Vol. 395 No. 6
6 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Taoiseach if he will outline the matters discussed with President Mitterrand at their meeting on 4 February 1990; if he will outline any proposals put to him by President Mitterrand regarding the establishment of a confederation of all European States; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
It is not the practice to disclose in detail the matters discussed at an official working meeting of this kind. I can, however, tell the Deputy that it was of particular benefit to me, as President of the European Council, coming into that office immediately after President Mitterrand — a statesman of world renown — to have the benefit of his views and experience on European and international affairs. We covered Community issues, developments in Eastern Europe and other major issues of mutual interest and concern.
President Mitterrand's proposal for a European Confederation is, of course, one that he will elaborate on himself in due course. My understanding is that it would involve all European countries who would wish to join, with particular reference to the need to provide the emerging democracies in Eastern Europe with a structured framework in which they could participate in consultation and decision making, as appropriate, with the other European countries on issues of common interest. The concept, with its aims of dialogue and stability, is one related to the holding of a meeting of the Heads of Government of the 35 CSCE participating States in 1990. In my view it merits full and positive consideration.
I thank the Taoiseach for his full reply on this issue relating to the idea of a confederation of states. In outlining his views on the confederation of states, did President Mitterrand intend it as a purely co-ordinating confederation of states dealing with perhaps international political affairs or is it intended to be an economic confederation as well? Can the Taoiseach give some idea of the general view on the confederation and while the Taoiseach indicates that he is favourable to the idea, can he say if that is the Government view at this time?
Is that a mischievous addendum?
Does the Deputy suggest that there are differences between these colleagues on these fundamental issues?
I am trying to deal with this in a serious way.
Deputy De Rossa has asked a series of questions, let us hear the Taoiseach's reply.
With Deputy De Rossa's permission I will now deal with the serious aspects of his question.
I am asking the Taoiseach to indicate if his personal opinion is also a Government opinion.
As I said in my reply, it is primarily a matter for President Mitterrand to elaborate on his concept and deal with the various aspects that Deputy De Rossa has raised. I understand that he intends to do that, but pending that, my understanding of his concept is that it will be primarily a framework to fill a gap that exists. The 12 member states of the Community have their own framework, mechanisms and procedures for dealing with their affairs of mutual interest. There is nothing similar in Eastern Europe not is there anything bridging the gap at present between the Eastern European countries and the Community. What President Mitterrand is primarily concerned with is to provide some sort of a framework which will fill that gap, a framework within which all the countries of Europe could relate to each other. President Mitterrand sees it very much as a framework which would help to contribute to stability in the whole of Europe. I suggest that the Deputy should await further elaboration of the concept by President Mitterrand himself.
My question in relation to whether this was Government policy or the Taoiseach's personal view was an attempt to find out what was Government policy in relation to this idea of a confederation and I did not intend to be in any way mischievous. If it is a Government view, clearly some consultation must have taken place in relation to it. In that respect, is it also intended that this confederation would be seen as a replacement for the blocs that exist at present, the NATO Alliance and the Warsaw Pact?
No.
If not, why not?
I think the President has in mind a framework which would primarily be for purposes of dialogue, relationships and perhaps decision making, but I understand that it would not in any way cut across existing alliances.
Without breaking any confidences that might exist between himself and President Mitterrand, can the Taoiseach give an indication whether President Mitterrand sees this idea of a confederation as being something that would replace and indeed transcend the kind of involuntary and forced union imposed upon many countries in Eastern Europe by the kind of "democratic centralism" to which Deputy De Rossa, up to lately anyway, seemed to adhere?
There is no democratic centralism in your party, that is for sure.
Question No. 7 please.
In relation to the parliamentary tier of such a confederation, if it were ever to come about, would the Taoiseach prefer that to take the form of the adherence of East European countries to the existing Council of Europe for which two East European countries have already applied for membership, or does the Taoiseach favour the other idea of a parliamentary tier of the Helsinki process being established, involving all these countries who are signatories of that Helsinki Accord? Which of the two umbrellas does the Taoiseach feel is the more appropriate in this context?
It is early yet to take decisions of that kind. President Mitterrand merely put forward this concept in very broad outline and I understand that he intends to elaborate on it further. It would be advisable to await that further elaboration by President Mitterrand. I would see it related to the Helsinki concept process, primarily because it involves the same group of nations. But of course, it would be different to the extent that the Helsinki process involves meetings from time to time whereas this would be an on-going framework which would be kept in place.
Would the Taoiseach agree——
I want to move on to another question.
I promise that this is the last question. Would the Taoiseach agree that there is some measure of urgency in so far as there are two applications for membership of the Council of Europe on the table from East European countries, and that to some extent, the relevance of those applications is dictated by the direction which would be followed on this issue?
There is a point there, but the Council of Europe will preserve its own identity and functions. I think President Mitterrand has primarily in mind a framework to fill the gap that exists in the relationships between all the different European countries.
Potentially there is no gap if they all join the Council of Europe.
Question No. 7 please.
