Reading to Write Others

Writing is reading what I am not, as is reading a contact with what I am not. In both expressions, the key words are BEING and NOT, or nothingness.
There where I am not is where I write and read to and from. So that not is not nothing: nothingness is certainly not nothing.
BEING essentially from the abyss of enowning truth into being from nothingness, only apparently a circle, indeed a gigantic spiral: the screw turns down into its base while spiraling upward with each turn. The base does not precede, it is enowned: from abyss to "byss", from the truth of being to the being of truth. Man is enowned in being-there to catch flashes of that enowning, Being, Nothingness, Truth.
It isn't confused; it is different:
The other beginning.
Welcome.

Close Guantanamo Prison

In the hopes the bushbaby might listen finally if the whole world petitions him directly, check out this short petition from avaaz.org calling for immediate closure of the lawless prison in Guantánamo.

Here, the text of the petition:

Petition to US President Bush: We call upon US President Bush to close Guantanamo Bay prison forever. Every detainee should be charged with a crime and tried in a legitimate court or immediately released. We further call on President Bush to respect international law and basic human rights in the handling of all current and future prisoners in US custody.

Here, a link for you to sign the petition online:
SIGN THE PETITION

Here, brief information on the group (more easily available through the link above):

Avaaz.org is a community of global citizens who take action on the major issues facing the world today. The aim of Avaaz.org is to ensure that the views and values of the world’s people shape global decisions. Avaaz.org members act for a more just and peaceful world and a globalisation with a human face.

Another Way to Miss a Flight

As Harper's reports, the playpen sometimes denies those who disagree with the bushbaby access to their flights at times - or at least displaces their luggage. So watch out what you say or write or maybe even read and just keep hoping you can board your next flight!

Harper's Magazine
No Comment
Tales from Stasiland: Making the No-Fly List
by Scott Horton, April 9, 2007

Meet the latest addition to the Bush Administration's Enemies List: His name is Walter F. Murphy. He is the McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence emeritus at Princeton University, and perhaps the nation's leading scholar working on the frontier turf between public law and political science. He's also a retired Marine Corps colonel, wounded in combat
for his country and decorated for valor under fire.

Over at Balkinization, Mark Graber treats us to Prof. Murphy's first-hand account:

On 1 March 07, I was scheduled to fly on American Airlines to Newark, NJ, to attend an academic conference at Princeton University, designed to focus on my latest scholarly book, onstitutional Democracy, published by Johns Hopkins University Press this past Thanksgiving.
When I tried to use the curb-side check in at the Sunport, I was denied a boarding pass because I was on the Terrorist Watch list. I was instructed to go inside and talk to a clerk...
I presented my credentials from the Marine Corps to a very polite clerk for American Airlines. One of the two people to whom I talked asked a question and offered a frightening comment: “Have you been in any peace marches? We ban a lot of people from flying because of that.” I explained that I had not so marched but had, in September, 2006, given a lecture at Princeton, televised and put on the Web, highly critical of George Bush for his many violations of the Constitution. “That'll do it,” the man said.

Murphy relates that he did eventually get a boarding pass and caught his flight. An attendant warned him: “they're going to ransack your luggage.” On the way back, his luggage was “lost.” Writes Murphy: “Airlines do lose a lot of luggage and this 'loss' could have been a mere coincidence. In light of previous events, however, I'm a tad skeptical.”

So it's not just a speech in a cornfield that can cause you delay when flying as long as bushbabies and their playpens are still around.

Airport Blues - or at least Violets - And a Chick for the Countess

Well, made it out of RDU only 30 minutes late, which didn't matter, since we've planned this return with so much slack not even the bushbaby should be able to cornfield speech it out of whack, and got here on time anyway. Here is Boston, the airport at Logan, where this is going out to the web. Seems they plan to fly out of RDU late in any case. Anyway.

Good we had a lot of time to be able to get past the illiterate marble mouthed mumbling woman checking boarding passes before allowing passengers to proceed to the security check outside the gates of our depature terminal for our next leg, to Paris CDG, as she couldn't understand why there were two boarding passes in my possession with the word Boston on them (one was from the flight we arrived on, one for the one we'll depart Logan on) and wanted to know, I discovered after getting her to repeat her mumble some 5 times, "Where you get these?" At the airport I started from of course and added that she only needed to look at the one to Paris, not the one from RDU nor the one to Berlin! "I can't understand why there are two with Boston on them," she mumbled, and I explained that some people change planes here, just pass though, especially in view of the sort of reception she was giving... "Thank you, Sir." This lady works here everyday, I assume, and has never before seen anyone with two boarding passes !!! ???

