by A.S., Z.T.
»The dilemma before us is very simple. Respecting the July EUCO agreement is a responsible approach for the good future of the EU. Disrespecting it is the opposite, « Prime Minister Janez Janša wrote to Ursula von der Leyen (President of the European Commission), Charles Michel (President of the European Council), Angela Merkel (Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany) and Antonio Costa (Prime Minister of Portuguese Republic).
Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša sent a letter to the leaders of the EU on Tuesday. In the letter he advocates for the return to the agreement from the July EU summit regarding the financial frame to tackle the epidemic that is being undermined in his opinion by the recent agreement between the EU Council and the European Parliament about the conditions for the use of the means with regard to the rule of law.
In the letter, which was among others also addressed to the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and to the President of the European Council Charles Michael, he wrote that rule of law should be respected everywhere in the EU, but added that “the discreet mechanisms not based on the impartial judgement, but on politically motivated criteria cannot be considered “rule of law””. He also emphasised that “Slovenia unconditionally supports the rule of law in every case and without double standards”.
“Today many media and some political groups in the European Parliament openly threaten with the use of the instrument wrongly considered to be “the rule of law”, so that they could discipline certain countries through the majority vote”, warned Janša in the letter sent to the all leaders of the EU member-states, including the Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel, which is currently presiding the EU Council and to the Premier of the next presiding country Portugal, Antonio Costa.
“Those of us who have spent a part of our lives under totalitarian regimes know that the deviation from reality begins, when the processes and institutions are given the names, which meanings are the opposite of their essence”, he added.
In an almost four pages long letter, he also mentioned that in 2014 Slovenia “witnessed the stealing of the elections with the help of the drastic abuse of the institutions”, and none of the EU institutions didn’t react at that time even with a single warning.
As he noticed, the European Parliament did not even want to discuss the subject, since it didn’t reach an adequate majority needed to for the topic to be included in the program. At the same time there are ongoing discussions about the state of democracy in Hungary and Poland. “They even initiated the “article 7” proceedings of the EU agreement, regardless of the fact that there was no misuse of judiciary system for the political goals, nor did any of the countries had any political prisoners, let alone the stealing of the elections as we had in Slovenia”, he warned.
He also wrote that the rule of law means by definition that the conflicts are resolved by an independent court, and not by a political majority or any other institution. “If a body politic regards its decision as the rule of law, it is making its first step away from reality”. He assessed. European Union is based on the rule of law; on the division of the executive, legislative and judiciary powers. A state, which political system is not grounded in democracy and the rule of law, doesn’t even fulfil all the conditions for the membership, he reminded everyone.
Janša also stressed the fact that the EU agreement doesn’t allow the discrimination of any member-state on the basis of political request of any other member-state or European institution.
“By following the wrong direction, a good future for a whole and free Europe is slipping out of our hands”, the Slovenian Premier warned.
He also warned that “the sea is wild enough without the problems that we are causing to ourselves”. Regarding this he mentioned the growing influence of China, big divisions caused by the U.S. elections, Russian foreign policy and the terrorist attacks in the EU.
“That is the reason that we need unity more than ever regarding the path we are to take. We need mutual respect. We need a common protection of the dignity of all the voters in all of the member-states. We need European institutions that will get involved in the internal political conflicts of the member-states”, wrote Janša. He added that we must realise that the foundation of the EU is not money, but values, and that we cannot force values with money.
“Dilemma that is ahead of us is very simple. Respecting the July EUCO agreement is a responsible approach for the good future of the EU. Disrespecting it is the opposite”, emphasised Janša.
He ended his letter with a warning, saying that the next days will be crucial for the achievement of a fair and balanced agreement, based on the July agreement of the EU leaders. “Only by quickly fulfilling that, which we started in July, we can fulfil the high expectations and pave the way towards a stronger Europe in period after the pandemic”, he stressed.
“Since we are being pressed by time, I am convinced that with the additional efforts for the cooperation of everyone, we will avoid any further delays, and that will lead into firm agreement through which we will stay united against any confusion that awaits us in the coming weeks and months”, concluded the Slovenian Prime Minister.
The full letter is included in the attachment on this link: Letter of PM Janez Janša to the President