ANTILOGOS Cyprus

ANNA KARAMANOU: “Cyprus’ accession to the EU will lead to further social and economic prosperity”	ANTILOGOS Cyprus
By FOFI KORIDI, Correspondent of ANTIPOLOGOS in Athens	21 June – 4 July 2003

Anna Karamanou is not only one of the most well-known female politicians in Greece but also in Europe. Always combative, she fights every day for the Europe she envisions—one of equal opportunities, democracy, and values. As an MEP for PASOK, she was elected president of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality in the European Parliament, a position held for the first time by a Greek woman, and she enjoys great respect for her methodical approach, professionalism, and her efforts to promote her country in the United Europe. Already familiar, we met again this time for an interview focusing on Cyprus. What do the new developments signify, what benefits are being gained, and how is the long-desired solution now taking shape…? Anna Karamanou spoke to *ANTILOGOS* about Cyprus, Turkey, the United States, the UN, Kostas Simitis, and women… Many believe we are living through historic moments in Cyprus with the movement of people to and from the occupied areas. When this calms down, what do you think will follow? I believe that finding solutions is much easier now than before. Already, the people themselves are providing the solutions. The free movement from one side to the other shows that the psychoses of the past, along with the hatreds and passions, have been largely overcome. And politicians must understand that we are no longer in the 1960s. The world is changing, social and economic conditions are changing, and ideas and mentalities are changing. The spirit of Europe seems to have permeated both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, because in light of the new developments and Cyprus’ accession to the EU, what has happened, happened. I am confident that on May ¹, 2004, Cyprus will become a full member of the European Union as a unified Cyprus, without the dividing line. However, there is a major procedural issue for such a development… Of course. And it concerns how the island will be governed. However, there are international standards and the acquis communautaire, and based on what applies in the rest of Europe, Cyprus will proceed. After all, we have the example of the former East Germany, which joined when it unified with the West, where no separate procedures were required, but it was treated as one state. We must not forget that any solutions to the Cyprus problem must satisfy both sides and ensure mutual consent. Therefore, it will be a compromise solution. Solutions cannot be found when each side barricades itself behind its positions and demands 100% acceptance of them.
“We must also admit our own mistakes”
Throughout this journey to the signing of the accession, was there ever a moment when you were concerned that it would be postponed or canceled?
I had no doubts or concerns. I know that the EU keeps its word. However, there was intense skepticism expressed by some governments, MPs, and personalities about whether it would be correct for Cyprus to join without a solution to the problem first. But the other view prevailed, that accession would accelerate the unification process of the island, and it seems that we who supported this position were right. In practice, the Cyprus issue is being resolved at the grassroots level, with the people.
I know that you have visited Cyprus repeatedly. What feelings did the Green Line evoke in you? I remember the first time, 18 years ago, when I was a trade unionist and I was invited to speak at a conference. While I was speaking, I was overcome with emotion and started crying… I have many friends in Cyprus, and I’ve spoken at many conferences, mostly for women but also for the environment. I had many connections, including through the party with EDEK. On the other hand, I must admit that in recent years I had noticed a certain “nationalism,” a selfishness from the Greek Cypriot side that made me worried. They believed they were completely right. This doesn’t mean, of course, that we forget the invasion, but on the other hand, we also created the conditions that allowed it to happen, and therefore we had to admit our own mistakes.
Today, I’m happy that the past psychoses seem to have been overcome, and I am confident that the two communities can live together peacefully and have a creative coexistence. It will be nothing like the logic of the 50s and 60s, when the mentality of mutual annihilation prevailed.
Many claim that Cyprus’s EU accession was primarily about safeguarding territorial integrity. Economically, has Cyprus seen gains?