Anyway. We've made it, eaten burgers, and can calmly wait forever for our Paris flight knowing we have plenty of time there before continuing to Berlin.

And leaving the Countess was not easy, not saying goodbye, only "see you later", hugging her, exchanging I-love-you's, driving off with the Lady-in-Waiting, saying bye to her over hot chocolate at that southern airport, knowing that the next time my Consort and I see the L-i-W will surely be even sadder, approaching a box of ashes instead of a Countess with a Chick.

Cause we gave her an Easter basket with salty pretzels and a Walking Hippy Chick that lays jellybean eggs, tickled her fully, enjoyed seeing her absorbed in something for a few minutes, fully out of her waitingroom mode, watching her proudly demonstrate it for everybody, laughing genuinely and freely, accepting our present, none too silly, just right, and not trying to give it away to the next person who walked through the door.

Perhaps weak, perhaps mottled with platelet-deficiency blotches, perhaps waiting eagerly for each next dose of anti-pain meds, the Countess is still there, waiting, sometimes impatiently, sorrowing, that the farewells are becoming ever more final, but laughing still over a silly plastic chicken.

We love you Countess !!!

Here We Are...

THE COUNTESS WITH HER FAMILY

From Tysons Gather...

Draft Report on New Court Reporter

Though the Lady-in-Waiting is opposed to the designation, Court Reporter is what the Countess transformed Doll Baby (a 96-year-old Chick of Chicora Court) into yesterday to determine the accuracy of her determination of the identity of the itinerant preacher man who showed up here yesterday, while we (L-i-W, Consort, and Page) were out fetching an Arbied lunch, only to be refused entry upon not giving the attending sister of the Countess his name. The cameraman at his side was also part of the Countess' decision to tell him, when he announced he had come to pray with her, that it was not a good time.

Now, there had been a missionary-like communion session up at the Court’s rec-room immediately prior to this, and the Countess knew from Consort and Page that Doll Baby had been among those who went up there. So, when the latter came by for a visit, checking on her neighbor, later that afternoon, the Countess had her sit at the foot of the throne and answer her questions about the “service”, who was there, who was not, who the preacher was, what he looks like, if he had come up this way afterwards, etc.

An uninterested Court Reporter, Doll Baby nonetheless replied tersely to the queries, all clearly of no import to her, and confirmed that Mark the prayer man had even insisted on walking her up to her door adding, “So I had to go back home.” Evidently that had not been her plan.

Perhaps the Countess had also accomplished her subtle mission of spreading work back through her Court that someone, even to pray, who doesn’t identify himself will not be admitted into her presence. (Not to mention the fact that the Countess has a Court Pastor of her confidence and stands in no need of being the subject of missionary efforts.)

At any rate, her brief role as Court Reporter accomplished despite herself, Doll Baby left clearly in her own role, the only one at Court old enough to admonish, albeit it mildly with a wagging crooked finger, the Countess at all.

Auntie Times Got It Right !

The New York Times
Editorial
Guantánamo Follies
Published: April 6, 2007
Each development in the show trials of Guantánamo Bay inmates brings fresh evidence of how urgent it is for the courts to strike down the Military Commissions Act of 2006 and for Congress to rewrite it.

Evidently Lucky It Didn't Come to a Real Blowup !

Apparently the world was very lucky (again) that one of the "bad guy nations" of the world didn't know, before releasing Her Majesty's Sailors, what one of the world's "good guy countries" was really up to.

SKY NEWS
In His Own Words
Updated: 17:22, Thursday April 05, 2007
Captain Chris Air of the Royal Marines revealed to Sky News that he and his colleagues had been gathering intelligence on the Iranians.
Here follows the full transcript of that interview.

'We Gathered Intelligence'
Updated: 22:05, Thursday April 05, 2007
The captain in charge of the 15 marines detained in Iran has said they were gathering intelligence on the Iranians.
Sky News went on patrol with Captain Chris Air and his team in Iraqi waters close to the area where they were arrested - just five days before the crisis began.

