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LOOKING AHEAD
TO EUROPE'S FUTURE
An Exclusive lnterview With Prime Minister Leo
Tindemans of Belgium, conducted
by
Plain Truth
Editor Garner Ted Armstrong
Otttrtllllllo'MftM-.......,,...,.
LEO TINDEMAN$: "We don't have
1J
single voice ln world politics.
··
Q:
Mr. Pnme Minister. on
opemn~
remarks yestcrday atthe NATO Summll
Cooference. you expressed hope for
progress toward European unifiealion.
Has there been any substantial
progr~
in this dircction?
A: Well. let me say that wc are stoll
workong 10 Europe on the basis of thc
Trcaty of Rome and the Trcaty of Pans
woth the Coal aod Steel authority. At
one of the [European[ summits in the
month of Deoembcr '74, 1
was
chargcd
with maldng a repon on thc futurc of
Europe. What docs it mean to make
a
European unioo? You know in tbe six·
ues l:.uropean political kaders wcrc al·
ways speaking of a community
cconom1c and poliucal community. In
the
605.
11
was a political union. Now ot
is "European Union." What
is
it exactly?
Wbat does it mean?
1
havc 10 make
n
repon to define tbe Jconccpt of aJ Euro–
pean
umon.
But , for the momem.
1
tlunk with the
ecooomoc difficulties. and the eoergy
crisis. Europe is not in good shape. We
don't know for tbe moment exaclly what
we want. So there
is
a
need for more
thin.k1ng aod diseussion about the future
of Europe.
1
think we must know
tn
Europe what wc want togetber, and
even wuhin the framework ofNATO we
will be stronger aod unity will be much
more consolidatcd if we in Europe k.now
exactly what we want.
Q:
Just how much are you prcpared
to say in advance of the release of your
repon to tbe beads ofstatc?
A: Well, it is diftleuh for the moment:
l
arn
JUStlike the novelist that said, "My
novel is made. l've just to write it. lt's
not preparcd.
1
bave todo the work and
to write it." Because in Paris tbey asked
if
we each could make
a
repon on tbe
t..•
bastS of threc othcr ones. tprepllrcd by[
the Court of Ju>llte, Parliamcnt and the
Commission in Europe.
1
have 10 make
my own report and e.press my own very
personal vicw, having beard all of these
people.
1
bave VISIIed. up until now. two
capitals and the Other ones woll be
vis·
ited in the month of June and in the
month of July. lt is very intcres11ng for
me to hear how political leadcrs. trade
union leaders. leaders of employers' or·
ganizations. of farmers' organizations. of
women's organ1>:ations- how thcy thtnk
about Europe. And
1
think we have to
take into account wbat the política!
leaders of thc future are thi.nking at the
moment of Europc. They are
ahc~1d
of
their own govcrnment. their own politi–
cal parties. That
is
what
1
found a iread)".
on
l"-0 capitals
Q:
1
Would hke to poont out
a
problem
that is obviously eommon to many Eu–
ropean eountrics - yours [Belgium) in
particular. That
I.S
r·unaway inflation and
increasing uncmployment.
as
viewed
from the potential of a oew Arab oil
embargo. Now. as we know the southem
ftank of NATO
IS
ots weakest poont, with
Greece and Turkey the problems there.
And ofcourse. NATO is not equ1pped to
deal. really. with the Middlc East.
Should therc come reoewed hostilities
and the resultan\ energy cnsis. which
would furthcr rcally 1mpact on the econ–
omies of Europe. what do you feel
would be the European response?
A: Of eourse.
1
think one of the big–
gest dangers for Europe- for the whole
Westem world. but especially for Eu–
rope - is a new possible 011 etisis. Our
cconomy is bascd on oil as you know,
and of there os a nse in priccs. or boycott
of supplyong oil, we
will
be
ID
a
very.
very difficult sotuation, that's clear. One
of the weak points o f Europe
is
that we
don't have a contmon energy policy for
the moment. We had severa! dtSCussions
1n 1974. and on the month of February.
Seetetary of State Kissinger made pro–
posals,
thcn the European Commission
made proposnls, France made propos·
a ls. But we did not attain
a
eommon
agreement ou
a
eommon attitude hcre.
1t
is a very b1g point in tbe actual crisis.
1
think.
On tbe other hand,
1
regret that Eu·
rope isn't playing
a
biggcr pan 111 the
Middlc East.
1
think wc are in a good
situation to eventually makc ncw pro–
posals or to restore equilibrium in the
Middle East. The Common Market
s1gncd
a
preferential agreement witb
Israel
in
tbe month of May. and similar
agreements will be signed in the next
month with the Arab states. On the
o ther hand, wc did [make aJ big ctfort in
favor of some of these states - the Ma·
gbreb states - half already have special
ties witb tbe Common Markct.
So
we
are in a very good posouon. Why didn't
we do it [play
a
bigger direct
roLe
in thc
Middle East)? Well. 11 is always t'he samc
diftlculty We don't bave political unofi·
catoon. Wc don·, bave
a
single vo1oe 10
world pol11ics.
Q:
You have mentioned many times
forntcr Presiden\ Kcnnedy's stress on
equal partnersbip betwccn Europe
and
thc Unucd States. And you talked of
mutual obligations - obv1ously rcfcr·
ring 10 ecology. food and population.
crime all of the problems. domestic or
geopolitical, of the world. But wouldn't
this also of neeessity have to include
Europe becoming
a
third major nuclear
powcr?
A: Wcll.
1
like very much the formula
uscd
by Presiden\ Kcnncdy.
1
"'as m thc
Unned States at that lime, and
1
found it
alway> thc mos1 beauuful political idea
1
had heard. in order to define the best
relationships or relation;hip between the
United $tates and Europe - equal pllrl·
nership.
