d[000513] x[Allan Kiviaho] KivA-05Ca
s[Die de Europa. Le oratio de sra Piia-Noora Kauppi]
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Salutante
Allan Kiviaho
Finlandia
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http://www.kauppi.net/mina-puheita_yk.htm
Secretary General Mr. Kofi Annan,
Commissioner Vitorino,
Mrs. Simone Veil,
distinguished guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I can't tell you how much I appreciate the chance to
address this historical celebration in which we all
have the opportunity to take part today.
I am also very honoured by the invitation from the
European Commission to represent the European
Parliament at this event.
At the time of the NBA play-offs, I can tell you that
right now, I really feel like a rookie. Standing here
on the dais for the very first time in front of an
audience consisting of so many of my political idols.
I will do my best to give you an idea on what Europe
and the European Union looks like from the
perspective of a newly-elected member of the European
Parliament.
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The founding of the European identity
-------------------------------------
For half a century, the European Union has engaged
itself to the ideas of peace, stability and
prosperity. Not only for European citizens but also
for the global human society as a whole.
Robert Schuman said: "Europe will not be made all at
once, or according to a single plan. It will be built
through practical achievements which will first
create de facto solidarity." This development, pushed
forward by great European leaders, is still going on.
As today's political actors, we have to see ourselves
as a part of a long chain of enlightened and wise
statesmen and women who have individually brought
integration into new levels and given it its
substance.
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The challenges of globalisation
-------------------------------
Everybody admits that the nation state is often too
small a unit to solve big problems. And what are the
big problems? Nowadays they are not only nation-wide
or continent-wide, but increasingly global.
Globalisation is here, whether we want it or not. As
long as boats have sailed the seas, messages have
been delivered, new continents have been found and
trade and commerce has expanded, the world has been
shrinking.
The sands of the hourglass fall in one direction
only. And pace accelerates all the time.
Everybody wants to create more prosperity and more
welfare to the world. We may disagree about how we
shall accomplish this or how we should divide the
welfare, but the fundamental objective remains the
same.
I believe that an open and healthy world economy is
the best road to higher standards of living for
people everywhere. We must of course help those hurt
by change, but we do not help them by hampering the
single market or sabotaging WTO-negotiations.
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The European response to globalisation
--------------------------------------
The European Union can be seen as a bridge between
the national and global levels. Europe must response
to globalisation by taking a strong leadership, in
which the guiding principle must be that the Union
focuses on tasks which require joint efforts.
To list a few of these challenges: our common
security; economical improvements and moving forward
the WTO agenda; managing the information revolution;
environmental threats; health aspects and so on.
Correspondingly, the European Union should not under
any circumstances interfere with matters best handled
at state or local level. The principle of
subsidiarity must always be appreciated. Cultural
diversity is our strength and an opportunity. The
European Union has to be a partner to the local
decision makers, an ally which can and will help when
needed.
The rapid development of the world will not allow
Europe to stand still. Globalisation, continued
liberalisation of world trade, as well as new crises
have tested and will test the operative capacities of
the Union.
In reforming the European Union we must reach a
proper balance. Not only among institutions but also
among smaller and larger member states. The
operability of the Union is even more important or
the small nations like my home country, Finland.
In addition to effectiveness and democracy, in
reforming the Union's decision-making and
administration, we have to stress openness and
responsibility in order to increase citizens'
confidence.
The expansion to the East is another process which
should not be stopped. The EU should remain open to
all European countries committed to the values of
market economy, democracy and human rights.
-------------------------------------------------
European union and its role in the United Nations
-------------------------------------------------
Despite the fact that we have certainly improved a
lot in fifty years, sometimes we have to remind
ourselves that this European search for its role in
global dialogue is still quite young and constantly
evolving.
The integration which was launched in the field of
economy, can no longer manage on the basis of merely
internal solutions. Even if we still have to work
with the single market, at the same time the European
Union has to open itself to the world and carry its
global responsibilities.
In order to fulfil those responsibilities, the Union
has to cooperate with the created structures and
existing organisations and take advantage of the
experience gained in the United Nations. Through an
integrated approach we are more powerful to
eradicate poverty, secure human rights, create jobs
and to make the global economy and international
structures more responsive to the basic needs of all
human beings.
The role of the UN has developed during the decades
after the war.
The founding fathers of UN wanted to create an
institution, hich could provide them with answers to
global problems.
But they did not trust enough to what they had
created, to give it independent powers and tools for
efficient decision-making.
So, the United Nations is as strong as its actors
are. And the actors aren't purely Nation States
anymore, but regional and political blocks, the
European Union being one of the most powerful among
them.