Chance for More Courts to Protect Freedom of the Press

Because a couple of organizations (see below) are appealing the dismissal of "charges" against Charlie Hebdo, now some further courts in France and Europe will have the chance, the duty to guarantee freedom of speech and press. No ideology or religion, freely exercised, may be allowed to legislate or judicate what others in a civil society are allowed to say or write. An ideology or religion can operate in a civil society with means of persuasion, as do we all, but never with means of coercion or prohibition. What such a group does to or with its own members is of no interest to a civil society as long as the individual is not denied his civil rights. A member of such a group who freely chooses to rein in his freedom of thought or opinion is surely lamentable but nothing legislatable or judicable.
Here the information on the appeals against freedom of speech:

Procès Charlie Hebdo : La Ligue islamique mondiale fait appel
La Ligue islamique mondiale, a annoncé vendredi qu'elle faisait appel de la relaxe prononcée en faveur de Charlie Hebdo.
L'Union des organisations islamiques de France (UOIF), l'organisation intégriste qui avait été élevée par Nicolas Sarkozy au rang de partenaire incontournable avait fait appel quelques jours auparavant. Lire
Dans un communiqué la Ligue islamique mondiale délcare : "Il s'agit d'une question de principe, et la Ligue islamique mondiale (LIM) qui ne désespère aucunement des hiérarchies pense que les juridictions supérieures ne pourront faire deux poids et deux mesures dans les questions touchant aux injures raciales (...) En outre, la LIM veut se ménager l'accès vers la Cour européenne des Droits de l'Homme, en cas de déboutement généralisé par les cours françaises".
La mosquée de Paris, défendue par Maître Szpinner, avocat de Jacques Chirac et d'Omar Bongo, n'a pas fait appel.
samedi 31 mars 2007

SOURCE: © www.prochoix.org

Countess Staff at Work

Just prior to discussion of final crematory arrangements with the Countess and the representative of her preferred facility for same, the Lady-in-Waiting and the Page were busy online behind her back (no rearview mirror granted despite her jocular requests for same from her throne in the invisible foreground of this court image. The Countess was able to secure answers to all her questions from the representative summoned to Court, and he was instructed to bring papers for signature on Friday afternoon. Simple sealable vault for the cremains, family in charge at Pineview, West Haven for wake and memorial. And we hardly choked up much at all.

Courts Should Uphold Justice

Coming Up Short on Habeas for Detainees
JURIST Contributing Editor Marjorie Cohn of Thomas Jefferson School of Law, president of the National Lawyers Guild, says that the Supreme Court's failure to marshall enough votes to review the habeas-stripping provisions of the Military Commissions Act at this stage shows that the court cannot be relied upon to consistently provide justice and that Congress should pass rescinding legislation...
-An excellent article deserving of wider attention

Countess Welcomes Back to Court...

... the Page and Consort after a near 24 hour journey capped by a derouted Lady-in-Waiting fetching them from the airport only after a (for her) nerve-wracking delay, by a smile from the Countess, when they arrived at Court, which radiated out into the parking lot in the twilight, though she was so tired she could hardly stay awake while they ate Brunswick stew, chicken salad, and pecan pie.
The Countess can now sleep peacefully, and here the Page and Consort will do the same.

Bushbaby Remains Baby Even If Some Playpenalers Mature

The force of that baby rattle must be enormous to keep the bushbaby so infantile that it refuses to close an undemocratic, unjust prison clearly in violation of human rights and all principles of justice to everyone outside his playpen even when a couple of his playmates there finally get up the gumption to tell him he should shut it down. We're talking about Guantánamo!

Le secrétaire à la défense américain, Robert Gates, se prononce pour la fermeture de Guantanamo
LE MONDE 30.03.07

Le secrétaire à la défense, Robert Gates, s'est prononcé, jeudi 29 mars, pour la fermeture de la prison de Guantanamo et le transfèrement sur le sol américain des "ennemis combattants" qui y sont détenus. Cette prise de position va à l'encontre de celle adoptée jusqu'à présent par le président George Bush, selon laquelle les étrangers soupçonnés de terrorisme ne doivent pas pouvoir prétendre aux garanties constitutionnelles américaines.

©

The New York Times

Editorial
The President’s Prison
Published: March 25, 2007
The Guantánamo Bay detention camp has profoundly damaged the nation’s credibility as a champion of justice and human rights.

New to Job, Gates Argued for Closing Guantánamo
By THOM SHANKER and DAVID E. SANGER
Published: March 23, 2007
Alberto R. Gonzales and Dick Cheney’s office expressed strong objections to moving detainees to the U.S.

