« Antidemocratic and xenophobic forces of Europe have always been attracted by the European unity dream, the mystic of the imperial Rome»
(FB - 1998)
" Being a citizen is a voluntary act "
(FB - 2009)
"Thinking about the future only makes sense if it is aimed at improving one’s thinking about the present and about the trends at work"
(FB - 1998)
"The European project is not a dream, but a hope. It is rooted in rationality, which is not the case with dreams. We Europeans have seen our dreams end in nightmares too often not to be suspicious."
(FB - 2005)
"The strength of a network is judged at the information level of the weakest link, or more precisely the link furthest from the centre of the network."
(FB - 2004)
"Europe's destiny is escaping the two "Greats" and it will come knocking on the door of the Europeans."
(FB - 1989)
"The history of Europe is a bit like a multifaceted diamond. Everyone sees the same diamond... but no one sees exactly the same facets."
(FB - E-storia project, 2004)
"Let us dare the future as the founding fathers of Europe did"
(FB - "From EU to Euroland", 2001)
"The European citizenship can not be decreed. The European citizen can only be born..."
(FB - 1992)
"Every state is a minority in the EU. In any case, let’s not forget that if all our states went into building the EU it is because they all felt too small to face alone both their future and the rest of the world."
(FB - 2003)
"From a single (EU) Currency to a single (EU) Citizenship. The euro is only an instrument."
(FB - 1997)
"An empire is always providing platforms where conflicts and wars prolife­rate... an empire needs enemies, whilst a Community requires partners."
(FB - 1992)
"Europe’s history has taught us that dreams and nightmares are the two faces of the same coin"
(FB - “Europe is Peace” 2006)
"Everybody wants to have a successful enlargement whereas it is a successful enlarged EU which is important."
(FB - 2002)
"It is clear that the existing national political parties can not serve two masters: national and European."
(FB - IDE, 1989)
"It takes teamwork to make Europe move forward."
(FB - 2005)
"There is nothing like one European. The European is a team of Europeans... the only way we can imagine a European, it is a team of people from different countries, not a single man or woman."
(FB - Enschede (NL) 2012)
"On the horizon with a heaven of freedom and a land of responsibility, this is perhaps the soul of Europe."
(FB - 1992)
"The future challenge for the European project is not about Europe anymore, it is about the Europeans."
(FB - 2005)
"The more Brussels speaks English, the less Brussels understands the Europeans"
(FB - 2004)
"Occupy the Future of Europe!"
("What do YOU want as a future for AEGEE?" Franck Biancheri at the 2012 Agora in Enschede)
"To combine new technologies and democratic principles to succeed in the entry of European integration in the 21st century or e-democracy at the service of Euro-democracy"
(FB - EUSV, 2001)
"In the years 00 of the 21st century, democratization can only take place in the perspective of the democratic election of a European executive that remains to be invented."
(FB - EUSV, 2001)
"We must build the European Community, otherwise Europe will soon be culturally Americanised, politically Finlandised and technologically Japanised"
EGEE I, 1984

Towards an EU-Ukraine Privileged Partnership, but no EU or Nato membership (2005)

The last EU Summit finally clarifies the future outcome for Turkey, and therefore for the whole EU neighbourhood, as it is obviously proving that there will be no way out of a privileged partnership for Turkey as well. Leaders’ summit may indeed sometimes prove the contrary of what they seem to say (for more explanation, read Newropeans-Magazine editorial of Monday December 20th, in French). Ukraine will definitely enter within the same category of EU partners.
The privileged partnership will be granted to countries to which the EU institutions (Council, Commission, Parliament) gives a greenlight for starting accession membership, while the EU population will refuse to give the final ‘OK’ for this membership. France and Austria have decided to establish referenda for future EU enlargements (after Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia); and they will be joined by at least half of EU Member States by 2010. So from 2010 on, enlargements will have to stand a ‘double conditionality’ test: institutions approval plus people’s approval.
In the case of Turkey, the process will involve some turmoil in coming 5 years but by 2010 a smoother process will take over, managed by the generation who will de facto deal with those issues, the current 30/40 years old generation (and not our current EU leaders generation).
Concerning Ukraine, the process will be much easier, as from the very beginning EU accession will not be an option (contrarily to what some Polish leaders tend to obtain by supporting Turkish membership). As part of our neighbourhood, Ukraine will be heavily supported by the EU in order to reach both economical development and democratic gouvernance. Such core aims will be similar for the whole ‘neighbourhood ark’ ranging from Moscow to Rabat.
Meanwhile, being part of our common neighbourhood with Russia, Ukraine will be, for the EU, a major component of the future EU/Russia relations. As elaborated during the GlobalEurope 2020 seminar in Warsaw, last February, such a future EU/Russia relation will give a high priority to this common neighbourhood, which psychologically belongs to both ‘identity spheres’: the EU one and the Russian one.
The EU will be extremely strict, as demonstrated during the current Ukrainian elections crisis, regarding political evolutions in these countries: the democratic process should and will be supported. Any interference of Moscow in order to reverse this trend will generate immediate counter-action from the EU in the field of financial, economical or technological cooperation.
But, as a paramount objective of both the neighbourhood policy and the EU/Russia policy is to bring peace and stability in the region, the EU will be very keen in preventing any move which could generate legitimate security threats for one or the other player. This parameter will be very important for the EU till Russia has not chosen to enter a sustainable path towards democracy, and may therefore be subject to unpredictible evolutions.
For these reasons, in the coming two decades, the EU will not accept any enlargement to countries within this ‘common neighbourhood’ area; neither will it support any NATO extension into this part of the world. In terms of security, it will be up to the EU to strengthen its web of economical, political, cultural, financial, technological and military instruments in order to make peace the best choice for each regional player. Looking at the fast pace of EU Foreign and Security Policy development, this task will most probably be fullfilled in the coming 3/5 years.
By 2020/2025, it will be up to the generations leading the EU (and Ukraine, and Russia) at that very moment, to look forward for alternative ways of cooperation, if needed. In between let’s build a road which leads to a better region, with democracy, prosperity and peace on the agenda.
Franck Biancheri, 28-01-2005
Menton (France)