INTERVIEW WITH MICHEL ROCARD
Interviewed by Vahram Emiyan
Aztag
Feb 1 2008
Lebanon
Former prime ministre of France and EU MP Michel Rocard was born on 23
August 1930 and is a memeber of the French Socialiste Party. Under
Francois Mitterran’s presidency he was Minister of Territorial
Development and Minister of Planning (1981-1983) and Minister of
Agriculture (1983-1985). After Mitterand’s reelection he was chosen
as Prime Minister (May 1988-May 1991).
Since 1994 Mr. Rocard is a memeber of the European Parliament and has
chaired the Committee on Development and Cooperation (1997-1999),
the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (1999-2002) and the
Committee on Culture, Youth, the Media and Sport. As of August 2007 he
is a memeber of the Committee on the re-evaluation of the teachers’
profession, which is placed under the " high authority " of French
president Nicholas Sarkozy’s Minister of Education Xavier Darcos.
Mr. Michel Rocard honored me by granting me the following interview.
Vahram Emiyan- Looking back at recent elections in Europe one has
the impression that socialist parties have lost ground. Why is it so?
Michel Rocard:- I don’t think we can say that the situation is the
same in every European country, because there has been victories as
well as losses. There is a great problem in France. There is a duality
inside the French Socialist Party which is still not clearly in favor
of Europe, not clearly in favor of market economy. The Party still
has some minorities that still want the techniques of administered
economy. And this duality does not make the voters feel safe, and
weakens us for the time being. France will need an internal change
in the Socialist Party which will be possible during the congress
which will be held in October. The situation is far better in many
European countries.
V.Emiyan:- What should the socialist parties do in order to gain more
support from the voters?
M.Rocard:- The problem is that the northern capitalist world,
for example North America, Europe and Japan, is in a faze in which
capitalism is no longer capable of finding quick growth and full
employment and no longer capable either to find solutions for the
fast increase of the precarity of jobs in the labor market. This
is a situation for which the only answer is a better regulation,
specially in this time of economic and financial crisis. So long as
the social democratic answer is not adopted the political uncertainty
will go on. That is a very difficult problem, but is an international
modern problem.
V.Emiyan:- Do you think that the resolution will create a precedent
which will effect similar conflicts in the Southern Caucasus?
M.Rocard:- I don’t think so because elections are played on internal
problems, much more that outside problems. Which makes it difficult
to find solutions for the world’s economic and financial crisis.
Kosovo is a very difficult issue. But there is still room for
negotiation with Russia and Serbia and this room of negotiation is
not closed, it goes on.
V.Emiyan:- What should Turkey do in order to be ready for EU
membership?
M.Rocard:- Turkey’s problem is a problem of general reforms. They have
a great worry of the situation in the Middle East and the Kurdish
problem in Iraq. And for this the Turkish army is afraid of going
toward freedom of expression, to negotiations and to choose democratic
and negotiated procedures to solver their internal problems rather
than choosing military solutions.
V.Emiyan:- What are your expectations from the forthcoming presidential
elections in Armenia?
M.Rocard:- We wish for every people to take trust of its own affairs.
What we wish for Armenia is progress towards democracy and freedom
of expression and which seems to be possible.