Flying Off to The Countess

The preparations and duties are complete and the Page and Consort will be flying off to Chicora Court to partake of final joys in the presence of the Countess as the weekend ends, flying into the land where flight began, where the Page began, where the Countess began, and where now the Countess is informing her Court of ultimate plateaux and final experiences. "No, I'm not afraid, I'm not scared," she tells us all, and the Page has every reason to believer her. Sad, perhaps worried, about having to take leave of those so dear to her at Court: her Lady-in-Waiting with family, her Page and his Consort, all her Chicks, all her siblings and in-laws and nieces and nephews, all those she has always given to. But she should, I'm sure she does, know that they have all received more than could be wished. When the Countess leaves them all, she should have the SMILE of having done it well on her lips.

Alternative Berlin Declaration

Thanks to Wolfgang Schulz for pointing me to this important comment on and alternative to the dazzling spectacle of Europe's birthday party in Berlin and the great LACKS of the official Berlin Declaration, to which I provided links.

Also in this regard, I would again like to point to the excellent Brussels Declaration on a Secular Vision for Europe by here giving the link to my earlier blog on that subject from March 8 called "In Support of Vision for Europe".

The following alternatives must indeed be acted upon in order to ensure that Europe is democratically based. It is time for a Constitution guaranteeing rights to the people in all of Europe, but it must certainly be done so as to expand democratic participation in all decisions on a European level. See the following (again, with thanks to Wolfgang!):

Alternative Berlin Declaration
We need real dialogue
The 50th anniversary of the Rome Treaties provides an occasion for the much needed analysis of the present crisis of democracy and legitimacy in the European Union. We call on the Heads of States and Governments and the German EU presidency to:
Respect the explicit "no" to the EU constitution in France and the Netherlands! It was an expression of the alienation felt between voters and the political class and it was a vote for a Europe of the citizens. Angela Merkel's request to revive the EU constitution at the highest level and behind closed doors would not solve the crisis but intensify it. We demand for an open, democratic process - without artificial time-pressure - in which the citizens will have the decisive say about the future of Europe. We demand there be proper public debate on the questions that EU leaders have been unable to answer during the last five years, e.g.:
How can the EU create a Europe of the citizens, and a democratic Europe of democracies? How can the democratic deficit present within the EU be resolved? How can the EU achieve transparency and a truly democratic form of governance? What role could direct democracy play at the European level? How can the EU safeguard and enhance human and civil rights in Europe?What exactly falls under the jurisdiction of the EU? How can real subsidiarity be secured? How are the EU institutions to be reformed? And finally; what vision should we have for Europe? What significance should it have and could it have for the world and its citizens?
We demand a bottom-up process that is open in its results and open to initiatives and contributions from civil society. The process of shaping the EU needs forums on the future of European, in which people can come together and express themselves, for example, in regional forums, national forums, European forums, and in debates with representatives from civil society, cultural representatives, governments and commerce. To make sure that the results of these debates can be realised in a legal framework we need a new convention on the future of Europe.
A new convention on the future of Europe
Eurocrats and leading EU politicians are very remote from the problems and concerns of the citizens. The previous EU convention was neither democratically legitimate nor open with its results. We demand a new convention on the future of Europe, which actually represents the interest of the citizens. This time it must be safeguarded by distinct rules, the convention should:
- be directly elected. Its members come from all areas and levels of society.
- be open in its results and without to much time-pressure. It should develop proposals for a document on the democratic future of Europe. These proposals must be in accordance with the constitutions of member states. The result will be voted on, in referendums in all EU member states.
- have meetings which are open to the public. In a continuous citizen participation process single citizens as well as organisations of civil society, must be given the opportunity to take part directly in the debate and should be able to influence its results.
- If the convention does not come to an agreement regarding specific topics minority reports can be added to the ballot as an alternative option of the document. Parallel to the convention it must be possible by a procedure of public initiative to present an alternative draft of the document to the voters of all EU member states.
- In the run-up to the referenda fair and unbiased public information about the document and its alternatives must be presented.
Democracy is a basic European value which includes freedom, participation, solidarity and the acknowledgement of fundamental human rights. We call on governments to not obstruct a democratic improvement of Europe from below. Better contribute to it by improving the conditions for democracy!

