On 18 and 19 October, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Janez Janša, attended the informal European Council meeting in Lisbon. Heads of state and government focused on the draft Reform Treaty, which was adopted early morning hours.

 

Prime Minister Janez Janša and President of the European Council, Prime Minister of Portugal Jose Socrates (Photo: Kristina Kosec/Bobo)

 

"From a strategic point of view, the Reform Treaty marks the successful conclusion of a process that began with the fall of the Berlin Wall, and continued with the great enlargement, which included Slovenia," said the PM on the occasion, adding that only after the Treaty has been implemented, would it be possible to assess whether the EU, following all the changes and enlargements from the time it consisted of twelve, and later fifteen members, has become more efficient.

 

According to the PM, monitoring ratifications in the first half of 2008 will be one of the priorities of Slovenia's EU Presidency. "There is no guarantee that everything will run smoothly at that time. I personally believe that the end result will be good, and that, as of the beginning of 2009, the European Union will be provided with a new basis, which it needs at this moment."

 

(Photo:Kristina Kosec/Bobo)

 

"In terms of its content, the Reform Treaty retains practically all the solutions of the Constitutional Treaty. That which has been left out is important, but not strategically important. We can say that this is a good, effective compromise between political ambitions and political reality," said Mr Janša.

 

To a large extent, the Treaty provides the basis that the EU needs to successfully negotiate the challenges of globalisation. Mr Janša also stressed that the aim of discussions about the future of the Lisbon Strategy, which was also included on this Council's agenda, was to make the EU move forward from the time when it merely adapted to globalisation to an era when it can actively co-shape it. "In order for the EU to succeed in this, all four pillars – the foundations of the Lisbon Strategy since 2005 – will need to be supplemented by additional building elements. This will coincide with Slovenia's Presidency."

 

Prime Minister Janez Janša with Prime Minister of Finland Matti Vanhanen, President of the European Parliament Hans-Gert Poettering and High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana (Photo: Kristina Kosec/Bobo)

 

This European Council and the progress that has been reached in terms of the EU's new institutional basis are particularly important for Slovenia. "For new member states and smaller member states it is all the more significant that the rules of the game are clear and well defined," said the PM, adding: "Now that we have overcome this problem, and that our Presidency will focus more on monitoring ratifications rather than coordinating outstanding issues, an opportunity has been created for Slovenia to concentrate on the second cycle of the Lisbon Strategy and foreign policy challenges, of which – judging by the current situation – there will be no shortage."