I believe that the unification of the island, beyond the political gains, will also result in economic benefits. A dynamic will be created through exchange and communication between the two sides, as well as the stability it will project. Cyprus will also develop new international relationships as a unified island. Both the EU accession and political stability will lead to further social and economic flourishing. After all, we have a good example from Greece, which was a country significantly lagging behind the rest of Western Europe, but it didn’t harm the idea of the EU. Nor do I believe that the EU’s enlargement with countries that lag behind in terms of GDP and development will create problems. On the contrary, it will bring new dynamism, with only positive economic and social consequences. Similarly, but on a smaller scale, I refer to Cyprus. Do the Lisbon goals go backwards with enlargement? I think that now more than ever we must insist on the Lisbon goals, which are gaining greater value. There are difficulties, we are in the midst of a global recession, but also changes at the political level with the new military doctrine of the USA, which are creating new conditions in the region. We see, for example, that the crisis in Iraq has acted as a domino for further crisis in the economy, affecting both the USA and Europe. Some signs of recovery are emerging, but we still do not have a clear picture of whether the recovery is real or temporary. Usually, Greek MEPs unite on what we call “national law,” regardless of political parties. Now, with the Greek-Cypriot MEPs, should we expect something like a coalition of forces? It is natural that common origin, language, and culture unite people. This does not only happen with Greeks, but with all the peoples of Europe, to some extent there are national egos, pride, and national rallies. And we here cannot be an exception. I believe that within the EU we can equally defend our culture, our civilization, preserve our distinctive characteristics, but also fight for European ideas, European integration, and primarily for the dissemination of the humanistic values of Europe beyond the borders of the Union.
“Yes” to Turkey’s accession
You are an advocate for the potential accession of Turkey to the EU. Do you believe this can really happen? Can democratization in Turkey occur immediately? Don’t the accession criteria seem unattainable for a country like this?
These are two different issues. Yes, I am an advocate of Greek-Turkish friendship and an advocate of Turkey’s accession to the EU. Turkey is our next-door neighbor, and if we want peace, we need to have good relations. I have been defending these positions for many years. Back when if you spoke about Greek-Turkish friendship, you were treated almost as a spy, when you said that there should be rapprochement between Greece and Turkey and that we cannot live forever with tension, since neither Turkey nor Greece is going to emigrate to Antarctica or the North Pole! Today, I am particularly happy that we have truly found communication and cooperation channels. Turkey today is considered geopolitically one of the important countries in the world. Brzezinski, in his book “The Grand Chessboard,” mentions that Turkey is one of those four countries that bridges Europe with Asia and is the pivotal point controlling all trade routes, and its military value is undeniable. Psychologically, we are closer to the Turks than to any other people. We have the same mentality, not to mention the food, the songs… We have many common things. Often when I stay with Turks, I feel like we are the same people, with only the language and religion being the differences. Otherwise, we have the same mentality, and that’s why real cooperation can exist both in the economic sector and in business. Already, there are many joint ventures between Turks and Greeks, and of course, our islands are very happy not to live under the threat of a potential conflict.
As for Turkey’s European perspective, which Greece officially supports, and the government of Simitis was the one that lifted the veto on Turkey’s accession, I believe it will help Turkey a lot in its democratization. It is well known that there is a very big problem with human rights, in prisons, with the behavior of police officers… Particularly, I, who have dealt with women’s issues, know that in prisons and police stations there is horrific abuse of women, rapes… There is no culture of respect for human rights. The great benefit of the prospect of Turkey’s accession is for Turkey to comply with international standards and human rights conventions that it has signed but does not implement in practice. Then, there is a high probability, with the guidance of European institutions and funding, that Turkey will modernize its economy and political system. Turkey cannot join the EU as long as the military holds the upper hand. It is not possible for political decisions to be made by the military. This message has been received, and they are trying to implement reforms. In recent months, we must acknowledge that at least on the legislative level, changes have been made. That’s why I am an advocate for Turkey’s accession, as well as for all the Balkan countries. This is our national line, which I strongly support. Let me tell you something bolder: The alliance and cooperation with Turkey strengthens Greece and all of Southeast Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean with Cyprus. In the future, Cyprus, Turkey, the Balkans, and Greece will form a very strong bloc, not in military strength, but in economic and cultural power. Realistically, do you believe that Turkey will join in “x” years? There have been many reactions after the lifting of the Greek veto, and Greece’s handling of the situation has proven to be clever. The true intentions of others, especially Germany, have been revealed, which opposes the prospect of Turkey’s accession, fearing that a country with nearly 70 million inhabitants and such an economic situation will significantly burden the EU economy. Personally, I still believe that despite the undeniable burden it will place on the EU budget, it is worth facing Turkey’s accession prospect positively. For me, the EU is not a geographical entity, but a community of values. For example, I could even see the potential for the inclusion of North African countries. Morocco, for instance, is very close to us. EU: A community of values, not of territories and national borders. With the same logic, could