----

-----

Alternative Berliner Erklärung
Dialog braucht eine neue Qualität
Der heutige Tag muss vor allem Anlass sein, die Probleme der EU nüchtern zu analysieren und einen Weg aus der gegenwärtigen Demokratie- und Legitimationskrise zu finden. Wir fordern die Regierungsvertreter und die deutsche Ratspräsidentschaft dazu auf:
Respektieren Sie das klare Nein zum vorliegenden Verfassungsvertrag in Frankreich und den Niederlanden! Es ist Ausdruck der Entfremdung zwischen den Wählern und der politischen Klasse und ein Votum für ein Europa der Bürgerinnen und Bürger. Die von Angela Merkel geforderte Wiederbelebung des aktuellen Vorschlags auf höchster Ebene und hinter verschlossenen Türen würde die Krise nicht lösen, sondern nur verstärken. Wir
fordern einen offenen, demokratischer Prozess - ohne künstlich erzeugten Zeitdruck - bei dem die Bürgerinnen und Bürgern das entscheidende Wort über die Zukunft Europas haben. Wir fordern eine öffentliche Debatte über die Fragen, die führende EU Politiker während der letzten fünf Jahre nicht beantworten konnten, z.B.:
Wie schaffen wir ein Europa der Bürgerinnen und Bürger, ein Europa der Demokratie und der Demokratien? - Wie wird der tiefgreifende Demokratiemangel der EU überwunden? - Wie entstehen Transparenz und demokratische Kontrolle? - Wie kann direkte Demokratie auf europäischer Ebene funktionieren? - Wie können die Grund- und Menschenrechte in Europa gesichert und erweitert werden? - Was soll die EU überhaupt regeln? Wie lässt sich Subsidiarität absichern? - Wie können die EU-Institutionen reformiert werden? - Und letztlich: Welche Vision haben wir für Europa? Welche Bedeutung hat es für die Welt und für seine Bürger?
Wir fordern einen ergebnisoffenen Prozess, der von unten gestaltet wird und offen ist für alle Initiativen aus der Zivilgesellschaft. Zu diesem Gestaltungsprozess müssen Foren über die europäische Zukunft geschaffen und genutzt werden, in denen sich die Menschen begegnen und artikulieren können, wie z.B. Regionalforen, Europäisches Sozialforum, runde Tische mit Vertretern der Zivilgesellschaft bzw. der Kultur, der Regierungen und Geschäftswelt. Damit Gesprächsergebnisse gebündelt und bis in die rechtliche Ordnung hinein umgesetzt werden können, braucht das Gespräch über die Zukunft Europas einen neuen Konvent:
Ein neuer Konvent für die Zukunft Europas
Eurokraten und führende Politiker der Mitgliedsstaaten sind weit von den Problemen und Wünschen der Bürger entfernt. Der bisherige EU-Konvent war weder demokratisch legitimiert noch ergebnisoffen. Wir fordern einen neuen Konvent über die Zukunft Europas, der tatsächlich die Interessen der Bürger vertritt. Dies muss durch klare Spielregeln gewährleistet werden, z.B.:
- Der Konvent wird direkt gewählt. Seine Mitglieder kommen aus allen Bereichen und Ebenen der Gesellschaft.
- Ergebnisoffen und ohne Zeitdruck erarbeitet der Konvent Vorschläge für ein Dokument über eine demokratisch verfasste Zukunft Europas. Dieses muss im Einklang mit den Verfassungen der Mitgliedsstaaten stehen. In Referenden in allen EU-Staaten wird das Ergebnis zur Abstimmung gestellt.
- Das Gremium tagt öffentlich. Einzelne Bürger, zivilgesellschaftlichen Gruppierungen und Organisationen müssen die Möglichkeit haben, sich im Sinne einer fortlaufenden Bürgerbeteiligung direkt an der Diskussion zu beteiligen und die Ergebnisse zu beeinflussen.
- Kommt es in dem Konvent in einzelnen Fragen nicht zu einer Einigung, so können Minderheitenpositionen als Varianten des Dokuments mit zur Abstimmung gestellt werden. Parallel zum Konvent muss es durch ein Bürgerinitiativ-Verfahren möglich sein, bei den Referenden in allen EU-Staaten den Wählern einen Alternativentwurf zum Konvents-Dokument zur Abstimmung vorzulegen.
- Bei den zur Abstimmung gestellten Varianten und Alternativen ist eine faire und ausgewogene Information der Öffentlichkeit sicherzustellen.
Demokratie ist der grundlegende europäische Wert, der die Aspekte der Freiheit, der Teilhabe und der Solidarität und damit das Bekenntnis zu den Grund- und Menschenrechten einschließt. Wir fordern die Regierungen auf: Stehen Sie einer demokratischen Weiterentwicklung Europas von unten nicht im Wege! Helfen Sie vielmehr mit, die Bedingungen dafür zu schaffen!

The Page thanks you all...

