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"The Baltic Sea today is the new Mare Nostrum of the European Union. It is, for all intents purposes, "our sea". How we take care of it, and how we use the opportunities it avails us will provide a measure of what we are capable of in the EU." (Exerpt from the President's letter. See PDF version for the full version).
"The Challenges ahead – The European Agenda in 2009". Speech by Prof. Dr. Emil J. Kirchner, Jean Monet Chair at the University of Essex during this year's European Roundtable in Wilton Park, Sussex. (As PDF and in English only)
“The Upcoming NATO-Summit and a New Strategic Concept” - Speech by Dr. Ulrich Schlie, Chief of Policy Planning, Federal Ministry of Defence, Germany during this year's European Roundtable in Wilton Park, Sussex.(As PDF and in English only)
(www.Suedkurier.de am 3. Oktober 2008) "Typisch Deutsch", meint ein Wirtschaftsrepräsentant beim Rausgehen. "Ausgezeichnet", reibt sich der deutsche Botschafter die Hände. Der LBBW-Vorstand nickt. Auch die Fachpresse. Denn Günther Oettinger hatte gerade unter den schweren, blau-goldenen Vorhang-Troddeln des alt-ehrwürdigen Carlton Club den (nicht anwesenden) Investmentbankern die Leviten gelesen. Zwischen wuchtigen Bildern von Sir Joseph Chamberlain oder Baronet Peel of Clanfield ging es sogar richtig zur Sache. "Arrogante Kaste" nennt der baden-württembergische Regierungschef diejenigen, denen es egal war, ob ihre Kreditnehmer Eigenkapital besaßen. Die Investmentbanker klaubten sich in vielen Meetings Infos zusammen, backten daraus "Cheesecakes" und legten den Fonds auf. Gewinne strichen sie ein und sozialisierten nun die Verluste. "Unvorstellbar" sei für ihn gewesen, dass Staaten einmal bürgen müssten. Und nun überall. Irland, Deutschland. Wo noch? "Ich zweifle die Kompetenz unserer hoch bezahlten Rating-Agenturen an", resümiert Oettinger nüchtern und etwas bitter. Denn auch er lobte in seinen Reden gern das Tripple-A Baden-Württembergs.
Presentation given by Dr. Joachim Pfeiffer at this year's Young Parliamentarians' Meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland. The topic of this year's meeting was climate change.
Dr. Günter Krings' introductory speech can be downloaded as a PDF (in German only).
Speech by the Federal Minister of the Interior, Dr Wolfgang Schäuble, at the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and with representatives of Policy Exchange
No other invitation in British academic life could attract me more than the opportunity to deliver the annual Adenauer Lecture at the European Studies Centre, here at St Antony’s College, Oxford. It is not just that it is a great honour to follow in the footsteps of so many distinguished predecessors, over many years. It is that - for me personally - it is especially inspiring to give a talk dedicated to the memory of Konrad Adenauer - one of the founding fathers of today's Europe, to whom my country owes so much - and one delivered here in the European studies centre of one of the leading universities in the world. The former Chancellor of Oxford University, Roy Jenkins, was once asked: "What is difference between a speech and a lecture?" He replied: "A lecture is characteristically a little longer than a speech, but not necessarily more interesting!" As a professional politician, like Lord Jenkins, I understand the perils of that distinction, and will try to keep what I say as succinct and interesting as possible, consistent with its rubric of it being a "lecture".