PCBE - Do you speak french? by António Buscardini

If you want to be heard, say it in Brussels. To be heard in Brussels, say it at the Press Club.

P. 4: The Press Club’s Fifth Anniversary… Remember When?

P. 26: Michaëlle Jean, merci pour l’aide aux migrants !

P. 10: Photo report on refugees

P. 32: Argentina’s New Dawn

P. 24: Strasbourg, la Belle Européenne et Capitale de l’Europe

P. 34: Vrancea, Romania’s wine road

Table of contents 4 EDITORIAL Editorial address The Press Club Brussels Europe Magazine Rue Froissart 95 1000 Brussels Belgium secretary@pressclub.be

7 TOP STORIES

Press Club Brussels Europe Jonathan Kapstein, President Maria Laura Franciosi, Founding President Laurent Brihay, Director

Editor-in-chief António Buscardini

The UK- EU Referendum Dr. Melanie Sully

Islands and the EU Vasilis Margaras

Photo report on refugees Pieter Stockmans

The French territorial reform António Buscardini

The Front National in France: To fear or not to fear, that is the question? Sarah Bentz

Editorial contributors

The Burden of Journalism These are sad times for Belgium. The Press Club Brussels Europe express great sympathy and condolences for the victims of the terrorist bombs in Brussels on March 22nd. As a mark of respect, we cancelled the annual General Assembly originally scheduled for that evening, along with a reception to mark the PCBE’s Fifth Anniversary. Indeed, we are all still shocked by the series of terrorist shootings that began in Paris in November with 130 deaths and more than 30 killed in Brussels in the airport and metro bombings. We can only hope that it is the end of such attacks. But sadly and honestly, the answer is no it isn’t. One of the terrible burdens of journalism is the frequent requirement to freeze personal sympathy in order to cover events objectively and to provide clear analysis. At the same time, the deeper a journalist’s commitment to humanity, the more profound the result. In a random sampling, think of Ryszard Kapuścińsk of Poland. His reportage on the Rwandan genocide still stands as a landmark in dissecting horror. Robert Capa, who was born in Hungary, became one of the world’s great photo journalists and co-founded the Magnum agency. Britain’s George Orwell whose real name was Eric Blair, initially was a war correspondent whose coverage revealed great passion. Oriana Fallaci, the Italian political interviewer, made headlines in her own right something that journalists normally avoid. These giants and many others are models for contemporary journalists. They combined human warmth and a clear eye. Their tradition continued at the Brussels airport on March 22nd. By chance Ketevan Kardada, a photojournalist from Georgia, was present. She recorded the immediate aftermath in pictures and videos that went viral and are now iconic. So it is in these moments of terror, chaos, refugee sorrow, chaotic politics – in short, both the detritus and triumphs of our times – that journalists step up to record the victims and participants. And too often, with a measure of sorrow. We appreciate all the messages we received at the Press Club Brussels Europe expressing concern and sympathy. Thank you to everyone.

Jonathan Kapstein, Dr. Melanie Sully, Vasilis Margaras, Pieter Stockmans, António Buscardini, Sarah Bentz, Laurent Brihay, Nathalie Griesbeck, Maria Laura Franciosi, Miguel Braun and Mario Djuragic

CAHIER SUR LA FRANCOPHONIE

Lancement du Club de la francophonie António Buscardini

Avantages des partenaires fondateurs Laurent Brihay

Strasbourg, la Belle Européenne et Capitale de l’Europe Nathalie Griesbeck

Michaëlle Jean, merci pour l’aide aux migrants ! Maria Laura Franciosi

Photos APImages/European Union-EP, Pieter Stockmans, Bruno Mariani, Eu-2016/EP-PE and Embassy of Uzbekistan in Brussels.

Layout and print Alain Fritsch Impresor Ariane

28 COUNTRY PROFILES 28

Modern Uzbekistan António Buscardini

Argentina’s New Dawn Miguel Braun

Publishing and distribution Press Club Brussels Europe For reproduction of any texts or photos permission must be sought directly from the copyright holders.

34 TRAVEL PULSE 34

Vrancea, Romania’s wine road António Buscardini

Discover your adventure in Republic of Srpska Mario Djuragic

Disclaimer The content engages only the responsibility of the writers

EDITORIAL

Editorial The Press Club’s Fifth Anniversary… Remember When? by Jonathan Kapstein President of the Press Club Brussels Europe

Jonathan Klapstein is a veteran of the Brussels journalism scene for 30 years and currently a freelancer, Jonathan Kapstein was born in Rhode Island, USA. He has been on foreign assignment as regional bureau chief for weekly newsmagazines in Rio de Janeiro, Toronto, Milan, Johannesburg, and Brussels. He succeeded Peter Kramer of the Netherlands as president of the PCBE a year ago.

Remember the grand piano in the Press Club lounge? No? I thought not, but sure enough we briefly had one four years ago. The Press Club was a year old, and we received a fine piano as a donation. Unfortunately, it quickly became a piano bar by the front window and too many tried to play ‘As Time Goes By’ from the classic film, “Casablanca.” The finish rapidly deteriorated under the wine that regularly sloshed across it. Finally and sadly, the piano was removed to save it. Happily, however, the spirit of press collegiality survived and flourished.

At the other end of the European Union, the UK announced a $128 billion budget cut, slashing at everything from housing to defense. France, one of the six great founders of what is now the EU, erupted in prolonged nationwide strikes protesting a twoyear increase in the official retirement age. Leading German figures proposed an alternate currency to the Euro. In short and as always, fingers hit the keyboards to write obituaries about the European Union. They still do. If death and taxes are always with us, so are the repeated death knells sounded for the EU.

In fact, our fifth anniversary as the Press Club was in December but we cancelled any celebration in view of the Paris terrorist attacks. Similarly and sadly we have postponed our General Assembly because of the Brussels bombings.

But of course the more news and the more political figures jockey for attention, the more need for a common venue. Brussels, however and almost uniquely among major capitals, lacked a press club.

Five years ago, in 2010, the European watchword was austerity. Staggered by the worldwide recession, European Union governments retreated into tight budgets and fiscal control. European cities erupted in protest as ordinary citizens felt they were taking the hit for political profligacy and carelessness. At one geographical end of the EU, Greek finances collapsed. Governments and individuals worried how to meet the commitment for a $150 million bailout to Athens. Just as serious, there were concerns whether Greece would crash out of the EU and take others with it.

The year 2010 was a fortuitous moment to create such a press club where conferences, seminars, workshops, presentations, panels, and attention-seeking politicals and prominent visitors could all get together and share both social and professional time. Maria Laura Franciosi, the founding president, had been arguing for the creation of a press club for 15 years. She made her appeal to everyone who would listen: the International Press Association (API-IPA), the Brussels-Capital Region, the local Etterbeek Commune, and of course the Commission. Franciosi, originally from Naples and a longtime veteran of

Brussels first as ANSA Italian News Agency chief then a freelancer, finally drew the attention of the Brussels-Capital Region. In April 2010, the region turned to an experienced advisor on foreign affairs, Laurent Brihay, a man with a reputation for wide contacts and credibility. As executive director, he was given the mission of creating the club and admits that wherever he turned, he was told to “ask Maria Laura.” The two hit it off perfectly. Although the budget was limited and the Brussels-Capital Region was not sure how to proceed, Franciosi and Brihay went ahead primarily under the auspices of the API-IPA along with the region. As an example of their initiative, the chairs we use today for conferences were in storage at the office of the Liguria (Italian) region and available for free provided Franciosi and Brihay would go and get them. They did, and you can blame them if you fidget on hard seats while listening to a politician or two. For the first six months of its existence, Franciosi and Marie-Dominique Vlegels, our ever-present and loyal office secretary, worked quietly from a tiny office in the Residence Palace. Their mission was to create the practical working matters of an organization, a contact list, and find a venue. The doors opened at Rue Froissart in December 2010. The role of the newborn Press Club quickly grabbed the attention of the EU institutions, embassies, missions, and the many companies and non-elected organizations that maintain offices in Brussels. There were book launches, panels and conferences on topics that included the Arab Spring, the situation in the Ukraine, relations with Russia, what to do about other tensions in the Middle East, press freedom versus repression, and many similar matters. By the end of the first year, we had hosted almost 200 events. When we had our first anniversary party in December 2011, the club already was a major success in the intertwined world of press and politics that characterizes Brussels. Significantly for a newly hatched group,

first prize at the first party was a box of six eggs from Brihay’s own farm plot. Free airline tickets were only second prize, all the way down to a bottle of Belgian abbey beer in 19th place. (By the way, foxes have eaten Brihay’s chickens, and eggs are no longer on offer.) Two years later we were seen to be so prominent that we were elected chair of the International Federation of Press Clubs, followed by an agreement with the African, Caribbean, Pacific (ACP) press club group. We are enjoying an expanding network of reciprocity with other press clubs around the world At the moment, we have about 800 individual members. Roughly half are working journalists who are fully accredited. The other half are associate, non-voting members interested in Press Club affairs as business executives, public relations personnel, representatives of Non-Elected Organizations, government officials, scholars, and other individuals. We have a membership category for embassies and diplomatic missions called the Diplomatic Platform with nearly 70 countries. The journalism side of the Press Club, separate from its commercial portion, is under the control of a 25-person board elected to two-year terms. Membership is composed of representatives from press organizations and individual journalists. Members are not only from EU countries but also from nations such as Egypt, Moldova, Rwanda, and Tonga. We are proud that board minutes and finances are fully transparent and available. We have inaugurated a new website that will allow more interactivity than the old one, including, naturally, an easier mechanism with which to pay annual dues. Your Club will use the new website as a tool to expand its training programs. One aim is to keep us all updated on the expanding world of social media. We are investing in new equipment to help with training and with the several hundred annual events at the Club. Conferences and seminars will benefit from a new sound system and availability of webcasts. In brief, I pledge that we will continue to provide a useful social and professional venue, even without eggs or a piano.

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Case studies Eunomia provides services to national, regional and local government, utilities, waste management companies, technology providers, financial institutions and European institutions. Recent European projects include: • Review of the potential for environmental fiscal reform across 28 EU Member States, informing the European Semester process; • Review of EU waste targets, informing the legislative proposals under the revised Circular Economy Package; • Technical Support for the revision of EU Ecolabel and EU Green Public Procurement Criteria; • Support towards the development of measures to combat a range of marine litter sources; • Assessment of the competitiveness of the EU mineral raw material sector; • Assessment of the current national waste management and the creation of respective roadmaps for improving future waste management in the Western Balkan countries. Eunomia puts its principles into practice. It recycles over 95% of its waste, composting some food waste in house. It also strives to minimise its carbon emissions and use a creative approach to offsetting those that are unavoidable, supporting local projects that have social objectives whilst delivering emissions reduction.

