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KRISTIAN VIGENIN: IF WESTERN BALKANS CARRY OUT REFORMS MORE QUICKLY, THEY WILL SHORTEN THEIR WAY TO EU
Yanitsa TANEVA
Focus News
http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=f2700
Nov 13 2011
Bulgaria
Kristian Vigenin, a Member of the European Parliament and chairman
of the working group of the Party of European Socialists about
EU enlargement to the Western Balkans, in an interview with FOCUS
News Agency.
FOCUS: Mr. Vigenin, what are the main issues discussed at your meetings
in Armenia?
Kristian Vigenin: My visit to Yerevan comes after the conference about
the EU's policy towards its eastern neighbors, Eastern Partnership. I
took the opportunity also to hold talks about the relations between
Armenia and the EU, parliamentary cooperation, EU's expectations of
the reforms in Armenia and upcoming parliamentary elections in May
next year and, of course, the issue with Nagorno-Karabakh and the
ties between Armenia and Azerbaijan. These are the main issues.
I had a meeting with President Serzh Sarkisian, Parliament Speaker
Hovik Abrahamian, and Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandyan.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Catherine Ashton is set to visit Yerevan and Baku at the beginning of
the next week and before that I will brief her on my talks in Armenia.
Her visit once again shows the EU wants to be more involved in the
region, including in the solution of the so-called frozen conflicts,
especially the one between Armenia and Azerbaijan; a conflict that
has been vexing the atmosphere for years. There is tiny progress. It
seems to me a stronger EU commitment could change this.
The positive thing is that Armenia has been showing a serious
commitment to enhancing its cooperation with the EU at all levels -
governmental, parliamentary and expert. It has to do with the country's
ongoing domestic reforms. Armenia and the EU are holding talks about
free trade and considerable progress has been made. This is to say
there is positive dynamics and we have to note them. I hope Armenia
will keep on showing willingness and generating results, despite its
election campaign and even after the elections, which we hope - at
least the leaders expressed this commitment - will be fair, democratic
and in line with the highest standards of the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe. I hope the elections will give Armenia's
democratic process a new appearance and will strengthen the country's
European orientation.
FOCUS: How does Armenia cooperate with Euronest?
Kristian Vigenin: Armenia participates very actively in the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Eastern Partnership. It has a strong
delegation with strong persons in it and participates actively in
the four standing committees and five working groups. As a result,
at the beginning of the next year a standing committee will hold its
first meeting outside Brussels - in Armenia at the end of February. It
is important to us to support Armenia's active work and efforts. The
country takes commitments, holds meetings at a sufficiently high
political and organizational level. I hope this will strengthen both
Armenia's work and awareness of the Eastern Partnership and EU policy
in Armenia.
Armenia is one of the countries widely promoting the work of
the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. When I say this, I am very
optimistic, although it is essential that reforms and policy are
carried out continuously, without interruptions. I also hope that the
neighborhood policy which was revised this year and is to be approved
by the European Parliament by the end of the month will give a fresh
impetus to reforms in EU's all eastern neighbors, because the new
neighborhood policy introduces an important principle - more for more,
i.e. more funds, more financial assistance will be allocated for the
countries that carry out more reforms. The countries are interested in
making their laws, practices and principles, such as fair democratic
elections and human rights respect, similar to the EU's. More work
should be done in these areas in order to meet the standards the EU
expects. Of course, in parenthesis, sometimes the EU underestimates
the situation in some of its member states. For example, Hungary,
whose government undertook steps to the detriment of media freedom.
For instance, Bulgaria, whose latest elections cannot serve as an
example for non-EU countries. For example, Romania, which experienced
similar problems in previous elections and now they are expected to
be much harder, if no measures are taken. There are other examples
I can give - the media monopoly in Italy and others. These examples
give a reason to some of our partners to say: "Yes, you advise us,
but you do not have mechanisms to handle the issue within the EU." It
is true - we have to work within the EU, but I believe that what we
want from these countries, from Armenia in particular, is beneficial
to Armenia's citizens and is not a whim of the European institutions.
Despite the negative examples they give, after all this does not
diminish their commitment and the need to take this road.
FOCUS: At the meeting of the working group of the Party of European
Socialists (PES) about the EU enlargement to the Western Balkans
you said the enlargement policy is gathering speed. What are the
enlargement prospects of the Western Balkans?
Kristian Vigenin: I think each of the Western Balkan states has good
prospects and it all depends on them. If they carry out reforms more
quickly and live up to criteria and expectations, they will cut their
way to the EU short. On the other hand, the EU has to show support for
the reforms and to be critical enough when reforms do not take place.
When I said the enlargement policy is gathering speed, I had the
following in mind. Croatia completed its accession negotiations. Most
probably on December 9 its accession treaty will be signed and then
a ratification process will kick off. So the EU will have one more
member - in the summer of 2013 as planned. Meanwhile, the Commission
recommended an EU candidate status for Serbia. If everything runs
smoothly, Serbia is likely to get the status in December and start
accession negotiations next year. The opinion about Montenegro is
positive. The country's accession negotiations will open next year.
Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania are lagging behind, as they face
hard domestic problems. The institutions are unstable and unable to
work actively enough. That's why they have not achieved considerable
progress.
The situation with Macedonia is similar. It has a serious problem -
the name issue with Greece. In addition, Macedonia is not working hard
enough on other issues, too. I am under the impression that the name
issue is used as an excuse and Macedonia says that irrespective of its
moves, Greece will keep on blocking the start of the negotiations. We
do not believe this is the right policy and we think the blame for
the name issue should not be transferred entirely on Greece. The name
issue should be resolved as openly as possible by both sides. After
all the European Commission once again recommended to the European
Council to open the accession negotiations, but Greece will most
probably block them due to the unresolved name dispute.
I think on the one hand the region is taken in general, because the
countries are small, similar and approaches look much alike, but on
the other hand a country aspiring to the EU is assessed individually.
So the failures or delays of some countries will not affect the
progress of others. If you do your work, you will get an assessment.
European Enlargement Commission tefan Fule has made this quite
clear - there are no gifts, neither are there any false penalties.
FOCUS: Is the PES group worried about Europe's economic condition,
2012 forecasts and European Commission's predictions about the economic
growth and recession?
Kristian Vigenin: Of course, it is. We discussed some of the problems
emerging now or finding their late solutions now even before the
beginning of the financial crisis in 2008. Then we said hedge funds
were making a bubble that would burst and it did. It was only then
that regulation came on the agenda. We wanted this long before that.
Four or five years ago we voiced the need of a tax on financial
transactions as a type of regulation on capital movement. It was only
this year when leading countries such as Germany and France, as well as
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, agreed on a tax on
financial transactions. We said long ago that a policy of restrictions
is important, but it should be implemented with due measure and that
a policy of growth is more important. It was only recently that the
IMF started speaking about how important it is to pursue a policy of
growth stimulation, because the debt crisis cannot be resolved solely
with spending cuts, reduction in social benefits, refusal of projects,
which actually sends countries into a downward spiral with no way out.
Regarding the European and national economic and financial policies,
the Party of European Socialists was much more adequate throughout the
crisis. Unfortunately, we did not have real political mechanisms to
fulfill our ideas, because the leading countries in the EU are still
governed by rightists, who were not inclined to accept these ideas,
but the political situation is changing. In almost entire Europe
leftists have been winning elections. Next year we think France will
have a new president; most probably next year Germany will have a new
chancellor; the situation is already changing in Italy. This is to say
there is a political change and I think it will be for the people's
welfare. Given the adequacy of our reactions and positions in the
recent years, I think this will be good for the long-term stability
of the EU and eurozone.
Yanitsa TANEVA
Focus News
http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=f2700
Nov 13 2011
Bulgaria
Kristian Vigenin, a Member of the European Parliament and chairman
of the working group of the Party of European Socialists about
EU enlargement to the Western Balkans, in an interview with FOCUS
News Agency.
FOCUS: Mr. Vigenin, what are the main issues discussed at your meetings
in Armenia?
Kristian Vigenin: My visit to Yerevan comes after the conference about
the EU's policy towards its eastern neighbors, Eastern Partnership. I
took the opportunity also to hold talks about the relations between
Armenia and the EU, parliamentary cooperation, EU's expectations of
the reforms in Armenia and upcoming parliamentary elections in May
next year and, of course, the issue with Nagorno-Karabakh and the
ties between Armenia and Azerbaijan. These are the main issues.
I had a meeting with President Serzh Sarkisian, Parliament Speaker
Hovik Abrahamian, and Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandyan.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Catherine Ashton is set to visit Yerevan and Baku at the beginning of
the next week and before that I will brief her on my talks in Armenia.
Her visit once again shows the EU wants to be more involved in the
region, including in the solution of the so-called frozen conflicts,
especially the one between Armenia and Azerbaijan; a conflict that
has been vexing the atmosphere for years. There is tiny progress. It
seems to me a stronger EU commitment could change this.
The positive thing is that Armenia has been showing a serious
commitment to enhancing its cooperation with the EU at all levels -
governmental, parliamentary and expert. It has to do with the country's
ongoing domestic reforms. Armenia and the EU are holding talks about
free trade and considerable progress has been made. This is to say
there is positive dynamics and we have to note them. I hope Armenia
will keep on showing willingness and generating results, despite its
election campaign and even after the elections, which we hope - at
least the leaders expressed this commitment - will be fair, democratic
and in line with the highest standards of the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe. I hope the elections will give Armenia's
democratic process a new appearance and will strengthen the country's
European orientation.
FOCUS: How does Armenia cooperate with Euronest?
Kristian Vigenin: Armenia participates very actively in the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Eastern Partnership. It has a strong
delegation with strong persons in it and participates actively in
the four standing committees and five working groups. As a result,
at the beginning of the next year a standing committee will hold its
first meeting outside Brussels - in Armenia at the end of February. It
is important to us to support Armenia's active work and efforts. The
country takes commitments, holds meetings at a sufficiently high
political and organizational level. I hope this will strengthen both
Armenia's work and awareness of the Eastern Partnership and EU policy
in Armenia.
