In comparison to yesterday's jubilee, the conference started its second week dismally. Most of the ministers have been flown in, yet the negotiations are still conducted publically. The conference has become a theater piece with intermissions occurring too frequently. Developing countries are walking out and developed countries are pulling out their hair as the script becomes evermore incomprehensible.
A theater piece, a circus or any other name for a chaotic arena can be applied to this conference. Behind the doors, the heat is building as tensions are rising, while outside in the freezing cold thousands of people have been waiting for hours to get in. A fellow parliamentarian approaching 80 years of age waited more than four hours and some parliamentary assistants, including mine, waited for up to seven hours! Not to mention the army of people having waited an entire day and still refused entry. On both sides of the doors it is chaos! On the inside, the rules of the game are being negotiated even before the game has had a chance to begin. Apparently it is more important to play power politics rather than ensure a win-win situation for all parties. Yet for outsiders and newcomers the rules of the game remain incomprehensible.
In a show of unanimity the European Union held a press conference. Sitting next to one another - the Council, the Commission and the Parliament - looked like sports commentators. The spokespeople even complimented each other. This show of solidarity is unheard of and gives us a glimmer of hope, even if the Union's position was the only topic mentioned. However, the Union is confused and sombre. EU Commissioner Dimas was baffled at the criticisms launched at the EU albeit the fact that the Union was the only region in the world that had a concrete financial offer. Having principles is punishable.
Who else will make the changes needed? Princesses, princes and movie stars are all in attendance. A banner displayed at a central square in Copenhagen says: "Brad Pitt is saving the world". Crown Princess Victoria and Crown Prince Charles have been making an appearance. Even Arnold Schwarznegger is expanding on his status as Terminator of Climate Change. Copenhagen is the place to be. The international goodwill is of course very welcome; but let’s be honest, aside from the fact that the flight to and from Copenhagen has increased CO2 emissions, no amount of stars will make a difference. Welcome to the Climate Theatre.
A theater piece, a circus or any other name for a chaotic arena can be applied to this conference. Behind the doors, the heat is building as tensions are rising, while outside in the freezing cold thousands of people have been waiting for hours to get in. A fellow parliamentarian approaching 80 years of age waited more than four hours and some parliamentary assistants, including mine, waited for up to seven hours! Not to mention the army of people having waited an entire day and still refused entry. On both sides of the doors it is chaos! On the inside, the rules of the game are being negotiated even before the game has had a chance to begin. Apparently it is more important to play power politics rather than ensure a win-win situation for all parties. Yet for outsiders and newcomers the rules of the game remain incomprehensible.
In a show of unanimity the European Union held a press conference. Sitting next to one another - the Council, the Commission and the Parliament - looked like sports commentators. The spokespeople even complimented each other. This show of solidarity is unheard of and gives us a glimmer of hope, even if the Union's position was the only topic mentioned. However, the Union is confused and sombre. EU Commissioner Dimas was baffled at the criticisms launched at the EU albeit the fact that the Union was the only region in the world that had a concrete financial offer. Having principles is punishable.
Who else will make the changes needed? Princesses, princes and movie stars are all in attendance. A banner displayed at a central square in Copenhagen says: "Brad Pitt is saving the world". Crown Princess Victoria and Crown Prince Charles have been making an appearance. Even Arnold Schwarznegger is expanding on his status as Terminator of Climate Change. Copenhagen is the place to be. The international goodwill is of course very welcome; but let’s be honest, aside from the fact that the flight to and from Copenhagen has increased CO2 emissions, no amount of stars will make a difference. Welcome to the Climate Theatre.
Judith A.Merkies, Dutch S&D MEP
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