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The Final Count Down

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Company Profile

The UK- EU Referendum by Dr. Melanie Sully Dr. Melanie Sully is a British political scientist and former professor at the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna. Currently she is Director of the research and policy Institute for Go-Governance based in Vienna concerned with the promotion of good governance.

The United Kingdom has been a member of the European Union for over 40 years. It had not been in the then Common Market long before a referendum was held on leaving. Curiously enough at the time there was no explicit provision in the treaties for exiting the EEC (European Economic Community). The Labour Government that called the referendum mostly to escape internal party differences assumed that in the event of a “No” to Europe, it would simply ignore legal provisions. How much more complicated the situation has become today but at least since the Lisbon Treaty there is a legal process for withdrawal from the European Union . During 2015 little information percolated downwards about so-called technical talks between London and the EU, a sign that some significant hurdles above all regarding the status of EU migrant workers in the UK were proving difficult to mount. British parliamentarians regularly bemoaned the lack of information maintaining that the public had a right to be kept up-to-date in order to make an objective choice. The Conservative government was also criticised for instigating the referendum to patch up party splits and was accused of supporting continuation of membership irrespective of the negotiations, regarded as a sham . The Referendum Act received royal assent at the end of 2015 meaning that the relevant government minister can propose a date which has to be accepted by both Houses of Parliament. After that a debate in the country should take place which in all could last around four months before polling day. Prime Minister David Cameron has said this will be the most important ballot box decision any citizen will have to take in their lifetime. Some in Europe are bewildered that such an important decision

should be left to “the people”. Margaret Thatcher once denounced referenda as an instrument of dictators and demagogues. In her view the elected government should take decisions and not pass the buck to the voters. But over the last decades the constitutional map of the United Kingdom has changed fundamentally and referenda to legitimise the transfer of power downwards has become engrained as in for example the establishment of the Scottish parliament and more powers for Wales and Northern Ireland. A former Foreign Minister William Hague, has intimated that a “No” to Europe could inaugurate the break-up of the United Kingdom. Scotland could seek a second independence referendum to avoid being “dragged out of the EU against its will”. But with oil prices falling the charm of a second referendum on independence might be slim and the bruising experience of the last vote which split families and friends would not be lightly repeated. An exit vote though would have significant repercussions for Ireland. For Dublin heavily linked to London economically a UK exit would be a daunting prospect. For Northern Ireland an exit would also be a challenge with for the first time in history the creation of a new border between the North and the Republic of Ireland possibly reigniting old feuds and sores. For this reason the Sinn Fein is supporting a “Yes” despite reservations on the social policies of Brussels. The coming UK-EU referendum poses challenges for the regions in the country but could act as an interesting laboratory in Europe for decentralisation. It could also be a catalyst for other countries to opt out of the EU system either as a whole or partially. Either way this year will test the Brussels bubble to the full.

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Islands and the EU The European Parliament demands a preferential treatment for islands by Vasilis Margaras Vasilis Margaras holds a PhD from Loughborough University. He has been a Regional Councillor for the South Aegean Region and is currently working at the European Parliament as Policy Advisor in EU Regional Policy for the European Parliament Research Service.

In its January 2016 Plenary Session, the European Parliament adopted a unanimous Resolution on the special situation of islands (2015/3014(RSP)). The resolution has touched upon a number of demands that have been advocated by insular regional territories and their lobbies in Brussels. But what are the particular conditions that the islands are facing? Why has this resolution received such a big level of support from all political groups and MEPs at the European Parliament?

In most cases, islands are not self-sufficient in agricultural and industrial products or tertiary-sector services. They are usually reliant on imported fossil fuels and dependent on mainland energy networks. As the majority of products and services have to be transported to islands, prices are considerably higher, adding to the cost of living in insular territories. Many islands also suffer from an economy of seasonality where much of the economic activity takes place during the tourist summer months. In the winter months, the economy tends to stagnate.

However, islands also face considerable challenges. They may lack adequate transport links with the nearest mainland. Their ecosystems are vulnerable and natural resources are often scarce. Some are small and/or mountainous with small agricultural sectors. Many of them may be located on the periphery of a Member State, or constitute border regions. This special geographic location is placing considerable limitations on their potential for economic growth. Islands are usually too small to allow big economies of scale. They may lack human capital and usually possess limited public resources in health, education, research and innovation. More recently, the EU’s southern islands, and in particularly the Greek islands, have seen a large influx of migrants, whilst lacking the resources needed for their accommodation or integration.

Cyprus Island sea coast - © APImages/European Union-EP

Many EU Member States have islands and insular territories (e.g. archipelagos). Among these islands are several world famous tourist destinations, which possess considerable natural and cultural wealth. Certain islands also produce renowned agricultural products and handcrafts. In our minds, islands constitute idyllic spaces for holidays and relaxation.

In addition, certain insular economies specialise in one or just a few economic fields (e.g. tourism, fisheries, agriculture), or have limited economic activity due to their small size. This is especially the case with the very small islands. Therefore, diversification of the economy is desperately needed. However, although the state of insularity creates a large number of problems, various studies suggest that islands can become ‘lands of opportunities’ by investing in their relative strengths. In order for this to happen, measures to promote insular policies should be established both at national and European level. Policy ideas put forward by insular territories themselves, such as the adoption of ‘insular mainstreaming’ in national and European policies; adopting a measuring of the cost of insularity and the collection of data to assess the real needs of insular territories should be further explored and developed. Island territories claim that a number of small aid incentives to their territories will boost local economies considerably, without posing a danger to the EU budget. These incentives could include the granting of additional aid to islands in the fields of environment, energy, transport and infrastructures. Insular territories also call for state aid exemptions to be extended to islands with populations above the established limit of 5 000 inhabitants as mentioned in the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, and the use of additional indicators for the allocation of regional funding.

Islands face considerable challenges. However, through a revision of existing policies, they may have the potential to transform their geographical handicaps into opportunities. The European Spatial Planning Observation Network (ESPON) study on the development of islands (EUROISLANDS 2013) provides ideas for economic conversion, whereby islands can be transformed into ‘green’ islands of equal opportunities and producers of high-quality local products. With the use of green technologies and smart specialisation, islands can protect their natural resources and become positive examples of self-sustainability. Many islands have already taken the first steps in this direction by participating in the Covenant of Mayors for the environment. In addition, new ICT opportunities may contribute to diminishing the ‘research; life-learning education and innovation gap’ that many island territories face. Furthermore, the potential for growth and jobs can be further developed through the production of high-quality agricultural products and handcrafts. A number of island-produced products have already been protected by EU geographical indication schemes and constitute successful examples of commercialisation. Rural development aid programmes may also provide additional revenue to rural areas. In addition, blue growth techniques as promoted by the European Commission may be developed in the islands in order to address the depletion of fishing stocks and to provide a new range of economic activities in coastal areas. The development of sustainable tourism in addition to seasonal tourism may provide additional growth and employment as well as a focus on the promotion of cultural heritage and specific artisanal economic activities. The huge potential of ocean, wind and solar energy and the potential of islands to become important sources of alternative energy, to be as energy-autonomous as possible and, above all, to guarantee cheaper energy supplies for their inhabitants can provide a new source of sustainable economic growth for insular territories. Finally, islands offer a unique way of life to inhabitants and visitors. The widely acknowledged high quality of life, relatively stress-free environment, and cultural and natural resources constitute valuable assets which could be further promoted. More on the issues affecting the islands and the possible solutions to their problems can be found in the briefing on the EPRS briefing on: ‘Islands of the EU: Taking account of their specific needs in EU policy’ at the following webpage: http://epthinktank.eu/ This article is written in a personal capacity and does not represent the views of the institution for which the author works.

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Photo report on refugees

time, I go home empty-handed.” Back at the house, little Roliana senses that something is wrong. “Why can’t I take the airplane? I don’t want to die!’ she shouts angrily.

Pieter Stockmans followed a Syrian family in their attempts to cross from Turkey to Greece.

Day 3: Izmir, bad news

by Pieter Stockmans This report first appeared in MO* Magazine and Al Jazeera English. Follow Pieter Stockmans on Twitter: @VRIJHEIDenGELUK

Their ancient village on the slopes of a green valley is no longer the paradise it once was. © Pieter Stockmans

Days 1-2: Izmir, rain and wind

Roliana sings in the rain on the way to Abu Salah’s home. He is offering a new opportunity: to cross on a large, safe yacht for 3,000 euros ($3,260) – twice the amount Delvan had anticipated for the trip to Greece, meaning the money he’d set aside to continue their journey through Europe will end up in the pockets of smugglers and mafiosi.

“We have doubted long enough; it is now or never,” says Delvan, as he gazes at the quiet sea in the port of Izmir. “I will have to risk the lives of my children to give them a future. It’s not easy.’

Daddy,

why don’t we take the airplane to Europe?

Roliana sings in the rain on the way to the smuggler’s home where her father Delvan is going to make a deal. © Pieter Stockmans

Delvan gazes at the sea in the port of Izmir: ‘I have to risk the lives of my children to give them a future.’ © Pieter Stockmans

In 2012, Delvan and his family fled the bombing of Aleppo. They first went to Afrin, their city of origin in northern Syria, today firmly under the control of the Syria-Kurdish militia YPG. Those were the last days the whole family spent together. Their ancient village on the slopes of a green valley is no longer the paradise it once was, and it has not been for a very long time, since the countryside was neglected by the Assad regime and strangled by the war – no electricity, no water, no income, no education. They had to move to Istanbul, where Delvan and his sister worked at low wages and struggled to pay the rent. To guarantee an education for their children Roliana and Ariana, they decided to go to Izmir, cross the Mediterranean, and eventually join their family in Belgium.

