In memoriam Otto von Habsburg

I can't avoid putting into words my grief felt over the passing away of Otto von Habsburg, a great European. Born in 1912 into one of the most ancient and powerful royal families in Europe, he shaped history through many decades long after the disappearance of his native Austro-Hungarian Empire. Otto von Habsburg understood from the very early days the perspective and the benefits of European integration. He was a long-serving member of the European Parliament and a champion of the reunification of our continent, so eloquent in so many languages.

I had the privilege of meeting Otto von Habsburg several times both in Belgium and Hungary, always benefiting from his uniquely deep understanding of Europe's past and present. As President Barroso has written, "Otto von Habsburg's commitment to Europe should set a political example for all of us, especially in difficult times."

Nuuk - Greenland

Recently I've travelled to Greenland to represent the European Union at the Foreign Ministerial Meeting of the Arctic Council. One day (three flights) to get there, another day (once again three flights) to come back to Oslo. Light snowfall and freezing temperatures in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. I learn to appreciate more the warm or even the cool and rainy Norwegian spring.

I wonder if Nuuk has ever seen so many foreign leaders being there at the same time, including Hillary Clinton, Serguey Lavrov and Jonas Gahr Støre. Times are changing and the Arctic even more.

As I've pointed out also in Nuuk, the European Union is a major contributor to protecting the environment in the Arctic region. It is also one of the strongest forces promoting global efforts combating climate change, so important for the future of the Arctic. Some years ago, the EU applied for observer status in the Arctic Council to contribute to Arctic cooperation in a more structured manner.

Ministers of the eight members of the Council could not agree on admitting observers this time either, although in Nuuk they adopted a respective procedure and agreed to a timeline. This is part of a package to upgrade and strengthen the Arctic Council. The EU will study now in detail the implications of the Nuuk decisions to form its own judgment and outline the way forward.

It has been agreed in Nuuk that the new Arctic Council Permanent Secretariat will be located in Tromsø. I have already had the possibility to congratulate Norway on this. The decision might have implications also for the EU Delegation in Norway, which might become the contact point for doing business with the Arctic Council.

Back to school

Last week I made a short visit to Budapest, my hometown, taking part in the programme of the European Commission called "Back to school". Before you ask: it is not the Commission (or the EU as a whole) who go "back to school". In this programme we, EU officials visit our ancient high school (where we had studied) to speak about our personal experience of working for the EU. This is also an excellent occasion for presenting our own vision on how the EU will influence the life of future generations.

Remembering old times and the "your past-my future" equation cast nostalgic glitter on ex-student appearances. Some inevitably become genuinely human get-togethers which make a lasting impression. Therefore the "Back to school" programme is a valuable tool to bring the EU closer to our young citizens.

During our lively discussion in Budapest, a large group of Hungarian students have agreed that the European Union made our continent (and the world) a much better place. It is clear that most students are enthusiastic supporters of freedom and solidarity. They agree with all the main "historical" objectives of the European project. Many of them also understand that a united Europe will have better chance to prevail in the age of globalisation.

Nevertheless, this is not the main notion I take back from Budapest. What will reverberate more than anything else is that in the eyes of young people the "classic" achievements of the EU are becoming old (and fading) laurels. The issue that really matters is what the EU can do in and for the future. Moreover, students have many doubts and (quite rightly) ask a lot of questions, induced by news about the economic crisis and difficulties in the EU cooperation. During our discussion I had no problems admitting that there were no clear answers to many of these queries. I told the students that some of the answers would have to be given by them and asked them to formulate suggestions. It was good to see that in those proposals the EU was an essential component of the solution.

The International Women's Day

Today we mark the 100th anniversary of the International Women's Day. In the whole world this is an important day. The EU has a strong focus on gender equality, both at home and abroad. If you are interested in what the EU is doing you can find my article published in today's Nationen here.

Catchphrases

Catchphrases speak volumes sometimes. They can be very useful in presenting complex issues in a simple and familiar manner, in a way easy to remember.

In the last year we spoke quite a lot about the European Union being the largest contributor of development assistance, an influential economic actor which is aiming at strengthening its political presence on the global scene. This latter objective is one of the reasons behind the institutional changes, contained in the Lisbon Treaty.

However, some doubts and the eternally famous question about the EU's telephone number keep coming back. Recently, I have heard in Brussels two catchphrases which might be of help when describing the objectives of the EU when launching the European External Action Service project:

The EU's goal is to go forward from being a PAYER to becoming a PLAYER.

We do not really aim at establishing a single telephone number for the whole EU. What we do want is a SINGLE MESSAGE, to be conveyed by all 27 (more precisely 28) telephone numbers.