To uncles and aunts, cousins, friends of the family, and all the Chicks of Chicora Court:
Thank you for attending the Countess!
Thank you for supporting the Lady-in-Waiting!
This Page abroad is so grateful, so deeply grateful...
Final experiences can be good!
The Countess told me so, knows that all her current experiences are final ones, is honored to experience them all as good.
You all are making that possibe.

Thank you ! Danke ! Merci ! Grazie ! благодарности ! Gracias !

Illegal Playpenal Iraq Adventure - says SAUDI KING !

Just look at this and ask yourself why anyone with even half a mind still thinks US soldiers should be there putting their own lives at risk and increasing the danger from fundamentalist terrorists to all inhabitants of the western world in doing so:

The New York Times
International / Middle East
U.S. Iraq Role Is Called Illegal by Saudi King
By HASSAN M. FATTAH
Published: March 29, 2007
King Abdullah’s speech at a meeting of Arab leaders underscored growing differences between Saudi Arabia and the Bush administration.

Follow-up on Charlie Hebdo

NOT GUILTY !

That puts it in a nut shell. What follows are a few more details with the occasional link to more in-depth reports.

Relaxés !
Le tribunal correctionnel de Paris a relaxé Charlie Hebdo, poursuivi pour avoir publié des caricatures de Mahomet. Jean-Claude Magendie, a estimé que les caricatures mises en cause par la Grande mosquée de Paris, la Ligue islamique mondiale et l'Union des organisations islamiques de France (UOIF) ne constituaient pas une injure vis-à-vis de la communauté musulmane. Les juges ont estimé que les caricatures relevaient de la liberté d'expression et ne s'en prenaient pas à l'islam mais aux intégristes. [jeudi 22 mars 2007]

International / Europe
French Court Rules for Newspaper That Printed Muhammad Cartoons

By CRAIG S. SMITH

Published: March 23, 2007
The paper and its editor were accused by two Muslim groups of
“publicly abusing a group of people because of their religion.”

Libération

A l'issue de quelques minutes d'audience, le président Jean-Claude Magendie a prononcé la relaxe et rejeté les demandes des parties civiles. En reproduisant les caricatures danoises de Mahomet qui avaient suscité des réactions violentes à travers le monde, en ajoutant en une son propre dessin signé Cabu, Charlie ne s'est pas rendu coupable d' «injures publiques» envers les musulmans.

A Countess Is A Countess !

Weaker, she'll use a walker.

More tired, she'll doze more.

Less appetite, she'll munch when she likes.

More pain, she'll take her meds.

But the Countess remains the Countess !

When it's harder on the Lady-in-Waiting, the Page attempts to provide her long-distance advice, support, comfort...

But the Lady-in-Waiting and the Page only have their titles because...

...the Countess remains the Countess!

And if visitors only get to see the Countess sleeping, napping, resting, dozing, or even snoring, they should know what a privilege it is to see her,

the Countess remaining the Countess!

* * *

The Berlin Declaration - Berliner Erklärung - Déclaration de Berlin

"We, the citizens of the European Union …"

Meeting in Berlin over the weekend, EU leaders adopted a Declaration to mark 50 years of the Rome Treaty. It spells out what the Union has achieved, what it is for and the challenges ahead. The Declaration reaffirms that "the European Union is founded on equal rights and mutually supportive cooperation" and that "the unnatural division of Europe is now consigned to the past". On the Constitution it calls for it to be put on a "renewed common basis before EP elections in 2009".

„Zu unserem Glück vereint“

Mit der feierlichen „Berliner Erklärung," die am Sonntag aus Anlass des 50. Jahrestages der Römischen Verträge in einer feierlichen Zeremonie der Staats- und Regierungschefs verabschiedet wurde, verbindet Parlamentspräsident Hans-Gert Pöttering die Hoffnung auf Inspiration und Mut für einen neuen Aufbruch. Der Parlamentspräsident gehört mit der
amtierenden EU-Ratspräsidentin Angela Merkel und Kommissionspräsident José Manuel Barroso zu den Unterzeichnern der Erklärung.

« Nous, citoyennes et citoyens de l’Union Européenne... »

C’est à Berlin, dans la ville qui a longtemps symbolisé la division de l’Europe, que les dirigeants européens se sont réunis ce week-end. A l’occasion des 50 ans du Traité de Rome, ils ont adopté une déclaration dans laquelle ils se félicitent de la fin de la « division artificielle de l’Europe ». Rappelant que l’intégration est « unique en son genre », les dirigeants des 27 appellent à asseoir l’Union sur « des bases communes rénovées d’ici les élections au Parlement européen de 2009 ».