Ten days ago, his wife Rokan and daughters Roliana, 5, and Ariana, 4, and baby Nouri had already attempted to cross to Greece. Their rubber boat filled up with water and was intercepted by the Turkish coastguard. They were imprisoned for a week and then released. Now, they’re staying with a host family in a working-class district of Izmir. Every day, Delvan meets his smuggler Abu Salah at a smoky tea house. The man is a distant relative of his wife, Rokan. Suddenly, the sky above fills with bad news: rain and wind. “No Europe,” Delvan says, disappointed. “I don’t care any more if we die! I just want to get out of here! I have been promising my children for weeks now: ‘tomorrow’, ‘tomorrow’. And every

“You are lucky you didn’t go yesterday,” Abu Salah says over a cup of coffee. “Last night, I sent out two rubber dinghies. One was sent back by the Turkish coastguard. About the other one, I did not receive any news.” “If something happens at sea, I call the coastguards to determine the location of the boat,” he says. “Many smugglers are just collecting the money; I want the refugees to cross the sea safely. After two years on the job, I can say that not a single one of my boats has sunk.” Abu Salah calls the Greek coastguard. “Maybe they are in the bellies of the fish,” the Greek official jokes on the phone. Roliana packs her backpack, which she has been carrying around, ready to leave for Europe. Finally the redemption seems near: Tonight they will go out to sea. But a few hours later, Abu Salah informs them that one of the other families “was not ready yet”. Rokan collapses and says that she wants to return to Syria. Delvan peers into the distance, sad, beyond despair. Tonight they are not at sea, but lying in bed in Izmir.

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Days 4-5: Izmir-Istanbul, taking a step back

Days 6-8: Istanbul-Izmir, go back to start

Day 9: Izmir, stormy seas

The next morning, a bus takes them back to Istanbul on flooded roads. Abu Salah had called and confirmed what everyone was expecting: the sea would not be calm until Monday. They could not stay with the host family in Izmir, Syrian refugees themselves, because their landlord was giving them a hard time.

The following night, Delvan takes out his USB sticks with Kurdish dance music, which he used to play in his taxi in Syria. The family gathers and Roliana shows off her dance moves. The morning after the ‘party’, Delvan watches the news ab out the EU-Balkans summit. Images of refugees swimming to cross a river hit him hard.

In Izmir, Delvan walks into a clothing store, looking for life jackets. He checks the quality, without really knowing what a good vest is supposed to look like. “These are originals,” the vendor shouts. But refugees have already drowned because of the poor quality of the life jackets bought here.

The little money they save, they have to hand over to another exploiter: the landlord of the apartment asking them too much rent. Roliana gestures: ‘Money in the pocket, money out of the pocket’. The only way out is the trap of smugglers and the mafia, yet another group of exploiters. In Europe, they hope to become human again and work for a fair wage. I propose to add this photo as well (it gives a rare insight into the secret sewing workshops where refugees are exploited):

“Is this the boat to Greece?” Roliana asks on the ferry across the Sea of Marmara. Her parents hardly explain why they make every journey. Next is a 12-hour bus ride: the same distance as to the Macedonian-Serbian border, but in the opposite direction. The girls are happy to see their grandfather Nouri in Istanbul. For Nouri their return is a godsend. He had thought he would never see his grandchildren again. The old man takes out some toys and sits down with the children. ‘Our boss at the sewing workshop told us that we had to keep working from 8am until 11pm. When we refused, he fired us on the spot.’ © Pieter Stockmans

Departure was postponed once again. Ariana fell asleep while her parents were looking for solutions to get money. © Pieter Stockmans

Grandfather Nouri had thought he would never see his grandchildren again. © Pieter Stockmans

‘Compared to Syria, we live in luxury here’, grandfather Nouri says smiling. ‘Here we turn on the light with a button and water flows from the tap’. But they are being exploited. At 73, Nouri has to work as a night watchman at a construction site for a low wage to provide for his family. His daughters Aisha, Rohan and Nazlia are working on the assembly line at an underground workshop making handbags. ‘I get half the wage my Turkish colleagues get’, Rohan says while she firmly fastens the buttons of a handbag. ‘How I feel about that?’ Only tears. They have to make 300 bags per week, which the boss sells to stores with a large profit. The family earns 2,000 Turkish liras ($674) a month. After all costs are paid, there is no money left for Roliana and Ariana’s school.

The family is also struggling with finances: the friend who had lent Delvan money comes to claim it back. No money, no Europe. The room is silent but for the crunching of grandfather Nouri’s prayer beads. A tear rolls down Delvan’s face. Roliana runs up to him and asks: “Daddy, are we not going to Europe? But then I cannot go to school!” Europe seems like an unattainable paradise for her. “Roliana, I love you so much,” Delvan says, leaning in for a hug. After a lot of calls to borrow more money, they decide to take the night bus to Izmir and once again join the refugee caravan.

After a lot of calls to borrow more money, they decide to take the night bus to Izmir and once again join the refugee caravan. © Pieter Stockmans

The girls try on their life jackets and play with the whistles as if they were toys. © Pieter Stockmans

He makes his purchase and drags a bag filled with life jackets onto the bus, heading back to Abu Salah’s house, where the family will wait until the boat leaves the following night. The girls try on their life jackets and play with the whistles as if they were toys. This time, it feels like it’s finally happening, until Abu Salah comes home and says: “Wait another two days until the strong winds die down.” Yet another delay, even though the net is closing in around refugees in the Balkans and winter is coming. Roliana doesn’t understand: “Daddy, why don’t we just take the airplane?’ Suddenly the phone rings. One of their sisters is calling from Istanbul: ‘Our boss at the sewing workshop told us that we had to keep working from 8am until 11pm. When we told him that we are not machines, he said we should not come back’. Without a refugee status or social protection, refugees in Turkey are driven into the hands of criminals who wring them like sponges and give them crumbs for their work.

The sisters now have to go back to start: Syria. They will have to sell their house and olive trees and use the money to come to Europe. Delvan and his family will leave tonight. Just when they get into a cab, reports emerged of the sea being unsafe that night. But at the hotel, families are gathering anyway. ‘God will steer the boat’, Delvan laughs cynically. But after an hour of waiting, the journey is cancelled once more.

Day 10: Izmir, the Day of Death Four boats sank in the Aegean Sea that night. Delvan and his family could’ve been among the dead if they would’ve set out yesterday. But instead they are safe in the home of the smuggler. Ariana strolls out of bed with tousled hair. Roliana plays in the yard. Rokan takes care of baby Nouri. Delvan watches videos of his village in Syria, that only exists through the screen of his smartphone. Abu Salah’s wife prepares a meal. The family has been staying at the shabby apartment of the smuggler for days now. The smuggler only receives a pittance for the refugees he “delivers” to the mafia that has built an empire through yachts and rubber dinghies.

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A few hours later, the refugees are waiting in the cold, dark lobby of the hotel where they were told to gather. Roliana and Ariana are sleeping on top of the life jackets. Outside in the street, smugglers are pacing back and forth. Mafia men shout at them angrily because they did not bring enough refugees to fill the yacht. The mafia needs to draw more than 125,000 euros ($136,000) from the cash-strapped refugees. If there had been enough refugees, they would have made the trip even through deadly waters. A yacht may be safer than a dinghy, but at overcapacity, it can capsize on rough seas.

Day 11: Izmir, game over? “If we don’t leave today, we’re going to find another smuggler,” Delvan says the next day. After a day of waiting, they take a taxi to a new gathering point: the square at the port of Izmir. But something strange is going on. Suddenly, the smugglers separate Delvan from his family and put them in two different taxis. Both taxis race away at high speed, while the smugglers head to a smoky tea house. They play cards like they play with people’s lives. Abu Salah enters the tea house with Delvan, but without the rest of the family. “At a police checkpoint, the officer saw the life jackets in the trunk,” Delvan says. Abu Salah explains that, since German chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit to Turkey early October, Turkish police receive money from Europe to stop refugees. Simultaneously, the mafia bribes police to let refugees pass. The result is something in between: you need to be lucky to pass controls. Rokan and the children were, Delvan was not. If Europe would arrange a safe passage for refugees who are coming anyway, the mafia empire would suffer a real defeat. But European leaders want to declare Turkey a “safe country” so they can send refugees back there.

Day 12: Izmir-Kusadasi, view of Samos ‘Daddy, are you in jail?’ Roliana asks when Delvan calls his wife and children. They were able to drive to a hotel in Kusadasi yesterday. Today, Delvan will try again to go to Kusadasi. “Masha ‘Allah, that’s what we must cross,” he says as the sea appears after an hour of driving. On the horizon is the mist-shrouded outline of the Greek island of Samos.

The driver nervously steers the car through the old streets of Kusadasi. He must evade the police. At a three-star hotel by the sea, he throws the luggage out of the trunk and drives off quickly. In the lobby, Roliana and Ariana fall into their father’s arms. The refugees are checked in as regular guests. The smugglers pay, using part of the money they received from the refugees.

Day 13-14: Kusadasi-Izmir, running around in circles The Syrian refugees in the hotel exchange stories about where they came from and where they are going to. “A friend of mine was also told that he would travel on a yacht, but it turned out to be a dinghy,” one man says. At the beach, the family briefly escapes their fate as refugees and spends some time as a family on holiday.

non-existent for the time being. What remains, is a dream. But that dream can also be a nightmare: In Belgium, some refugees are sleeping in the streets because the country does not want to register all asylum applications the same day. Abu Salah promises to get them on another boat that evening. But at midnight, just when the taxi driver closes the trunk to go to the meeting place in Izmir, he calls: “The boat will leave tomorrow.” Roliana bursts into tears and throws her jacket onto the ground. Rokan stamps her feet, tired and angry. Delvan is angry as well: “Put Greece where the sun does not shine. Get me a glass of water; I have to take a pill. Alas, Europe is not our destiny.”

Just when the taxi driver closes the trunk to go to the refugees’ meeting place, the smuggler once again cancels the journey. © Pieter Stockmans

At the beach, the family briefly escapes their fate as refugees and spends some time as a family on holiday. © Pieter Stockmans

Yet, they bear a silent secret: Delvan is watching videos of drowned babies, while Rokan showers baby Nouri with kisses. She cleans the hotel room as if it was her own home, but whenever refugees dream of normality, they are confronted with nightmares. “You should leave for another hotel immediately,” says one of the smugglers knocking the door loudly. In retrospect, it appears there was some quarrel between the refugee families and the smugglers. Without refugees, no yacht to Greece. After weeks of moving around without going forward, the family gets a ride back to Izmir, in a decrepit Opel. Worn out, they feel tempted to return to Istanbul. Just like Europe is a siren that lures them, their “home” in Istanbul is too: a home that grants them a few days of rest, but that soon confronts them with the harsh reality and the regret of not having pulled through. Their old home in Syria is destroyed, their new home is

Day 15-16: Izmir, departure Back to the smugglers’ neighbourhood. Combating smugglers would be easy to organise here: conducting raids in the cafes would do the job, but police officers are walking by, arresting no one. In front of the offices of travel agencies and airlines, refugees are sitting on the black garbage bags that carry their life jackets and last possessions. However, without a visa they can only use the services of expensive smugglers. On the verge of despair, Delvan tries to make a last-minute deal. His family is resting at the home of the first host family, where Rokan prepares a lovely meal, while Roliana and Ariana prepare fruit bowls. The normality of the scene contrasts sharply with the unusual journey they are about to undertake to become a normal family again. Suddenly the smuggler calls: “You can travel on a rubber dinghy today. Come to the meeting place right now.” Rokan is angry: “Every day, he says

‘tomorrow’ and just when we are washing our clothes, he says ‘now’! We have waited for two weeks to travel on a yacht, and then we have a few minutes to decide if we want to risk our lives on a dinghy?” This is how refugees cross a fatal line, out of sheer desperation and exhaustion. When looking at images of traumatised refugees on Lesbos, Delvan only sees the positive: “At least they arrived. The whole world is going to Greece, and we are running around in circles.” At the tea house where the refugees gather, Roliana looks at the dirty, barefoot refugee children with astonishment. In the midst of this madness, smugglers are playing foosball. A Turkish beggar begs the refugees for the hard-earned money that they just handed over to the smugglers. Suddenly things move fast. They rush through a labyrinth of alleys, to a van that is being packed with refugees. “What are we doing? Is this the right decision?” asks Rokan with a distraught look in her eyes. But there is no way back. They will float in a little boat on top of the deep ocean, at the mercy of nature. Once the van is fully loaded, they disappear into the twilight. The children look at me from the window. At 6:30pm the ‘cargo’ has left.