The European Union must be a strong partner for
United Nations. Despite its weaknesses, which all the
international organizations have to cope with, the
United Nations still is the institution, which forms
the basis for global cooperation, coordinates
projects of global governance and promotes peace and
understanding between nations.
The precondition for global solutions is the ability
of the individual nations to give up their selfish
preferences. Some universal values should
take over the values defined according to national
interests. This is difficult inside the European
union if all the Member States stick to the choices
that best serve their own interests.
The same applies to the European integration process
in relation to third nations. The common interest of
the European citizens is the balanced development
and progress in an international level, not only the
progress achieved inside the Union.
That is why we have desperately needed, and will
need, international organisations which take the
global responsibility instead of focusing on national
or regional interests.
United Nations is the forum to seek the balance
between various interests and the forum to negotiate
the common solutions. Divergent interests between the
nations continue to exist but we should never let
them grow to the extent that nations need to raise
arms against each others.
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The European model?
-------------------
In the United Nations, the European Union should
promote the European way of thinking, the European
model as the President Prodi has put it.
With this model, according to Prodi, we are able to
integrate efficient market economy with the social
welfare ideology.
The only problem is, that this model does not yet
exist.
In many ways, the European Union is not as efficient
as it should be. And the social welfare systems which
may have been progressive in 1970's,are not suitable
for today's global economy. Simple, they are not
flexible enough.
But now after the Lisbon Summit, we are on the verge
of finding the true third way. I am certain that it
is possible to create a model based on market
economy, which is both economically efficient and
socially justified.
The market economy is the system which provides us
with the most suitable mechanisms to master the
modern societies. Not the laissez-faire market
economy, but a more controlled one.
Controlled market economy should be the tool to use
also in the developing countries when we try to
diminish poverty, improve the living, health and
human rights conditions for the third world, avoid
the digital divide and to give all the human beings
the change to live their lives in peace.
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The information and civic society
---------------------------------
The next generation has a great advantage over its
predecessors this being information technology and
the new and more efficient ways of communicating. We
often hear people speak about the death of distance
and the death of location. That is just what it is.
The new innovations in technology are of little help,
no matter how advanced they are, if the people can't
keep up the pace.
Therefore, two dimensions of learning are essential.
Firstly, the people developing technologies should
learn to solve the problems based on the needs of
every-day life. Secondly, it is the end-users who
have to learn how they can profit from modern
technology, and how it can make things easier in
their every-day life.
To make this a reality, our education systems have to
teach everybody the basic skills needed in information
society. Also, our students must be encouraged to
innovate and to create new technologies for the
benefit of the next generation.
The brave new economy also brings challenges.
Everything will happen faster and politicians are
still as slow as they have always been to understand,
take up and act on new ideas. The inertia of
political decision-making grows and grows until we
have to admit that it is actually our human resources
which are limiting the development.
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Education as a basis of development and success
-----------------------------------------------
Only by strengthening human resources can we promote
sustainable economic, social and cultural development.
Equality of opportunities is the foundation for a
healthy market economy.
It means for example the right for every child to get
a basic education and have the opportunity to be able
to continue higher levels of education regardless of
the student's social status or race.
Increasing ability and skills by education is a
fundamental prerequisite for successful
entrepreneurial activity and job-creation. Education
and research are the foundations for new innovations,
welfare and intellectual growth.
We have to channel resources into creating an
environment conducive to innovation and developing
the knowledge society. We have to encourage people to
make the most of their capabilities and use their
ideas and skills for the benefit of the world as a
whole.
The equality of opportunities in the field of
education also brings forward the best individual
talents to serve society and to take care of the
people who are less fortunate and who cannot cope in
society on their own.
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Searching for balance, answers and truth
----------------------------------------
Goethe wrote a long time ago:
"Dream no small dreams for these have no power to
move the hearts of men."
And it is the hearts of the citizens we have to warm
to create a brighter future for all of us. I'm sure
that without common dreams and without the strong
believe that we can and will actually achieve our
dreams, we have no reason to continue this work.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The European Union is a progressive project. As it
continues to try to balance the interests of the
small and the great, between the North and South, and
between the prosperous and the less well-off.
It has been said that globalisation punishes the poor
and rewards the rich. This may be the truth, but
only if the global political community fails to find
the counterbalance for economical globalisation.
Old political recipes cannot give us the answers.
World governance is not decided by us present at this
event. It is not decided in political institutions.
It is decided by generations, who structure their
perception of the world through television and
computer communications.
That is why I want to end my speech with the language
this generation understands and in which it
communicates.
The wisdom originates itself to Agent Fox Mulder from
the X-files:
"Dreams are often answers to questions we haven't yet
discovered to ask. No one has jurisdiction over the
truth. The truth is still out there."
And it can only be found in cooperation with others.
Piia Noora-Kauppi
Finland
Member of the European Parliament
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