Last days to go...

More interesting topics needed?

This has definitely been a month that didn't feel like a month. Didn't I arrive just three days ago, or two...? I am so integrated in the office, my corridor, some international friends, the rhytm, the sandwich bar, AFCO... And now to please my best friends, who say that my blog is not interesting enough, and that they only read the "men-parts" and skip everything that refers to the letters e and u. My point... that I will miss some certain people especially...

Talking about AFCO. I was there again today. And so was Margot Wallström. And so were the freaking Englishmen (no offence). Always when I attend this committee I start believing that everybody hates the new Treaty and that it will be killed by at least the teadrinkers on the island. And really, I love UK citizens! Oh oh oh...

Go enlargement, it's ya birthday!

Well, let's talk about enlargement now! The word ‘enlargement’ awakes a lot of mixed opinions among EU citizens. Questions like: “Isn’t it too fast, too costly and too dangerous?” “What are the real benefits, and doesn’t it make the EU weaker?” are often asked. On the other hand the pro-enlargement people are saying that the EU has been the most successful peace project in human history having unified successfully 27 Member States (MS) and created a Pax Europa of 50 years.

At the moment, the EU is inspiring Turkey, Croatia and the other Western Balkans to extensive reforms, especially in the fields of economy, human and minority rights and democracy. If you give a child a lollypop, she normally acts in the wished way. Therefore, the tempting Union is a good way of seeding the principles of European welfare. All European countries benefit from having stable democracies and prosperous market economies as neighbours. The conclusion is that a carefully managed enlargement process extends peace, democracy, the rule of law and prosperity across Europe. And so it has happened that the so called new MS have integrated extremely well and contributed to further integration development – often even better than the old MS.

There is, however, still a voice questioning the grounds of enlargement, saying that it is time for a full-stop and that the Union does not longer have absorption capacity. Besides, where should the boarders of the EU be drawn? To solve the problem, the Copenhagen accession criteria were set in 1993 (reinforcement in Madrid 1995). Article 49 of the Treaty on EU (TEU), which forms the legal basis of accession, states that the EU is open to all European countries. In addition to the geographical fact, the applicant country must adhere to the principles which all the MS subscribe to, and on which the EU is based: freedom, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and the rule of law.

The Copenhagen summit also stated that the EU has to take good care of both its integration and enlargement capacity. An engine should be working constantly. Therefore, we have to ask: What do we want first, enlargement or integration? This question is also fundamentally linked to the constitutional issue. Are the existing treaties enough for further enlargement, or do we need a constitutional sheet in order to extend the Union? The absorption capacity cannot be defined scientifically: it is an issue of quantity and quality. The capacity is based on mainly three points: Can the decision making system bare enlargement? Is the budget ready for enlargement? And are the tasks of the EU up-to-date? Integration capacity is a dossier of the EU and its MS, whereas the candidate countries do not have that much of a say.

Alex Stubb says that integration cannot be the criterion of enlargement. The Western Balkan countries have been promised their membership and the EU should be fair enough to keep its promises. This, however, does include institutional, financial and political reform – and much more. Only in line with the Treaty of Nice, enlargement cannot go on, because it sets a limit to 28 MS, whereas the new Reform Treaty will not be put into action before 2009. Enlargement is probably one of the most controversial issues in EU politics. It is an easy target of populism and it splits opinions. The former President of the Commission, Jacques Delors, thought that Finland was a threat for Europe’s stability - but have a look at the queen of competitiveness now! The question is: Is there a right moment? And if so, do we stick to the old criteria? If not, what are the reforms needed?

Yep, that's my committee topic in BLISS. I'm intrigued to here what my delegates find of it!

Yours,

Cecilia

A constitutionally wild midsummer

Celebrating Midsummer on the roofs of Brussels with the boys of my office: Henrik and Tuomas

Like we all know, one of the most important summits in the history of the EU was held in Brussels from last Thursday till yesterday morning. Yesterday as I woke up and read the news, I was almost crying. I had been hoping so much for a solution, and the contract itself was also dear to me - as I happen to be a federalist for life.

What made me sad however, is living too much in the history of Europe. And now I am talking about Poland, indeed. We should not forget about the happenings of world war II, the cold war, or any other horrific period in our history, but we should look into the future, build on what we have, what we want it to be, and be part of the solution instead of the problem, like Margot Wallström always says. Angela Merkel did a great job in my opinion with not isolating Poland from the EU family, prolonging the problem (until 2014 or even 2017), however, is not always the best way to solve a problem... Well we'll see what the Ionnina compromise will bring.

But let's not blaim only Poland for the difficulties. The UK, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic caused also quite a bit of headache. Personally I was not quite for giving Britain an opt-out here. I mean, in what terms do these guys belong to the EU anymore? I hope sincerely that the EU will not be polarised into the ones fighting for a common goal and dream, and the ones that cannot look beyond their national interests. In Finland, for example, many people doubt that the new Reform Treaty (what a silly name, just to add...) will be of any good, but Finland itself is fighting for a common European interest, which is in the long run more sustainable in my opinion.

Well, the most important thing is that a political compromise was made and that we can now start coping with the sheets that we already have on the table. I hope the negotiations that will start in July are as succesful as the ones Angela Merkel coached. Go Angie!