Dag 17: Izmir-Lesbos, finally arriving At 6:57am the next morning, Roliana shouts on a WhatsApp message: “We are in Greece!” Later, Delvan described the journey: “We rocked on high waves for hours with a broken engine. Three times I was convinced we would die. The children were in shock. Luckily one of the refugees got the motor running again.” They joined the 347,362 refugees and migrants who arrived on Lesbos in 2015. In October, 125,000 arrived, twice as many as in August. The bad weather deterred neither smugglers nor refugees. During their days on Lesbos, the Greek ferries went on strike. The ferry workers’ union protested against austerity measures. The Syrian family ended up in the middle of Europe’s two major crises: the economic crisis and the refugee crisis. “Fate”, Delvan would say. Without the flow of refugees to Athens and with a steady influx of refugees from Turkey, a stoppage was growing on the island of Lesbos. When the ferries started running again two days later, 10,000 refugees simultaneously began their journey through Europe: a caravan of refugees that was about to give this family its next trauma.

The French territorial reform TOP STORIES

Interview with Nicolas Bouzou by António Buscardini

Nicolas Bouzou is a French economist born in 1976. He founded Asterès, a consultancy firm, in 2006. He is the Director of Studies in the MBA Law & Management programme within the University of Paris II Assas. He often writes articles for the French press (Le Figaro, Les Echos, Le Monde) as well as for the foreign press (Financial Times and Le Temps). Monte do Alem is our multiple blend wine. Cabernet sauvignon 35 %, Merlot 35 %, Aragonez 15%, Syrah 10 %, Petit Verdot 5% This is a strong, structured and full-bodied wine bearing a similarity not unlike the winemaker! After the winemaking and aging in oak casks, the various grape varieties are assembled and it is here that Parviz combines his art and imagination to produce a complex and rewarding wine. Since the opening of our winery in 2009, we can now talk about the “art of making wine”. The Cabernet Sauvignon gives the wine a frank aroma accentuated by a taste of black currant. It is the King of grapes and it dominates this wine. Fortunately the Merlot provides the touch of smoothness, toning down the sharp features of the Cabernet Sauvignon, bringing soft flavours reminiscent of black cherries, chocolate, and even prunes. Finally this blend is completed by the remaining grape varieties providing a rich, concentrated balance of taste throughout the drinking experience. What to eat with Monte do Alem? We like to serve it with pâtés of pheasant, duck or rabbit. Also very pleasant with all meats accompanied by sauces, beef stews, quail with red wine sauce or Porto as well as gratins, mushrooms on toast, cheeses and certain desserts.

CONTACT Monte do Além Beiradas - 8600 - 250 Odiaxere (Lagos) - Algarve T. : +351282799883 - M. :+351913246776 - contact@monte-do-alem.com

CONTACT EN BELGIQUE Vinciane Nieuwenhuys T. : +32475904194 - vinnieuwe@gmail.com

AB: Do you agree that an optimal size or key skills will enable regions to be major players in the development of their territories? Do they need some degree of financial autonomy? If yes, which one? NB: I do not think there is an optimal size for a region. Look around! Switzerland works well with small regions. In Germany, there are very large and small regions. It all really depends on the history. Thus, merging the Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées regions makes no sense! These two regions have nothing in common historically, economically or socially. There is no interest in conducting a single policy on this scale. We must abandon this idea of “big is beautiful” which unfortunately inspired the French territorial reform, saying that the French regions were already quite large before the reform compared to its neighbours. The subject actually refers to the skills and, therefore, responsibilities, whatever the region’s size is. Training (including schools), public employment service and culture should be a part of the responsibilities of the regions. This does not necessarily mean setting up a system of exclusive competences but de ning the leaders which, in France, undoubtedly requires a constitutional reform. Evidently, these accountability policies must go hand in hand with greater scale autonomy as in Switzerland or the in United States, leaving it to the regions to explain their policies and taxation to their citizens. As Tocqueville noted in the 19th century, decentralisation enlivens the democratic feel.

AB: In this framework, what do you think about the territorial reform in France? NB: The French territorial reform misses its target and also receives only limited public support although the government could have adjusted its actions on this reform. It was presented as a way to save money whereas the new act of decentralisation was to reform the public sphere and to focus on growth policies. It could have been a positive thing but we made something punitive out of this reform. You will not need anyone more stringent than me in terms of public nance management. But merging Alsace, Lorraine and Champagne-Ardennes to save some pennies is counterproductive. I’m not even sure that savings are going to occur because these regional giants will have to pay enormous structural costs. It was necessary to increase the efficiency of the public sphere, not by merging regions or even eliminating the departments, but by removing all duplications between different layers, merging the national civil service and local government service and, especially, by asking the state to completely transfer some competences to regions to sustainably reduce its overhead cost. The French problem is that the state still refuses to rede ne its scope of action and constantly surpasses it.

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The Front National in France: To fear or not to fear, that is the question? by Sarah Bentz

Sarah Bentz: after graduating from Sciences Po Strasbourg in European Politics, Sarah Bentz worked first as a Press and Communications officer and later as the Coordinator for Economy and Regional Development within the Assembly of European Regions.

December 6th, 2015. First round of the regional elections in France and the results are in. The eight o’clock evening news went straight to the point: “Le Pen takes over 6 regions in France in the first round with 28% of the vote”. As I turned the volume up, the results were clear: the “Front National” (France’s right wing party, also known as the “FN”) came first in the majority of regions. December 13th, 2015: round two. France and Europe are relieved; the FN didn’t manage to come first in any region. As usual, the scare of Marine Le Pen’s party actually winning something brought several silent voters back up to their feet. Yet, had it not been for some of the Socialist candidates who pulled out of the race where their party was a distant third, encouraging their supporters to vote for their right wing opponents, the results may not have been the same. Several French supporters of the FN regard this move as cheating, and are not ready to give up the fight. In the end, 6,8 million citizens voted FN. We can all agree that it’s a lot. Villages from the North, East and South of France were their biggest supporters. The amount of FN regional councillors tripled throughout France. And this is just the beginning. After checking all my social network links and usual news sources, the conclusions were the same. Nobody could believe what had happened or how it had happened. Yet, it wasn’t a secret that the FN party was raising in the popularity pools, just as it wasn’t a secret that the traditional left and right

parties were drastically losing points. Obviously voters had to chose a party to vote for, but why turn to the FN? Wasn’t the French society supposed to me more open-minded and tolerant? My curiosity needed some answers. The first and most evident reason is that people have lost faith in mainstream politics. The former UMP presidency of Nicolas Sarkozy didn’t really solve any of the major French issues back then, just like the current PS party of President François Hollande isn’t fulfilling any of its promises right now. Voting for one party or the other doesn’t seem to change anything. The unemployment rate in France is still on the rise, private and public businesses are still suffering from the persistent consequences of the

Economic crises and the French feel unsafe in their own homes. On top of that, two terrorist attacks in Paris in 2015 (“Charlie Hebdo” in January and “the Bataclan” in November) have scared the French citizens enough for them to decide to take measures into their own hands. Finally, current immigration issues in France and Europe coupled with new antiMuslim and anti-Semitic debate amongst citizens are not making things any easier. The mainstream parties seem lost in the face of these issues and the FN party is taking advantage of this situation. By pointing out their opponent’s weaknesses, Marine Le Pen and her team can finally suggest real radical solutions to radical problems. In times of crises, that’s all that a population really wants to hear. Fear, just as love, can blind the best of us. Secondly, I have to admit that Marine Le Pen’s campaign strategy’s hard work is starting to pay off. Voting FN isn’t something to be ashamed of anymore, au contraire. More and more potential voters are starting to identify to the perfectly timed FN speeches. After pushing her rather harsh and radical father aside from the screen, Marine Le Pen brought in her niece, Marion Maréchal-Le Pen, to freshen up their party’s image. A young blond blue-eyed girl, speaking directly to voters her age, has helped turn the FN into a more approachable and dynamic choice. Their radical ideas have been polished and smoothened into a more realistic and familiar method, without actually changing their core principles. Indeed, I found this out when I

looked up on the FN’s political programme. It actually makes (dare I say it), sense. During their regional campaign, the FN was the only party to send an official programme flyer in my post-box. I decided to humour myself and read what novelties they came up with. To my surprise, a very clear, modern, reader friendly layout asked me the following questions: “Do I want to increase employment?” Sure. “Do I want to boost the country’s economy?” Of course. “Do I want better care for the elderly?” Yes. “How about decreasing taxes?” Please, do! Except for the cunningly hidden chapter on French national identity and immigration, the leaflet was clear and to the point. I could actually understand why a hesitant voter, fed up with what is going on in France, would turn to the FN. Scary, isn’t it? Now, what will happen in the upcoming presidential elections in France in 2017? No one can really tell. Fact is that, in the history of French politics, even if it managed to get close, the FN never actually acquired any real political power. They never won a regional election, let alone the presidency of the country. This seems to be working to their advantage as they keep blaming their rival parties for all of France’s problems. But who’s to say that they’d actually do a better job themselves? Modernizing and rejuvenating a party doesn’t not change the fact that it is unhealthy for a country to be under the influence of radical ideologies, whether left or right wing. Remember Communism or Nazism? Let’s just hope that by 2017, French voters will remember that too.

francophonie

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Lancement du Club de la Presse francophone par António Buscardini

Définition francophonie : Le terme francophonie est apparu pour la première fois vers 1880, lorsqu’un géographe français, Onesime Reclus, l’utilise pour désigner l’ensemble des personnes et des pays parlant le français. On parle désormais de francophonie avec un « f » minuscule pour désigner les locuteurs de français et de Francophonie avec un « F » majuscule pour figurer le dispositif institutionnel organisant les relations entre les pays francophones.

