(interview with Mr. Gunnar Hökmark, Swedish politician, the Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group responsible for the Eastern Partnership).Greece is now in the flames of a very severe social and economic crisis. What kind of solutions or advice could you suggest for the current members of the Greek political establishment?
I think an advice. They need to deal with that by themselves, because they know Greece better than anyone else does. They do also know the mistakes made by Greece better than anyone else does, because they are suffering from now. I think the countries of Europe the best thing we can do is to provide support, but also framework for reforms. They will never get an opportunity to finance their deficit if they are not improving the base of structural reforms. They will never be able to finance the future, if they are not ready to leave the past of deficits behind them. I think an open market economy is essential, by very many reasons. It is an important tool for fighting corruption, and corruption is the problem of Greece. But, in the same time, I think the open market is a way of decreasing the dependence of subsidies of different kinds. Because the subsidies has been to much in Greece, and they do have had a little of entrepreneurship and less economic growth. Therefore, I think Greece needs to adapt to lot of the European legislation in numbers of areas. They are member of European Union and they will have the support for doing all these reforms.
Now, I would like to focus on the European common energy strategy. What do you think about the Russian strategy of using its energy resources for blackmailing different countries of Europe?
I think it is very clear that Russia is trying to use its energy resources and its energy policy to expand its security interests. From the European perspective, I think the answer to that must be: we need a common energy policy. We need to act together - Estonia, Sweden, Germany and Poland, for example - and we must to be opened to Russia, but also firm, firm and open, open and firm, because then, we are sending the right message to the Russian people: they are welcomed in cooperating with us, but the cooperation will increase and expand when the modern cooperation is based on the democratic values.
The US vice-president John Biden, has recently visited Brussels and he has launched a clear message: Washington needs Europe for a strong partnership. What do you think about the level of transatlantic relations?
I think the transatlantic relations are in reality very good, because we have seen for a long time increasing the investments in the both ways, and the trade between Europe and US has increased very much. Politically, there are sometimes tensions, because we see democracies with different views, but also does exist a common identity - it is the democracy. I am looking forward for a stronger and stronger transatlantic economy, because, in this way, will be also stronger in safeguarding the democratic values in the global perspective. We need to cooperate for economic reasons, but it is something even more fundamental: if we will have a strong economy together, and then, we will be able to defend the democratic values all over the globe. Most of US politicians understand the need to have a strong relation with Europe. If you look around the globe you see China, a strong economy emerging, you can see the other countries, the petrol-regimes, you could see India, which is a modern democracy, and you see Russia today which is not functioning very well as a democracy. In order to improve the development in all these parts of the world - in Africa also - we need to have a strong transatlantic identity, because this is the global democratic identity.
Mr. Hökmark, you are the Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group responsible for the Eastern Partnership, a framework set up in 2009 in order to deepen and strengthen relations between the EU and its neighbouring countries. Why do you think it is so important, from EU‘s enlargement perspective, to include in our political and geopolitical area those so called “forgotten Eastern countries” (Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Armenia)?
You said “Eastern”…! I think the Eastern you talk about belongs to the West and to an Europe with democratic values, rule of law. I am looking forward for a great welcome to as many people from all neighbour countries as possible, step by step, and having for them a very clear message: those who will have reforms, those who are stable democracies, they will have the opportunity in a long term perspective to become members of the European Union. What we are facing now, in these parts of Europe, it's a struggle, or a conflict, between different values: the old values of the past, surviving in one way or another, and the new values, values of Europe as open society. I think we will see this conflict still going on for some years. This is extremely visible in Ukraine, where Russia now it has entered in a new lease within Crimean naval bases and Sevastopol and the discussions between Gazprom and Naftogas. We see the same conflict in Moldova and we will see it in the other countries. From my point of view, being European and a democrat, I think it is important to support European dimension and the democratic development in all these countries. It is very important to get into the understanding that the democratic development in these countries, or supporting this kind of changes in Russia, this is not a development versus Russia. This is a development for democracy and for values. And, I think this thing is in the interest of all Russians, for Russians living in Russia, in Estonia or in the other parts of Central and Eastern Europe. I want Europe to be opened, and I think this is a good thing for Russians, for Armenians, Georgians or for Moldavians to share the same values. This is not a conflict between different countries. This is maybe a conflict between an old power elites and the new values. I am quite sure and convinced these values of democracy will be stronger in the long run. Europe is not only Stockholm, or Paris, or London. Europe is also all these wonderful “Eastern” places and every time I visit them I remind about the fact that Europe is much-much bigger than Brussels Commission and European Parliament.
