prevaricating, after setting criteria, the so-called Copenhagen
criteria, interpreted by Turkey alone, successively introducing
further obstacles such as "absorption capacity" or recognition of
the Armenian massacre...
[Corriere della Sera] So much for Europe's mistakes. What about Turkey?
[Bonino] Turkey is unfortunately often the worst enemy of its own
national cause, with a tradition of diplomatic inflexibility verging on
the paradoxical. If there are three possible solutions, they generally
choose the one most problematical for the other side. I must say that
things are no better with regard to Cyprus, on the Greek-Cypriot side.
[Corriere della Sera] What role could the Italian Government perform?
[Bonino] That which befalls a major EU government, a friend of
Turkey's. But we do not make these decisions on our own.
Corriere della Sera website, Milan, Italy
Nov 30 2006
Interview with Italian European Affairs Minister Emma Bonino in Rome;
"'Pope? He is Farther-Sighted than Many European Politicians'",
from Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera website on 30 November:
Rome - "Benedict XVI's visit to Turkey will be historic." Minister
Emma Bonino is convinced of it. The Radical leader, like her party,
has not indulged the pope, but now acknowledges that Ratzinger "is
better able to interpret the world than many European politicians".
[Corriere della Sera] Are you surprised by the pope's new line?
[Bonino] I am not surprised that Pope Benedict XVI expresses himself
differently from Cardinal Ratzinger: having the responsibilities
of a head of state is different from being a very authoritative
theologian. I welcome the change on his part and think it should
prompt a more visionary outlook on the part of all Europe's capitals.
[Corriere della Sera] Do you mean that?
[Bonino] Of course, I regret the fact that this message of dialogue is
being imparted by religious authorities and not politicians. I consider
it significant that it is the Vatican itself that realizes that Europe
cannot remain a Catholic fortress, that it is counterproductive to
erect another iron curtain against an entire world, the Muslim world,
because it would ultimately create a non-inclusive and intolerant
society, restricting the scope of democracy, the rule of law, and
human rights observance.
[Corriere della Sera] So is the pope behaving like a politician?
[Bonino] The Vatican has understood the need to clarify the "Regensburg
misunderstanding," partly by means of a clear message to Europe's
governments: there is no Catholic pretext for what are entirely
political decisions. In this respect it seems to me that the message
conveyed to [Turkish Prime Minister] Erdogan was addressed chiefly to
certain European governments. This, because I see in this detachment
a great deal of cynicism, many electoral calculations, a great deal
of political short-sightedness... The very same that I see when,
out of pure national selfishness, a country blocks a directive on
the certification of Parmesan cheese or fishing quotas, but applied
here to an epoch-making decision, perhaps the most important decision
that Europe has ever made and will ever make. I am astonished by the
pettiness of the arguments and pretexts used, the fears cynically
brought into the debate...
[Corriere della Sera] Indeed the Vatican's change of course occurs just
as mutual incomprehension is occurring between Europe and Turkey. The
Commission's decision on the negotiations is no surprise.
[Bonino] Recent history shows a unilateral rapprochement on Turkey's
part - NATO, the customs union, the launch of EU membership
negotiations. Unfortunately this approach has always been too
problematical. The Commission is proposing a suspension of membership
negotiations on some of the economic chapters. Of course this would
constitute a lull on the political plane. But not a break in the
process. Having said that, I am disappointed and frustrated. It is
47 years since Turkey's first request to join, and we are still here
prevaricating, after setting criteria, the so-called Copenhagen
criteria, interpreted by Turkey alone, successively introducing
further obstacles such as "absorption capacity" or recognition of
the Armenian massacre...
[Corriere della Sera] So much for Europe's mistakes. What about Turkey?
[Bonino] Turkey is unfortunately often the worst enemy of its own
national cause, with a tradition of diplomatic inflexibility verging on
the paradoxical. If there are three possible solutions, they generally
choose the one most problematical for the other side. I must say that
things are no better with regard to Cyprus, on the Greek-Cypriot side.
[Corriere della Sera] What role could the Italian Government perform?
[Bonino] That which befalls a major EU government, a friend of
Turkey's. But we do not make these decisions on our own.