Chiffres clés : Cinquième langue la plus parlée au monde avec 274 millions de locuteurs représentant 4 % de la population mondiale. Le nombre de francophones approchera les 700 millions en 2050 soit 8 % de la population mondiale. 20

Les débats portant sur l’usage de la langue française dans les instances européennes sont de plus en plus présents dans la presse. S’il faut bien convenir que l’élargissement de l’Union Européenne consacre une diversité linguistique et culturelle, il faut également reconnaître la tendance croissante à la seule publication de textes officiels uniquement en anglais. En réaction à ce postulat du tout à l’anglais jusque dans la salle de presse de la Commission Européenne, les membres du Conseil du Press Club Brussels Europe ont retenu l’idée de lancer un Club de la Presse Francophone formulée par Stéphane Lopez, Représentant Permanent de l’OIF auprès de l’Union européenne. Ce Club aurait comme objectif de fédérer et encadrer l’ensemble des acteurs qui dénoncent le tout à l’anglais et activer une programmation originale pour faire de cette nouvelle structure un espace de promotion et d’usage de la langue française. Pour atteindre ses objectifs, le Club de la Presse Fran-

cophone entend solliciter différents partenaires « fondateurs » privés et institutionnels. Cette initiative recevant aujourd’hui le soutien officiel de la Représentation de la Francophonie auprès de l’Union Européenne, de l’Ambassade de France et de la Représentation de la France auprès de l’Union Européenne, le cocktail de lancement du Club se fera le jeudi 11 février 2016. Il se déroulera en présence du Président de la Commission Européenne Jean-Claude Juncker, de la Secrétaire Générale de l’Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie Michaëlle Jean et des Ambassadeurs Claude-France Arnould, Pierre Sellal et Stéphane Lopez. La programmation et les activités du Club étant du ressort exclusif des journalistes, un premier groupe « d’initiateurs du Club de la Presse Francophone » – ceux qui se battent depuis longtemps pour le maintien de l’usage de la langue française à Bruxelles et qui la parlent avec fierté – c’est réuni le lundi 9 novembre dernier.

Accès au Club

Initiatives de correspondants étrangers et de journalistes belges, le Club de la Presse Francophone a reçu le soutien de différents partenaires « fondateurs » institutionnels et d’un panel de partenaires privés, ces derniers bénéficiant également de l’espace d’événements du Press Club Brussels Europe et de sa plateforme de rencontres et de communication leur offrant un important relationnel.

par Laurent Brihay

Discours du Président Jean-Claude Juncker lors du lancement du Club de la Francophonie

Mise à disposition de trois cartes d’accès personnalisées permettant un libre accès au salon et au bar (gratuit) du Club du lundi au vendredi de 08.30 à 19.30.

Invitations La Carte du Press Club Brussels Europe - Club de la Presse Francophone vous permettra également l’accès à plus de 120 Press Clubs partenaires dans le monde. Comme membre, vous serez invités à l’ensemble des événements du Club de la Presse Francophone, du Press Club Brussels Europe et à diverses activités de la plateforme diplomatique du Club (+/- 140 invitations par an). Quelques initiateurs du Club : Hugues Beaudouin (LCI), Frédéric Bouchard (Euronews), Romain Clivaz (Télévision Suisse Romande), David Coppi (Le Soir), Quentin Dickinson (Radio France), Liu Dong (People’s Daily), Nicolas Gros-Verheyde (Ouest-France), Mehmet Koksal (AJP), Maroun Labaki (Le Soir), Jean-Paul Marthoz (CPJ) – Habib Bensafi (Radio Algérie), Jean Quatremer (Libération), Michel Plumley (Press Club Brussels Europe), Pascal Verdeau (France 3), Camille Goret (Metro), Maria Laura Franciosi (Press Club Brussels Europe) et Erisa Zykaj (ABC News TV).

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Avantages des partenaires fondateurs

Networking alerte Chaque jour, des délégations ministérielles étrangères (transport, énergie, santé, économie, infrastructure, TIC,...) sont en visite auprès de l’UE. Souhaitant communiquer depuis Bruxelles sur le bilan de leur réunion, ils organisent leur conférence de presse au Press Club. Notre service « Networking Alerte » vous informera de la présence des délégations de votre secteur d’activité au Club et de l’opportunité de les rencontrer.

Espace du Club Comme partenaire fondateur, vous pourrez utiliser gratuitement et à deux reprises les espaces du club pour y organiser au choix une conférence, un séminaire, une réception, une exposition etc.

Press Club Magazine Chaque partenaire fondateur recevra une page de contenu dans la prochaine édition du Press Club Magazine (tirage 10.000 ex).

Logo du partenaire Le logo de votre entreprise sera présenté sur le site du Club et sur le panneau qui sera officiellement inauguré au Club.

Conseil du Club Comme partenaire fondateur, nous vous invitons à rejoindre le Conseil informel du Club réunissant journalistes, diplomates et diverses personnalités européennes et à participer à la programmation de ses activités.

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Strasbourg, la Belle Européenne et Capitale de l’Europe

Strasbourg est donc fondamentalement humaniste. Elle présente tout aussi résolument une dimension démocratique qui lui confère une place éminente parmi les villes européennes puisqu’elle abrite en son sein le siège officiel du Parlement européen, organe parlementaire de l’Union européenne dont les membres sont élus au suffrage universel direct. Car c’est bien à Strasbourg que sont débattues mais surtout votées les lois – ou, si l’on préfère, les normes - qui ont un impact direct sur la vie quotidienne des 500 millions de citoyens européens peuplant les 28 États-membres. Aux détracteurs de ce siège, l’histoire de la construction européenne, marquée par la diversité géographique de l’implantation de ses institutions, symbole d’une richesse démocratique et culturelle unique, constitue une réponse irréfutable. Le choix de Strasbourg comme Siège du Parlement permet de rester fidèle à l’esprit de l’Union européenne dont la devise est précisément : l’Unité dans la Diversité.

par Nathalie Griesbeck Nathalie Griesbeck, lorraine de naissance, juriste et universitaire de formation comme de profession, Nathalie GRIESBECK est depuis 2004 élue au Parlement Européen dans la circonscription française du Grand-Est qui compte plus de 8 millions d’habitants, soit 18 départements. Elle est membre de la délégation Mouvement Démocrate (MoDem)-UDI et membre titulaire de la Commission des Libertés Civiles, Justice et Affaires Intérieures. Elle est également Vice-présidente du MoDem qui, au Parlement Européen, a choisi de siéger au sein du Parti Démocrate Européen.

Strasbourg, la Belle Européenne, est aujourd’hui à l’Europe ce que la célèbre Belle Strasbourgeoise est à la cité qui lui a donné le jour : un symbole séduisant, très mystérieusement présent et vivant. En elle s’incarnent, quels que soient les aléas de l’heure, tout à la fois les richesses du passé, souvent douloureux, de l’Europe, et bien plus encore les promesses et les espoirs de l’avenir. Ainsi tout concourt - et pas uniquement sa situation géographique mais principalement son ambition comme son humanisme, à faire de Strasbourg la Capitale naturelle de l’Europe. À bien des égards, Strasbourg sauvegarde et nourrit l’héritage culturel et historique européen, clef de voûte de notre identité européenne. Historiquement déjà, par son passé tumultueux, elle représente une Europe divisée, mais appelée à être unifiée et apaisée. Fondée par les Romains, dominée par les Mérovingiens, rattachée au Saint-Empire avant de devenir ville du Royaume de France sous Louis XIV, Strasbourg n’était pas au bout de ses peines, puisqu’entre 1870 et 1945 elle fut au cœur de ce qui peut être considéré comme le champ de bataille de l’Europe. Ses habitants changeront d’ailleurs cinq fois de nationalité. À en perdre son latin... ou plutôt son alsacien! Il faudra attendre 1949 pour que la cité gagne sa superbe réputation de lieu d’entente entre les peuples grâce à l’implantation des premières institutions européennes : une façon de tourner définitivement la page de la folie et de la bêtise humaines, faire un pied de nez aux heures les plus sombres du continent et, pour la ville, de devenir un symbole de réconciliation franco-allemande.

La vocation européenne de Strasbourg s’est trouvée définitivement scellée avec en premier lieu l’établissement sur les rives de l’Ill du Conseil de l’Europe. Belgique, Danemark, France, Irlande, Italie, Luxembourg, Norvège, Pays-Bas, Royaume-Uni et Suède, convaincus qu’une union étroite pour la défense et la promotion des Droits de l’Homme, de la Démocratie et de l’état de Droit sur le continent était devenue indispensable, ont ainsi placé Strasbourg au cœur de leurs espoirs en y établissant le siège de l’organisme intergouvernemental garant actuel de nos valeurs humanistes. C’est dans le même esprit aussi que la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme y a également établi à demeure ses quartiers. Eu-2016/EP-PE

Géographiquement, le caractère européen de Strasbourg et de sa région est évident et indéniable. Bordée par le Rhin, la région a su tirer les bénéfices de la voie fluviale la plus fréquentée d’Europe, le Rhin, principal axe commercial au centre de l’Europe et qui en relie six pays. Résolument tournée vers les pays avec lesquels elle partage des frontières communes comme l’Allemagne et la Suisse - qui est partie à l’Espace économique européen -, son esprit d’ouverture se reflète à travers les nombreux organismes de coopération transfrontalière qu’elle accueille (l’Infobest Kehl-Strasbourg, le Centre européen de la Consommation ou l’Eurodistrict Strasbourg-Ortenau quasi métropole binationale). Les efforts qu’elle a su déployer ont permis de transformer la région du Rhin Supérieur en une vallée de la science et d’y ancrer un modèle de coopération territoriale et de cohésion européenne ainsi que d’en faire un authentique laboratoire d’expérimentation des politiques européennes. En témoigne la naissance programmée depuis le 9 décembre 2015 de la première université européenne « Eucor – Le Campus européen » d’ici à 2018. Les universités de Strasbourg, Bâle, Fribourg-en-Brisgau, de Haute-Alsace et le « Karlsruher Institut für Technologie » en ont décidé ainsi. Je suis très heureuse de cette ambition politique car c’est ainsi que se construit l’Europe : par le savoir, par l’échange et le partage de connaissances et grâce à l’émergence de projets communs. L’avenir de l’Union européenne se joue ici dans un esprit de co-construction et de collaboration authentique.