Enough of the Reform Treaty. We also had Midsummer! We started on Friday celebrating with the Swedes at Anne's place. There was Finnish and Swedish food, which was incredible - and this horrible schlager-kind-of Finnish music, what actually made me really happy.

My last week will start tomorrow: committee work, report writing and EYP Finland coming to Brussels on Thursday. And then it is time to head for Berlin for the chairs' content training (CCT), what now reminds me of having to start my presentation about the enlargement and the boarders of the Union, wich will be the topic of my committee - cool! My time here has been amazing: amazing people, amazing work, amazing environment. I am going to miss my life here so much. But hey, I'll be back!

"The launching" of my blog

EMYP - All different - all equal.
(Picture: Simon McKeagney)

Off to Europe!

It's now already over a month ago that I left Finland. First I flew to Berlin, spent a night there at my friends place, then we flew to Stuttgart, headed for the European Forum of EYP in Bad Urach, flew back to Berlin, I stayed at another friend again, attended the first Euro-Mediterranean Youth Parliament in Berlin and then finally found my way to Brussels. This week I have been to Strasbourg, however.

But why all this, and why did I start writing a blog? Well first of all I couldn't resist the trend anymore - every sophisticated EU citizen has an own blog, don't they? Secondly I have to admit, that it is nice to write down the new experiences and thoughts I am experiencing here and save them as a memory. The third reason is very selfish: I need a friend to talk to. I mean, I am not really lonely here at the moment, but it feels good to write down and to share, in hope that someone of my friends or somebody completely random might read it. I also think it is interesting to analyse the current issues in EU politics and try to understand them better.

I could give a short briefing on what basically happened to me in the month that passed, and why I am at the stage I am at the moment.

Bad Urach babbles

My trip started in Berlin as I said already. I flew there and stayed at my friend Johannes, the Head Organiser of the 4th European Forum in Bad Urach, a tiny and very idyllic little Swabian village where I've been already three years ago as a delegate. Now I went back as a Vice-President. The session was simply amazing. First of all because of the officials' team: the Germans are incredible when it comes to EYP organising (well in everything, to be honest). The chairs' team of President Eric, Karolina, Kathrin and Bea was the best one I have ever had. We got so close and "Eric's Angels" is a well known phenomenon these days.

My committee was also amazing. I chaired AFET (Committee on Foreign Affairs) and our topic was Ukraine and EU's relations to it in the post-Orange-Revolution-era. I can tell you I learned a lot myself as well. EYP people are amazingly smart. Above all I enjoyed our team spirit. Not surprisingly we were named the kinky committee. Why does that always happen to me? The combination of the officials, chairs, committee, other people, the spirit, games, songs and the beautiful surroundings made the session nothing less than perfect. I don't have to think twice if I'm still invited to Bad Urach one day.


Mr. President and Mrs. Vice-President on the balcony of Tübingen's mayor

Berlin and the EMYP

After Bad Urach I had to go to Berlin to wait for the next session to come. Like Krista once very well stated ("EYP is having beds in every country of Europe."), I took advantage of my EYP connections and stayed at my friend Gloria. We had a hilarious time together, and I really got the chance to see the famous stuff, but also the underground quarters of Berlin. We also went to a very good classical concert together.

Then it was time for the Euro-Mediterranean Youth Parliament (EMYP). This session for something absolutely different from what I had experienced before. It gathered people together from all the Mediterranean countries (including both Israel and Palestine, which was highly interesting) and the EU Member States. I met many old friends and made friends with people from countries that I had never met people from (like Mauritania) and sang a duet in the Euro-Med concert with a Lebanese guy. This session was very demanding, because one had to adopt new ways of communication with new cultures, debate and draft a resolution together. But it all went perfectly fine. I was above all impressed by the effort and enthusiasm of the MEDA people, and how active they were and are now with their follow-up projects. This session had apparently gathered together all the young intellectuals of the MEDA region.

Brussels and life now

Right after the EMYP it was time for me to head off to Brussels for my internship at the European Parliament for MEP Alexander Stubb (EPP-ED, Kokoomus, FI). Now I have been here for an amazing two and half weeks and I really regret that there is not much time left. I am staying at a very friendly Finnish diplomate family and Alex proved to be the coolest guy on earth - intelligent, funny, hardworking and relaxed (not that I expected anything else). My colleagues are amazing as well, and the team spirit in the office is tremendous. I have also met many now people from all the Member States and all political groups, and seen a lot of political discussion in all kinds of meetings. I have definitely found my dream job, and there is no doubt of me heading for Brussels later on as well. I am probably the youngest creature this Parliament has ever seen, but everybody is kind of ok with it. Today I came back from Strasbourg, and tomorrow "normal" working days will start again (even though the Finns and Swedes might celebrate Midsummer together).



Alex and I at the office


Next Friday I will go to Berlin again for the I-don't-know-how-manieth time this year for a chair's content training for the International Session of EYP in Bialystok, Poland. Well, I'll explain later more about that one, because now I really need to travel to my bed. In the next days something more political follows, I promise. For now I've had enough of the so called Vodka War and issues alike.


Place Luxembourg. I am going to miss this rainy, but cosy place.