Armenia is one of the countries widely promoting the work of
the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. When I say this, I am very
optimistic, although it is essential that reforms and policy are
carried out continuously, without interruptions. I also hope that the
neighborhood policy which was revised this year and is to be approved
by the European Parliament by the end of the month will give a fresh
impetus to reforms in EU's all eastern neighbors, because the new
neighborhood policy introduces an important principle - more for more,
i.e. more funds, more financial assistance will be allocated for the
countries that carry out more reforms. The countries are interested in
making their laws, practices and principles, such as fair democratic
elections and human rights respect, similar to the EU's. More work
should be done in these areas in order to meet the standards the EU
expects. Of course, in parenthesis, sometimes the EU underestimates
the situation in some of its member states. For example, Hungary,
whose government undertook steps to the detriment of media freedom.
For instance, Bulgaria, whose latest elections cannot serve as an
example for non-EU countries. For example, Romania, which experienced
similar problems in previous elections and now they are expected to
be much harder, if no measures are taken. There are other examples
I can give - the media monopoly in Italy and others. These examples
give a reason to some of our partners to say: "Yes, you advise us,
but you do not have mechanisms to handle the issue within the EU." It
is true - we have to work within the EU, but I believe that what we
want from these countries, from Armenia in particular, is beneficial
to Armenia's citizens and is not a whim of the European institutions.
Despite the negative examples they give, after all this does not
diminish their commitment and the need to take this road.
FOCUS: At the meeting of the working group of the Party of European
Socialists (PES) about the EU enlargement to the Western Balkans
you said the enlargement policy is gathering speed. What are the
enlargement prospects of the Western Balkans?
Kristian Vigenin: I think each of the Western Balkan states has good
prospects and it all depends on them. If they carry out reforms more
quickly and live up to criteria and expectations, they will cut their
way to the EU short. On the other hand, the EU has to show support for
the reforms and to be critical enough when reforms do not take place.
When I said the enlargement policy is gathering speed, I had the
following in mind. Croatia completed its accession negotiations. Most
probably on December 9 its accession treaty will be signed and then
a ratification process will kick off. So the EU will have one more
member - in the summer of 2013 as planned. Meanwhile, the Commission
recommended an EU candidate status for Serbia. If everything runs
smoothly, Serbia is likely to get the status in December and start
accession negotiations next year. The opinion about Montenegro is
positive. The country's accession negotiations will open next year.
Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania are lagging behind, as they face
hard domestic problems. The institutions are unstable and unable to
work actively enough. That's why they have not achieved considerable
progress.
The situation with Macedonia is similar. It has a serious problem -
the name issue with Greece. In addition, Macedonia is not working hard
enough on other issues, too. I am under the impression that the name
issue is used as an excuse and Macedonia says that irrespective of its
moves, Greece will keep on blocking the start of the negotiations. We
do not believe this is the right policy and we think the blame for
the name issue should not be transferred entirely on Greece. The name
issue should be resolved as openly as possible by both sides. After
all the European Commission once again recommended to the European
Council to open the accession negotiations, but Greece will most
probably block them due to the unresolved name dispute.
I think on the one hand the region is taken in general, because the
countries are small, similar and approaches look much alike, but on
the other hand a country aspiring to the EU is assessed individually.
So the failures or delays of some countries will not affect the
progress of others. If you do your work, you will get an assessment.
European Enlargement Commission tefan Fule has made this quite
clear - there are no gifts, neither are there any false penalties.
FOCUS: Is the PES group worried about Europe's economic condition,
2012 forecasts and European Commission's predictions about the economic
growth and recession?
Kristian Vigenin: Of course, it is. We discussed some of the problems
emerging now or finding their late solutions now even before the
beginning of the financial crisis in 2008. Then we said hedge funds
were making a bubble that would burst and it did. It was only then
that regulation came on the agenda. We wanted this long before that.
Four or five years ago we voiced the need of a tax on financial
transactions as a type of regulation on capital movement. It was only
this year when leading countries such as Germany and France, as well as
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, agreed on a tax on
financial transactions. We said long ago that a policy of restrictions
is important, but it should be implemented with due measure and that
a policy of growth is more important. It was only recently that the
IMF started speaking about how important it is to pursue a policy of
growth stimulation, because the debt crisis cannot be resolved solely
with spending cuts, reduction in social benefits, refusal of projects,
which actually sends countries into a downward spiral with no way out.
Regarding the European and national economic and financial policies,
the Party of European Socialists was much more adequate throughout the
crisis. Unfortunately, we did not have real political mechanisms to
fulfill our ideas, because the leading countries in the EU are still
governed by rightists, who were not inclined to accept these ideas,
but the political situation is changing. In almost entire Europe
leftists have been winning elections. Next year we think France will
have a new president; most probably next year Germany will have a new
chancellor; the situation is already changing in Italy. This is to say
there is a political change and I think it will be for the people's
welfare. Given the adequacy of our reactions and positions in the
recent years, I think this will be good for the long-term stability
of the EU and eurozone.