Eu-2016/EP-PE

Précisément, des projets à dimension européenne et citoyenne, Strasbourg n’en manque pas. Et pour cause: car depuis 2003, la Région Alsace est autorité de gestion des fonds européens, avant même le transfert de cette compétence à toutes les autres régions françaises. À l’heure actuelle, ces fonds sont mobilisés par exemple pour la construction d’une ligne de tramway transfrontalière entre Strasbourg et la ville allemande voisine de Kehl qui franchira le Rhin. Certains tronçons du nouveau pont destiné à supporter cette ligne de tramway ont d’ailleurs été conçus à Gand en Belgique. Il s’agit donc d’un véritable projet européen au cœur du dynamisme de l’Eurométropole de Strasbourg, statut acquis depuis un an déjà. Strasbourg est bien une ville européenne où il fait bon se balader, investir, se développer et vivre ! Ce que confirme la toute récente enquête orchestrée par la Commission européenne sur la « Perception de la qualité de la vie dans les villes européennes » qui révèle que 93% des habitants se déclarent satisfaits de la qualité de vie à Strasbourg l’Europtimiste. S’il y fait bon vivre, il fait aussi bon d’être jeune à Strasbourg ! La ville abrite notamment le Centre européen de la jeunesse et investit chaque année dans des événements et des manifestations mettant les organisations et associations de jeunesse à l’honneur. C’est le cas avec la Rencontre annuelle des jeunes européens (European Youth Event – EYE) qui rassemble des milliers d’étudiants et de jeunes actifs entre 18 et 30 ans pour débattre des défis de l’Union européenne et de ceux auxquels doit faire face leur génération. L’occasion aussi de découvrir la culture de l’autre et différentes valeurs européennes telles celles du respect mutuel, du multilinguisme et de la tolérance. Une chose est sûre : la ville qui a formé d’authentiques créateurs et novateurs, tels Albert Schweitzer - précurseur de l’aide humanitaire et lauréat du Prix Nobel de la paix en 1952 – ou, près de deux siècles plus tôt, le jeune Goethe, sait cultiver son charme et ses atouts européens, dans un bel écrin à colombages. Bienvenue à Strasbourg, capitale d’une Europe humaniste, démocrate et citoyenne, résolument tournée vers l’avenir !

CAHIER SUR LA FRANCOPHONIE

Michaëlle Jean, merci pour l’aide aux migrants ! par Maria Laura Franciosi

IT’S EASIER THAN EVER TO WORK ABROAD. IN A CHANGING WORLD,

Dans son discours d’ouverture du dernier Forum Mondial de la Démocratie elle a dit que les violences de ces derniers mois, surtout celles qu’on endeuillé des importants pays de la francophonie, de Paris au Mali, “ne sont pas des manifestations d’une guerre de civilisations mais d’une lutte entre deux projets de société à l’échelle mondiale: l’un fondé sur la destruction, la regression, l’obscurantisme et la haine, tandis que l’autre parle de construction, de progrès, d’esprit des lumières, d’esprit de fraternité, d’un humanisme intégral”. Il s’agit, elle a dit, de “faire face tous ensemble aux dé s que rencontre la démocratie mais aussi avoir recours aux bonnes pratiques qu’elle suscite et aux solutions qu’elle nous permet de trouver face aux dangers qui pèsent sur le monde”.

Lancement du Club de la Francophonie

La secrétaire générale de l’Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, Michaëlle Jean, a été une des principales intervenantes au Forum Mondial de la Démocratie organisé debut décembre au Conseil de l’Europe à Strasbourg. Elle est née à Port-au-Prince, mais les politiques du dictateur haïtien, Papa Doc, ont forcé sa famille à partir au Canada ou la petite Michaëlle a recommencé une nouvelle vie à l’âge de 11 ans. Elle a fait ses études en langues modernes, italien et espagnol, à l’Université de Montréal. Elle parle parfaitement l’italien, sans accent. Elle a également étudié à l’Université de Florence et de Pérouse ce qui lui a permis d’approfondir sa connaissance de la langue de Dante. Mais la langue qui lui a fait atteindre son poste actuel, depuis Janvier 2015, est le français qu’elle parle avec amour et passion même si elle n’a pas oublié le créole de son enfance. Elle parle couramment 5 langues et a travaillé depuis 1988 comme journaliste. Notamment en tant que présentatrice du journal télévisé de la chaîne publique canadienne, Radio-Canada. Par la suite, CBC Television (l’homologue anglophone de la Télévision Radio-Canada) l’engage en 1989 grâce à son bilinguisme français-anglais. Elle anime différentes émissions, tant en français qu’en anglais.

En tant que réfugiée, elle même, Madame Jean salue la solidarité de ceux qui accueillent les individus qui se trouvent dans sa même situation. Elle est très reconnaissante pour les efforts faits (elle tien à le préciser!) par les italiens, des citoyens anonymes souvent, qui ont accueilli les réfugiés arrivés le long des côtes de la péninsule et les ont aidés a reprendre leur vie. “Je veux saluer ces gens – elle a dit – parce que moi aussi j’ai été une réfugiée et je sais ce que signifie abandonner son propre pays forcé par les circumstances. Nous avons trouvé un pays qui nous a accueillis, moi et ma famille, le Canada. Ce qui a fait la différence a été cette attention à ce que nous étions, à notre humanité, à notre dignité, à notre sécurité, à nos droits de citoyens. Ceci a été formidable!” En ce qui concerne la francophonie, Michaëlle Jean considère son role comme levier pour défendre les valeurs fondamentales. “Nous remplissons ce rôle avec des actions diplomatiques, des actions de sensibilisation pour faire comprendre que la langue est un instrument de cohésion sociale pour célébrer, ensemble, des valeurs et aussi pour travailler sur le développement. Il faut se mettre ensemble pour trouver des solutions et construire notre futur ensemble. La Francophonie s’est aussi mobilisée pour pousser vers la recherche d’un accord ambitieux et durable contre le réchauffement de la planète au COP21. Deux tiers des migrants d’Afrique subsaharienne abandonnent leur pays à cause de la sécheresse. Les aider à rester chezeux signifie avoir gagné la bataille du climat”.

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COUNTRY PROFILES

Modern Uzbekistan Outcomes of the socio-economic development of Uzbekistan in 2015 and the most important priorities of economic program for 2016 by António Buscardini The Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan convened for an extended meeting on 15 January 2016 to discuss the outcomes of socio-economic development in the country in 2015 and the crucial priorities of economic program for the year 2016. The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov delivered a keynote speech at the session. In his address the Head of State have underlined that analyzing progressive advancement of the country on path of democratic reforms and sustainable development, Uzbekistan has all grounds to state that last year the country had undertaken decisive steps in implementation of fundamentally important reforms aimed at achieving the main goal - to reach the level of developed democratic countries in the world with a strong social oriented economy, providing a decent standards and quality of life of Uzbek people. In this context, the President had noted the implementation of a well thought-out Program aimed at providing deep structural changes, reliable protection of interests of private entrepreneurship and small business, and what is crucial - ensuring of prioritizing the role of the private property, progressive reduction of state presence in Uzbekistan’s economy in legislative, regulatory and practical terms as it is outlined in the Constitution. Summarizing the outcomes of 2015, the President Islam Karimov claimed that the country had carried a huge scale and depth of work on renewal and reform of country, achieving stability and sustainable growth and macroeconomic balance of economy. Despite the ongoing global financial and economic crisis, last year the GDP grew by 8%, industrial output - by 8%, agricultural production - by almost 7%, construction and installation works - almost by 18%. The annual budget is executed with a surplus of 0.1% of GDP. The inflation rate was at 5.6%, that is, within the forecasted parameters. In spite of the significant slowdown in the world trade and reduction of external demand, world prices decline for major export commodities, Uzbekistan have managed to achieve a positive balance in foreign trade, which allowed for growth of state reserves. Low level of public debt that does not exceed 18.5% of GDP and this demonstrates the results achieved and the macroeconomic stability in the country. In

2015 more than 980 thousand jobs were created, including more than 60% - in rural areas. According to the rating of prominent World Economic Forum, Uzbekistan is among 5 countries with the fastest growing economy in the world in 20142015 and forecasts of growth for 2016-2017. Besides, in 2015 Uzbekistan became one of 14 countries that have received awards for achieving of the Millennium Development Goals in food security by Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Member States. The President had noted that work carried out in the country to improve the business climate is reflected in positive business environment rankings of international economic organizations. Last October the the World Bank published the rating of «Doing Business», with the fact that Uzbekistan in just one year has risen to 16 positions and ranked as 87th. It should be particularly underlined that according to criteria such as «Starting a Business», Uzbekistan is ranked as 42nd, «enforcing of contracts» - 32nd and «Resolving Insolvency» - 75th. According to the indicator «Getting Credit», Uzbekistan for the last three years rose from 154th to 42nd rank improving only over the last year its ranking by 63 positions. As mentioned in the World Bank’s report, Uzbekistan is currently among the top ten countries in the world, which in the last year achieved the best results in improving the business environment. Due to the undertaken measures, the share of small business and private entrepreneurship in gross domestic product had risen from 31% in 2000 to 56.7% at the present, or 1.8 times. This sphere now produces one third of industrial and 98% of agricultural products. It employs more than 77% of the total employed population.

The Head of State had underlined that serious attention should be paid to attraction of inward investment in implementation of projects on modernization, technical and technological renewal of industry, structural change in economy. To this end, in 2015 investments from all financing sources in the equivalent of $15.8 billion were drawn and utilized, or increase against 2014 by 9.5%. With more than $3.3 billion, or over 21% of all investments are foreign investments, of which 73% are foreign direct investments. 67.1% of all investments are channeled at industrial construction. This allowed in 2015 to complete the construction and to put into operation of 158 large production facilities with a total value of $7.4 billion. Among facilities put into operation one can mention Ustyurt Gas Chemical Complex at Surgil deposit which had been built jointly with South Korean investors and experts. This complex is worth more than $4 billion and it is one of the most modern high-tech and large industries in the world. Its commissioning will allow to receive annually 83000 tons of polypropylene, which had previously been imported, to increase polyethylene production by 3.1 times, to employ more than one thousands of highly qualified specialists. JSC «GM Uzbekistan» in Khorezm province had launched serial production of mini-trucks «Chevrolet Labo», overall cost of project totals approximately $6 million, and annual capacity is 5000 machines necessary for farmers and entrepreneurs. It should be mentioned that this is the

third model produced at the new plant «Khorezm Auto», which had already launched production of cars «Damas» and «Orlando». In the Pap district of Namangan province a solar photovoltaic power plant of 130 kW had been put into operation. So far this pilot project, but by 2020 the country plans to put into operation three more solar power plants of 100 MW each. High-speed passenger train line from Samarkand to Karshi had been opened and it allows to organize the running of high-speed trains «Afrosiyob» from Tashkent to Karshi. As a result the passengers transportation duration from the capital to Kashkadarya province and back reduced twice. The profound structural changes are taking place in agriculture of Uzbekistan. Through hard work and skills of farmers despite the difficult weather conditions Uzbekistan managed to grow and harvest a rich crop of agricultural products - produced more than 7.5 million tons of grain, more than 3.35 million tons of cotton. The average yield of wheat in country reached 55 quintals per hectare and in some areas even reached 60-77 quintals per hectare, which is a great achievement of Uzbek farmers. Besides, the rapidly developing sectors of agriculture such as horticulture, gardening, viticulture and cattle breeding. Last year, 12,59 million tons of vegetables, including potatoes, 1.85 million tonnes of melons, 1.56 million tons of grapes, 2.73 million tons of fruits had been harvested.