1
think that for a small country
lil:c BelgtUm the best one
ts
still equal
partnershop. We thmk on Europe that we
can bave an Atlantic alhanee, aod more
Europea
o
unification. So. nuclear power
is one of thc very big problems in thc
defense system. Sball we have in Europe
our own nuclear capabohty - a defense
systcm based on nuclear arms? Not for
tbe moment. lt's a very diffieult prob–
lem. and let me say that the smaller
countries in Europe likc to be protectcd
by the American umbrella. Now with
thc revolutJon m Southcast Asia. and
other dcfense problems on Europe. some
voices are speaking of the crcdibility of
tbe Amencan protecttOn. and are work·
ing in favor of an [ondcpendent] Euro–
pean nuclear defensc. 1 thmk. for the
moment, we don't like that. But how it
wiU be seen in the futurc.
1
don't know.
For the moment. it
is
only a question of
eooperation between Great Britain. be·
tween f'rance - because they have a
een~tin
nuclear defense. as you know.
But for thc moment, we in
a
general way
prefer
t<)
havean American umbrella.
Q: In the event of a growing nuclear
Europe. would tberc not be. of necessuy.
othcr nations m Europe "'ho would have
to JOID wbat we call the "nuclear club"
and manufacture their own nuclear
weapons?
A: You know, it is nota good thing m
itself. when we spread nuclear arms.
And when they are possessed by severa!
countnes. it means greater danger for
peace on thc world. All polit1cal leaders
in thc wor1d are not wise men, and so we
can have nn accident sooncr or later.
1
tbink wc must put these a rms togcther
as much as possiblc, and there is
an
iotemat10nal agreement against spread·
iog nuclear weapons. as you know.
Should the French and the British de–
cide 10 put their nuclear arms togcther
eventually, it would be a good thing,
1
think. llut on thc other hand,
1
must
repcat, the smaller eountries in Europe
still have eontidcnce in the American
umbrella.
Q: Mr. Ttndemans. on your opening
remarks at tbe NATO Summit Confer·
enee you mcntioncd the need for creat·
ing
a
climate in which we can tackle and
overcome the maon problems con·
fronting humanity together. And you
strcsscd
the need for a United Europe
on
tha1 regard. Now obviously. the m1un
problem> confronting humanity are
manifold: such as food, popula11on. the
deep inflation of many eountries
on
Eu·
rope, the JOblc»ness which afflocts tbe
United Statcs,
as
well as Belgium.
Would you hke 10 address yourself to
the.form of tackling sorne of thcse prob–
lcms in any unncd sense? We might
view it from the microcosm of your own
eouotry ofBelgoum. or Europe.
A: Y
cs.
-.e are
ID
a diffieult sotua11on
here in Westem Europe. and also m
Bclgium. Let's consider Belg1um as
a
liule pan. isolotcd for the moment. We
have problems - inftation, unemploy–
ment. unemployment of youngsters.
And it's not easy 10 tight these problems
beca
use
Belgmm
~a
very open country.
We are exporttng more than
40%
of
what we produce in this eountry. So, if
there
is
a
rccession in other eountries.
they don't buy
on
Btlgium, and we have
unemployment in 8elgjum.
We
are liv–
Ing off the world economy. lf the world
economy is
10
bad shape. we
are
vtetoms
here in this eountry.
1
think these are tbe
big problcms. as you said, populauon.
food. energy. cnvironment. crimes 10 the
world. difficulties with youngstcrs. And
we should all work togethcr 10 solve
these problems. One of my fear1 " tbat
v.e will go back to a situauoo JUSI as it
exis1ed before the war between. let me
>11y. '32 and '38 or
'39-
with economic
criscs. with uncntployment and with no
view of the future. One or thc rca'Ons
why
1
am in favor of a united Europe. or
a more unítcd Europe. is that wc have to
g1ve
ao
1deal to the young peoplc. In
politics. what are .-e working for? What
os the world we have to propoíoe to thcm?
And wc think
ID
that ficld wc eould do
somcthing ... we could give another
face here on Europe. at least. to the
wortd
w~
want 10 create.
Q: Tuming back to NATO agaon for a
moment. Prcs1dent Ford has dchvercd
his preliminary address now. during
which time he reaffirmed that even
thougb thcrc nre ups and downs, set–
backs and rcversals inside the Amencan
eountry. the Unitcd States
is
never·
tbeless a strong nalion. He reaffirmcd
America's eommument to NATO How
do you fcel hos words were receoved by
thc assemblcd prime ministers?
A: 1 think they were very. vcry well
rcceivcd.
lt
was a good speech. full of
odeas, aod beheve me.
1
don't say thatto
ftattcr
bim
or the Unitcd States. He
d1dn't avood the difficulties. He saod we
have to strengthen democraue
tn·
stitutions; we have 10 strcngthcn the al–
lianee; we must examine the relntions
between oursclves and with othcr •tates.
1
think it was
a
very good speech.
Q:
Perhaps l'm asld.ng
you
a hule
more of a personal queslion. but what
is
your personal impression of Gcrald
Ford?
Do
you feel Lhat he is
o
strong
President? Many are calliog him
a
weak
Presiden\, merely because he was not
elected through normal procedures?
A:
Tbis
is the 6rst time
1
met h1m.
1
must say he made a very good lmpres–
sion as an open·mindcd, simple. very
objective s tatesonan. Ofcourse. your sys·
tem or clections is 001 known in my
country nor in Europe. But the impres·
sioo be made here, and
1
beard
11
from
several eoUeagues. was
a
very good one.
WEEK ENDING
JULY 12. 1975