(This interview has been published by Cerasela Radulescu with the kind permission and amiability of Mr. Gunnar Hökmark on Euro-periscope blog).
Now, I would like to focus on the European common energy strategy. What do you think about the Russian strategy of using its energy resources for blackmailing different countries of Europe?
I think it is very clear that Russia is trying to use its energy resources and its energy policy to expand its security interests. From the European perspective, I think the answer to that must be: we need a common energy policy. We need to act together - Estonia, Sweden, Germany and Poland, for example - and we must to be opened to Russia, but also firm, firm and open, open and firm, because then, we are sending the right message to the Russian people: they are welcomed in cooperating with us, but the cooperation will increase and expand when the modern cooperation is based on the democratic values.
The US vice-president John Biden, has recently visited Brussels and he has launched a clear message: Washington needs Europe for a strong partnership. What do you think about the level of transatlantic relations?
I think the transatlantic relations are in reality very good, because we have seen for a long time increasing the investments in the both ways, and the trade between Europe and US has increased very much. Politically, there are sometimes tensions, because we see democracies with different views, but also does exist a common identity - it is the democracy. I am looking forward for a stronger and stronger transatlantic economy, because, in this way, will be also stronger in safeguarding the democratic values in the global perspective. We need to cooperate for economic reasons, but it is something even more fundamental: if we will have a strong economy together, and then, we will be able to defend the democratic values all over the globe. Most of US politicians understand the need to have a strong relation with Europe. If you look around the globe you see China, a strong economy emerging, you can see the other countries, the petrol-regimes, you could see India, which is a modern democracy, and you see Russia today which is not functioning very well as a democracy. In order to improve the development in all these parts of the world - in Africa also - we need to have a strong transatlantic identity, because this is the global democratic identity.
Mr. Hökmark, you are the Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group responsible for the Eastern Partnership, a framework set up in 2009 in order to deepen and strengthen relations between the EU and its neighbouring countries. Why do you think it is so important, from EU‘s enlargement perspective, to include in our political and geopolitical area those so called “forgotten Eastern countries” (Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Armenia)?
You said “Eastern”…! I think the Eastern you talk about belongs to the West and to an Europe with democratic values, rule of law. I am looking forward for a great welcome to as many people from all neighbour countries as possible, step by step, and having for them a very clear message: those who will have reforms, those who are stable democracies, they will have the opportunity in a long term perspective to become members of the European Union. What we are facing now, in these parts of Europe, it's a struggle, or a conflict, between different values: the old values of the past, surviving in one way or another, and the new values, values of Europe as open society. I think we will see this conflict still going on for some years. This is extremely visible in Ukraine, where Russia now it has entered in a new lease within Crimean naval bases and Sevastopol and the discussions between Gazprom and Naftogas. We see the same conflict in Moldova and we will see it in the other countries. From my point of view, being European and a democrat, I think it is important to support European dimension and the democratic development in all these countries. It is very important to get into the understanding that the democratic development in these countries, or supporting this kind of changes in Russia, this is not a development versus Russia. This is a development for democracy and for values. And, I think this thing is in the interest of all Russians, for Russians living in Russia, in Estonia or in the other parts of Central and Eastern Europe. I want Europe to be opened, and I think this is a good thing for Russians, for Armenians, Georgians or for Moldavians to share the same values. This is not a conflict between different countries. This is maybe a conflict between an old power elites and the new values. I am quite sure and convinced these values of democracy will be stronger in the long run. Europe is not only Stockholm, or Paris, or London. Europe is also all these wonderful “Eastern” places and every time I visit them I remind about the fact that Europe is much-much bigger than Brussels Commission and European Parliament.
(This interview has been published by Cerasela Radulescu with the kind permission and amiability of Mr. Gunnar Hökmark on Euro-periscope blog).