COUNTRY PROFILES

In 2015 the service sector had provided more than half of gross domestic product. Currently, its share in GDP reached 54.5% compared to 49% in 2010. This area employs more than half of the total employed population. Banking, insurance, leasing, consulting and other kinds of market services contributing to the development of the private sector and small business in country are booming as well. In this sphere there are 80.4 thousand small businesses, accounting for more than 80% of the total number of service industries. In 2015 the banking system was further strengthened by increasing level of capitalization and expansion of investment activity of banks. The total capital of banking system increased in comparison with 2014 year by 23.3% and reached 7.8 trillion soums. Over the last 5 years this figure increased by 2.4 times. The capital adequacy ratio of the banking system is almost 24%, which is 3 times higher than generally accepted international standards, and its liquidity - 2 times higher than the highest indicator estimates. The outcomes achieved in 2015 sustained high rates of economic growth that created a solid basis for further income growth, improving living standards and quality of Uzbek people’s life. Salaries of employees of budgetary institutions, pensions and stipends increased by 21.9%, and the real aggregate income per capita increased by 9.6%. It should be noted that the share of income from business activity rose to 52% compared to 47.1% in 2010, significantly higher than in the CIS countries. Uzbekistan focuses on reduction of social stratification. The income ratio of the richest 10% of the population and 10% least well-off population - the so-called «decile dispersion ratio» moves downward steadily, and in 2015 indicated 7.7, compared to 8.5 in 2010. International indicator of the separation of income - Gini-coefficient in 2015 was 0.280 against 0.390 in 2000 and its level is much lower than in many developed and developing countries. Income growth contributed to increased domestic consumer demand. Retail turnover increased over the year by more than 15%, and paid services - by 10.8%. Qualitative changes have taken place in level and structure of availability of durable goods, most of which are now produced in our country. In particular, provision of families with cars grew 1.5 times in five years, the personal computers - during this period 3.9 times, air-conditioners - 1, 7 times, mobile phones - 1.6 times. According to the World Happiness Report made in 2015 by a group of independent organizations

and international experts under the auspices of United Nations, which features the ability of a country to provide its residents a happy life, out 158 countries worldwide Uzbekistan rated as 44th against 60th position in 2013. Government’s focus over the last year was made on further reforming and improving education. Annual spending on education in Uzbekistan make up about 10-12% of GDP, which is almost 2 times higher than the relevant recommendations of UNESCO (6-7%) on the size of investment in education necessary to ensure country’s sustainable development. As a result of the measures implemented over the past five years, maternal mortality per 100 thousand live births dropped from 23.1 to 19 cases, the child mortality rate up to 5 years - from 14.8 to 13.9 and infant mortality - from 11 to 10.7. According to these indicators, Uzbekistan has fully achieved relevant Millennium Development Goals. Particular attention is paid in Uzbekistan to the development of physical culture and sports, which are an important and effective factor in health promotion. In 2015 the Uzbek athletes at the world championships, Asian and other international tournaments, won more than 860 medals, including 311 gold, 274 silver and 276 bronze. Especially Uzbek athletes successfully perform in sports such as athletics, gymnastics, boxing, wrestling, judo, taekwondo, equestrian sports. Last year the Government also on ensuring full implementation of State program «Year of attention and care for the elder generation». More than 215,000 elderly people last year have passed free medical examination. Needy persons with disabilities have the opportunity to receive more than 11,000 prosthetic and orthopedic products and technical means of rehabilitation of high quality. About 70,000 veterans were covered by the medical examination in hospitals and health recreation and spa facilities. All centenarians of Uzbekistan who have reached the age of 100 years, received special allowance of one minimum wage added to their pensions.

Based on deep analysis of trends in global economy and realistic assessment of our resources and capabilities, Uzbekistan had set a target by 2030 to increase GDP of the country by at least 2-fold. Due to drastic structural reforms the country intends to achieve accelerated growth of industry by bringing its share in GDP to 40% against 33.5% in 2015, while share of agriculture to decrease from 16.6% to 10.8%, to reduce energy intensity of GDP by 2 times by introducing energy saving technologies nationwide. Deep processing of cotton fiber, fruits and vegetables using modern technologies will allow to increase by 2030 production volumes demanded on domestic and foreign markets environmentally friendly finished textile and light industry products by 5.6 times, fruits and vegetables - by 5.7 fold. In order to achieve qualitative structural changes in agriculture and development of the economy as a whole, the government of Uzbekistan focuses on gradual reduction by 2020 production and state purchases of cotton from 3.35 million tons to 3 million tons. It is worth to claim that by reducing the production of raw cotton by 350 thousand tons about 170.5 thousand hectares of irrigated land are going to be freed. Thus, as a rule, freed land have low yield class where crop does not exceed 12-15 quintals per hectare - with the average yields nationwide 26.1 quintals per hectare. Mostly saline land and land in the foothill areas unsuitable for growing cotton get freed.

As a result of optimization of crop areas and introduction of modern agricultural technologies by 2020 Uzbekistan is to bring production of cereal crops up to 8.5 million tons with an increase of 16.4%, increase of potato production by 35%, other vegetables - 30%, fruit and grapes - 21.5%, meat - by 26.2%, milk - by 47.3%, eggs - by 74.5%, fish - by 2.5 times. The reality of the task can be judged based on the following calculations. In order to achieve the growth of GDP 2 times for 2016-2030, it would be enough to provide average annual growth rate of 4.8%, while over the past 11 years the average GDP growth rate in the country amounted to at least 8%. In modern conditions, in the era of the Internet and electronic Uzbekistan attaches prior attention to wide introduction of modern information and communication technologies in the fields of economy, a radical acceleration of the creation of the «Electronic Government». Even today the ICT accounts for about 5.5% of world GDP, and according to prominent international experts estimates by 2020 this figure will exceed 9%. For example, in Republic of Korea share of the ICT sector in the country’s GDP totals more than 11.8%, in Sweden - 7%, in United States of America - 6.8%. Despite the fact that in recent years this sector of Uzbekistan’s economy is developing rapidly. It must be recognized that the country is only at the initial stage and the ICT share accounts for only about 2% of GDP.

COUNTRY PROFILES

Argentina’s New Dawn by Miguel Braun Secretary of Commerce of the Argentine Republic Miguel Braun has a Master and a Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University and a BA in Economics from the University of San Andrés. He served as assistant professor of Public Finance at the University of Buenos Aires and as invited professor on Macroeconomics, Public Finance and Political Economy at San Andrés and Torcuato Di Tella University (UTDT). He also worked as a consultant to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the World Bank, ECLAC and UNICEF in various projects related to tax policy issues in Argentina. While Executive Director of the “Pensar” Foundation, think tank of the ruling party, Braun was also Director of Banco Ciudad de Buenos Aires. He was finally appointed Secretary of Commerce in the Ministry of Production of Argentina on December 10, 2015. Argentina is back. After a decade of financial and commercial isolation, President Mauricio Macri, inaugurated on December 10th 2015, has set an economic and political course that calls for deepening trade and investment ties with the international community. The new government unified the exchange rate, opened international trade and is on the brink of resolving its debt conflicts with holdouts who have been litigating in New York courts for over a decade. These three decisions, taken rapidly and boldly during the first three months in office, set the stage for an economic revival after four years of stagnation and high inflation. Argentina can be a positive force in the current global scenario. It is the eighth largest country in the world, accounting for 2,4% of global biocapacity according the World Wildlife Atlas. It is the country in Latin America with the highest human development index according to the UN, and leads the region in both nuclear and satellite technology. Argentina has highly skilled labor. World Economic Outlook human capital rankings place Argentina in the top 3 of Latin America. More importantly, these natural and human resources imply that the country can be a key player in food security, energy security and regional stability. Argentina is the third largest soybean exporter, and has the natural conditions and the human and business resources to safely and effectively produce high quality agricultural products. Our agribusiness sector has achieved significant progress, increasing production and yields thanks to cutting edge tech-

nology and proprietary developments. The country currently produces food sufficient to feed 400 million people, and this figure could double over the next decade. Export taxes, artificial real exchange rate appreciation and inconsistent policies limited the productive potential of the agribusiness sector during the past decade, but the new government has moved quickly to correct these distortions. Regarding energy, in addition to its relevant conventional resources, Argentina boasts the Vaca Muerta structure in Neuquén province, the second largest global reserve of shale gas and the fourth largest of shale oil in the world. Furthermore, the potential for renewable energy is spectacular. Solar power in the north, wind power in Patagonia and tidal energy on the Atlantic coast could provide an increasing propor-

tion of the electricity supply for the whole continent over the following decades. A law passed last year calls for 8% of Argentina´s energy supply to come from renewables by 2018. We estimate an extra 3,000 MW/h from wind power over the next four years, involving investments of around $3,5 billion. The growing role of renewables, together with Argentina´s leadership in biodiesel production (it was the fifth-largest producer in 2012, according to the US Energy Information Administration) and its spectacular potential in the forestry section (eighth largest forested area, with almost 1 million km2), highlight the key role the country can play in the global effort to curb carbon emissions.

