TUSK, SCHULZ AND PITTELLA: A TRIUMVIRATE THAT THE EU NEEDS
MILAN - A way to conceive the role of Institutions which is typical of a German, an historical political perspective of a Pole, and the way to overcome problems of an Italian. These are the three ingredients that Europe should need to overcome a deep economical crisis and relaunch the process of political integration that the EU immediately needs, in order to become a more powerful political entity in a world that is more and more dominated by superpowers as China, India, Russia, the US and South Africa.
The Polish ingredient is Donald Tusk. He's the one PM that in the history of Poland was re-elected twice, thanks to his capability to keep his country aware from the economical crisis that frapped almost the rest of EU States.
According to Polish magazine Newsweek, Tusk, who is also the Secretary of the Christian-democratic Civic Platform, is the most quoted candidate to the Presidency of the European Council: one of the three EU top Institutions, which is actually led by Belgian popular-wing Herman Van Rompuy.
According to Polish Newsweek, Tusk can already bet on the support of several EU Chiefs of Government and State, in particular on the one of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The Leader of the EU leading country is a quite known estimator of Tusk: it was Merkel that proposed Tusk as be the candidate to the Presidency of EU Commission of the European People's Party.
After Tusk refused Merkel's proposal to become the President of EU Commission, the most important office of the EU could be held by a famous German politician as the President of European Parliament Martin Schulz. However, Mr. Schulz's chances to become the President of EU Commission depends on the win of the Party of European Socialists in next European Elections.
According to last opinion pools, Schulz's PES could obtain the relative majority of seats in the European Parliament, but it will obliged to form a Grand Coalition with Merkel's EPP, in order to oppose euro-skeptical forces, which are gaining more and more power in several EU countries, especially in Greece, Italy, Spain, Poland and the UK.
The Grand Coalition of PES and EPP could move Chancellor Merkel to agree with the appointment of Schulz as the President of the European Commission, following the same political dynamics that moved German Chancellor to form in Germany a Government supported by a Grand Coalition of Merkel's Christian-democratic CDU and Schulz's social democratic SPD, after CDU failed to obtained the absolute majority of votes in the Bundestag in last German Parliamentary Election.
Once Schulz will be appointed the President of EU Commission, his actual office as the President of European Parliament could be taken by the First Vice-president of European Parliament Gianni Pittella.
This Italian politician, a member of center-left wing Democratic Party -which is gonna get full membership status of PES- strongly supports the need for EU institution to have a common position in foreign affairs. Mr. Pittella personally demonstrated it by his recent missions to Ukraine in support of democracy and human rights, and his commitment in the liberation of the two soldiers of the Italian Army that are illegally detained in India.
The election of Mr. Pittella as the President of the European Parliament, which is possible just in case PES will win next European Elections, will guarantee a continuity to Schulz's efforts to give to give finally the European Parliament legislative, and no more just consultive, powers.
From the economical point of view, both Schulz and Pittella agree with the necessity to end with austerity policies. Otherwise, both Schulz and Pittella support measures in promotion of public investments, social services, healthcare, welfare and labor.
Also Tusk, although he's not a member of PES, supports the need of social investments. Polish PM demonstrated it when he regulated Polish public finance without dropping budgetary funds to social and healthcare services.
Moreover, both Tusk and Pittella support a more assertive role of the EU in foreign politics, in particular in Central Eastern Europe, where the EU must face a new wave of Russia's imperialistic aggression against Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova.
Schulz and Pittella are deeply committed in the enlargement of EU to the Balkans. They also support the creation of a EU common immigration policy in EU Eastern borders and in the Mediterranean Sea, where dozens of refuges from Africa and Middle East are trying everyday to reach the EU, in order to run away from political repression and poverty.
For what concerns int'l affairs, Tusk could strengthen cooperation with Schulz, in order to create a common government of the EU. When he led the Polish government, Tusk strengthened political ties between Warsaw and Berlin, and made Poland one of the most important decision makers in the EU together with Germany and France.
Tusk, Schulz and Pittella's appointment to the three most important EU Offices could create a triumvirate that could concretely both strengthen int'l political integration of the EU and relaunch the EU in world geopolitics, which are now dominated by superpowers as China, the US, India and Russia, as the benchmark of peace, progress, democracy and liberty.
Schwarzenberg as the High Representative of EU Foreign Policy to support democracy and human rights worldwide
Finally, in addition to the President of EU Council, the President of EU Commission and the President of European Parliament, the last EU most powerful institution is the High Representative of EU Foreign Policy, which is actually led by Ms. Catherine Ashton.
In the case that two socialists and a popular as Schulz, Pittella and Tusk are gonna heading the three most important EU Institutions, Czech liberal-conservative Karel Schwarzenberg could be a good choice to lead EU foreign policy.
Following the example of first President of Czech Republic Vaclav Havel, Schwarzenberg is deeply committed in the spread of democracy and human rights worldwide.
As the first Minister of Foreign Affairs of a EU country, he gave political asylum to several political dissidents from Ukraine that were running away from political repressions made in Ukraine by President Viktor Yanukovych's authoritarian regime.
Matteo Cazzulani
Chair of Milanese PD relationships with world democratic and progressive Parties
ledemocraziaarancione@gmail.com
Matteo Cazzulani
Energy deals and Central Eastern Europe politics analyst
+393493620416
http://matteocazzulani.wordpress.com
http://matteocazzulaniinternational.wordpress.com
2014-02-18