Israel be included? Of course. There are many Members of the European Parliament who have openly supported this. Why not? Think about it— the EU could encompass all of Europe and the Mediterranean basin, including Turkey. If they accept the terms and functioning institutions of the EU… We already have association agreements with many of these countries in areas such as trade, the environment, women’s protection, and more. In less than 100 years, we will have global governance, which is why we need global institutions. It is not possible to have globalization of the economy, an explosion of technology, and not have corresponding institutions. Unfortunately, there is subversion of the already existing ones, such as the UN. Recently, we even witnessed a double war, both against Iraq and against the UN. Therefore, Europe must play a more active role on the international stage in order to lead us toward the creation of global governance, spreading the humanistic ideas of freedom and equality, justice, respect for human rights, and non-discrimination based on gender, religion, or color… Today, globalization has created the accumulation of wealth for some and widened the gap between rich and poor countries. We must see how the benefits of scientific and technological progress and the globalization of the economy can be distributed more fairly and find ways to resolve differences finally in a peaceful way and not through armed violence. In short: Yes to the EU as a community of values, not of territories and national borders. How well will the European Constitution being drafted fulfill all of this? That is the goal. A constitution that will unite and not divide the peoples of Europe. It will preserve the uniqueness of the peoples, multiculturalism, and a multinational character, while at the same time providing the legal tools for Europe to develop further economically and socially, and primarily to strengthen its international role. It will provide the tools for us to move toward a common foreign policy, security, and defense, and a more effective governance with a reduction in bureaucracy, allowing the citizen to feel both European and a citizen of their own country. Are we heading towards a federal Europe? Personally, I would prefer a federal Europe with a common government. Let’s see… However, the most difficult task is shaping a common foreign policy, as there are different interests and approaches. The last power that member states will delegate to a supranational body is foreign policy. We know from personal experience how difficult that is.
Greece plays strongly.In Greece, there has been speculation that K. Simitis will take a powerful position in the EU (e.g., President of the Commission) after his term as Prime Minister. I wonder if the same is happening in other countries…
The same is happening there. They said the same about Ahtnar, Blair, Fischer… But why not? I believe that as a country, Greece has reached a point of development where we can successfully claim positions in international organizations. I will mention the recent election of N. Diamantopoulos as the European Ombudsman and the appointment of Loukas Papademos as Vice-President of the European Central Bank. We are a small country, but we can conduct politics like a large one. As long as we make use of the good professionals we have and claim positions. I consider K. Simitis a political leader with strong European characteristics, and he would be very suitable as President of the EU. Moreover, he has very strong international support. Don’t take it as a party-political statement, but I feel proud of my country because of the policy implemented in the last few years with K. Simitis as Prime Minister and G. Papandreou as Foreign Minister. The stock of our country has risen significantly in the international arena. I even hear my colleagues from other countries say that the Greek presidency is the best that has ever been. It must also be emphasized that despite the difficulties of this period, Greece handled the events wonderfully, trying to maintain the unity and cohesion of the EU. And it succeeded. Also, everyone had the best things to say about the organization, even though we are generally considered an unorganized people. It is important that these positive comments come from the MEPs, who are not at all generous with praise. Our country is not seen as a small one but as a country that plays strongly in the European and international game. European Parliament or Greek Parliament? To conclude the discussion, I would like to ask how easy it is to successfully balance family and career for a woman, given that you, although very young, are an active politician and have grandchildren… It is difficult. I think my generation went through perhaps the biggest difficulties. I got married at 20 because that was my mother’s perception—that marriage is a career, and at most, you might have a job as well. I have to say that everything I did, I did on my own, with difficulties and without any support. I can tell you that I took university exams by myself, dropped out when I got married, and returned to Philosophy in ’74, when I finally graduated. I had no one to encourage me. That’s why I believe that if I had had an environment that would have supported me early on, recognizing my abilities (I was the top student), I might have done more. Nevertheless, I am satisfied. I went through the processes of the trade union and women’s movements, worked a lot, was one of the first members of PASOK (1974), of the Central Committee (1977), when out of 60 members, only 4 of us were women! Today, I really enjoy the work in the European Parliament. The multinational and multicultural environment. The fact that I work with so many people from different countries. Hypothetically speaking, if PASOK proposed that you run as a candidate in the upcoming national elections, what would you do? I am now too old for national elections. I should have done that, for example, in 1981 when I was very young and had the drive. On the other hand, I am too young to leave the European Parliament. It is a place that “fits me and I fit it,” and that’s where I want to continue. Moreover, I strongly disagree with the electoral system, which needs to change. Women themselves should have been the ones to lead this change. This is a law that indirectly excludes our election, requiring very large financial resources and competition within the parties and the candidate lists. I consider this electoral system immoral since 1981.