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• The new government recognizes the significant role Argentina can play in the 21st century and is working on a consistent plan for sustainable development. President Macri outlined the three key objectives of his administration: zero poverty, defeating drug-trafficking and strengthening democracy. To further these objectives, we trust more than ever in the opportunities that lie in building a cooperative agenda. We believe in the benefits of integration, cultural exchange and trade, and in partnership with nations that share our values of democracy, human rights and tolerance. The current global scenario is certainly challenging. Still, we are confident that the path we are embarking on will generate tangible impacts for our citizens, regional neighbors and the nations of the world. This plan has moved swiftly during the first three months of the Macri administration. Some of the key decisions include: • Exchange rate unification: until last year, Argentina had an official exchange rate that was artificially overvalued, leading to the deve-

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lopment of an informal, parallel exchange rate. We have allowed the official exchange rate to float freely, with the Central Bank intervening only to limit excess volatility. Dismantling of capital controls: we have eliminated restrictions on buying and selling foreign exchange, repatriating profits and other arbitrary capital controls, whose effect was to limit investment. Removal of trade barriers: we have eliminated arbitrary trade barriers that impeded the free flow of goods and services, such as export taxes on agricultural products and mining. Some of these trade barriers had been challenged in the WTO by the US, the EU and Japan. We have provided the Central Bank and the National Statistics and Census Institute with the independence and technical competence required to carry out their jobs. Solving the holdouts problem: we are on the brink of resolving the complex debt conflict with holdout bondholders, who have been litigating in New York courts for over a decade. This will allow Argentina to tap international financial markets to finance the transition and an ambitious infrastructure plan. Inflation targeting and fiscal consolidation: we are also working on a solid and orderly transition: we are committed to an inflation targeting and fiscal consolidation program that leads to inflation in the low single digits and a balanced primary budget by 2019. Revitalizing trade and investment relations: we have held meetings with MERCOSUR, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, the United States, the EU and other countries to reset trade and investment links. We are committed to foster a constructive investment climate as a catalyst for capital inflows, technological development and job creation.

As a signal of Argentina´s new stance, President Mauricio Macri attended the Davos conference in January, and is encouraging all the members of the government to generate an agenda that develops partners and links with the rest of the world. Presidents Francois Hollande and Matteo Renzi visited Buenos Aires recently, and President Barack Obama will be there with a delegation of hundreds of businesspeople at the end of March. We are confident that with the support of the international community, we will succeed in an orderly transition towards sustainable development and a constructive role for Argentina in the global economy and polity.

TRAVEL PULSE

Vrancea, Romania’s wine road Interview with Marian Oprisan, President of Vrancea County Council by António Buscardini

AB: You are the President of Vrancea County Council and the President of the National Union of County Council’s from Romania. Why would anyone choose Romania as touristic destination? MO: First, I would like to thank you for the opportunity of talking to the citizens from the EU about Romania and Vrancea. Why would anyone choose Romania as touristic destination? It is a question that you should as well ask Prince Charles, who comes back every year in Viscri in order to discover the authenticity in its purest forms - authentic people and the nature that seems untouched by humans. I consider that the biggest asset of Romania is the authenticity - that it’s getting harder and harder to get in other areas. And, to this authenticity you must also add the fact that the Romanians are maybe the most hospitable Europeans. But the reasons are infinite - the Danube Delta represents one of the wonders from this corner of the world wonders just like the monasteries from Moldova Region, the fortied churches from Ardeal Region, Bran Castle or Peles Castle, the famous spas or vineyards where, during the autumn, when harvesting, everything becomes magical. That is why somebody should come to Vrancea, especially to discover the traditions from this viticultural area as well as to discover the special avors of the local wines. And, because Europe commemorates the heroes from WWI, you should visit the places where the most important battles from the Eastern Front took place in 1917. Respectively in Marasti and Marasesti, places where real altars were built for the heroes that died during these battles.

AB: Vrancea is a preponderant wine region in Romania. What will be the evolution of Vrancea’s viticulture on a national and international level in the upcoming years? MO: Here, in Vrancea, operate the most important wine processing companies and here exists also the biggest collection of old wines from Romania. For instance the Royal Wine Cellar from Odobesti. From the perspective of the wine tourism I would like to make some references about the Wine Road, a special route created in Vrancea in order to capitalize the beauty of the vineyards and viticulture traditions of the area. I consider that when talking about the future of agriculture we must put on a special position also the past of this secular occupation of the inhabitants. This is the reason why we have tried to promote the local traditions, such as the wine craft. These are particularities that make Vrancea so beautiful. The local wine grapes are another particularity that we are so proud of. Although they are typical Romanian grapes, some of these wines, such as Sarba and Romanian Tamaioasa obtained gold medals during international wine contests, such as the International Wine Contest from Brussels.

AB: Europe is commemorating the centenary of WWI. Will your County tae part of the Centenary? MO: The historical battles from Vrancea have contributed, in a great measure, to what Romania is today due to the victories of the allies from this region leading to the creation of the Great Union, in 1918. In fact, Vrancea is the hearth of Modern Romania! On January 24th, 1859 the Union of the Romanian Principalities has been created in Focsani, and in 1917 the victories of the Romanian Armies have sealed the fate of WWI. During the interwar period, four mausoleums were build in Vrancea in order to evoke the sacrifice of the heroes that fought on these places. All are historical monuments and I can tell you that Vrancea started the procedures for classifying them within UNESCO heritage. Two years ago we succeeded in finalising the rehabilitation of the mausoleums, the financing being assured from within Regio, a grant program of the European Union for the Romanian local communities. The exemplary restoration of the mausoleums offers us the possibility to realize a more concrete project for promoting a touristic route that we have called “The Glory Road of the Romanian Army during WWI”. It is a route that intends to open even more the mausoleums of the national heroes from WWI to public. AB: The projects that you have talked about might boost the local economy...

MO: I have talked earlier about viticulture and about the fact that we have here one of the most important wine producers from Romania. The textile industry is also important. It offers stable working places and the production goes to the European market and especially to the EU market, witch is extremely difficult and qualitative market. Another important sector of activity is agriculture, especially the zootechnics. In Vrancea operates the second greatest pork meat producer from Romania, as well as some of the biggest milk producers. It is a sector which is spoken less about but supports equally the labour market and the budgets of local communities. Indeed we have a live economy, oriented to performance. And performance requires good community services. One of our objectives was to connect Vrancea to as many transport axes as possible. We succeeded to realize the National Road DN 2 D which I invite everyone to go through for the wonderful landscapes. Beyond the beauty of the places it represents another transportation way that assures the transit from east to west. We can say that Focsani has become an important road junction but, for the economic development and the investment opportunities, we also need an airport. This airport is our strategic plan, a long term plan which we are thinking in collaboration with other county authorities. I consider that the creation of a regional airport, the creation of the necessary infrastructure for an industrial park, as well as building the highway on the Pan European Corridor IX will represent assets in front of any investor.

Discover your adventure in TRAVEL PULSE

Republic of Srpska Republic of Srpska is a magical land of mountains, valleys, fresh water streams and some of the last remnants of Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s old growth forests. Tucked into the heart of the Central Dinaric Alps this tiny country is a nature lover heaven. We invite you to come and discover our untouched corner of the world - to a friendly place that feels like home. Our crystal clear rivers will give you the thrill of your life and the amazing taste of Mother Nature.

by Mario Djuragic

Rafting equipment: neoprene suits, safety vests, life jackets, neoprene shoes, helmets, paddles.

Tara Tara river is one of the most admirable rivers in Europe with 80 kilometre long canyon which is, with its 1,300 meters of depth, the deepest river canyon in Europe and the second one in the world (after the Colorado river canyon). For all those eager for some adventure, there are rafting clubs that organise memorable raftings tour in this river and provide accommodation in camps at the very shore. Only through rafting in the true anatomy of the canyon may be discover, and all of its handwritting.

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Do you want to visit Republic of Srpska? Milijana Glamocic, Tourism Office of Republic of Srpska e-mail: tors@teol.net website: www.turizamrs.org

Wild water adventures A unique environment and organised offer of an active vacation enable onae to experience in a full river flows and rapids, beauty of diverse flora, as well as sightseeing of interesting cultural heritage. Lead by well-trained skippers, you will experience unforgettable moments going down the most beautiful parts of canyons of Vrabas and Tara rivers which appears to be top rafting destinations nowadays.

The World Rafting Championship was held here in 2009. Championship brought together competitors from five continents. 35 countries, 56 teams.

A S S O C I AT E M E MBER

Barcelona · Bologna · Geneva Helsinki · Krakow · Leiden Lisbon (IEP-UCP) · Madrid · Munich · Oxford Paris (Pantheon-Sorbonne) · Prague

BA · MA · PHD Political Science and International Relations

Governance, Leadership and Democracy Studies

BACHELOR OF ARTS 3 Years · MASTER OF ARTS 2 Years · PhD 4 Years

MASTER OF ARTS One Year One Curricular Year in English

DOUBLE DEGREES Jagiellonian University

Pázmány Péter Catholic University

Krakow (Est. 1364)

Budapest (Est. 1635)

VISITING STUDENTS University of Oxford

1 term program

We preserve the study of the Great Books... Six-semester Course: The Great Books Tradition Plato The Republic · Aristotle Politics · Cicero On Duties · Saint Augustine The City of God · Confissões · Tomas Aquinas Summa Theologica · Machiavelli The Prince Luis de Molina On Law and Justice · Francisco Suarez On the Laws · Defesa da Fé Católica · Hugo Grotius The Free Seas · Thomas Hobbes Leviathan John Locke Two Treatises of Government · Montesquieu The Spirit of the Laws Rousseau The Social Contract · Adam Smith Wealth of Nations Publius The Federalist Papers · Edmund Burke Reflections on the Revolution in France Immanuel Kant Perpetual Peace · Alexis de Tocqueville Democracy in America John Stuart Mill On Liberty

IS THE PLANE YOUR SECOND OFFICE? YOU DESERVE FIRST CLASS FLEXIBILITY. For some people, maybe you, catching a plane is an integral part of your professional life. What’s more, professional life is full of the unexpected, and the unexpected requires the ultimate flexibility. That’s why Flex & Fast offers you a fast lane security check, priority boarding, refreshments, snacks, newspapers as well as changeable or refundable flights at no extra charge. Flex & Fast? Never has a class been so aptly named.

ESTORIL POLITICAL FORUM

24 DE JUNHO 2015

More information on brusselsairlines.com/flex-fast

I N T E R N AT I O N A L M E E T I N G I N P O L I T I C A L ST U D I E S (Est. 1993)

More flexibility, less stress.

W W W. I E P. L I S B O A . U C P. P T

INSTITUTO DE ESTUDOS POLÍTICOS UNIVERSIDADE CATÓLICA PORTUGUESA Palma de Cima—1649-023 Lisboa Portugal Telf. (+351) 217 214 129 Fax (+351) 217 271 836 secretariado.iep@ucp.pt

S M I L E A T L I F E* W W W . S T- M A R T I N . O R G *

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