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----- Original Message ----- > > > Quite a realistic description of western European vultures gorging > on economic corpses of Baltic states. > > Regards, Igor > > > > > http://www.wsws.org/articles/2001/jan2001/swe-j03.shtml > > > > > > WSWS : News & Analysis : Europe > > > > Sweden strives to deepen EU > > penetration of Baltic states > > > > By Steve James > > 3 January 2001 > > > > Use this version to print > > > > The Swedish government took > > over the presidency of the > > European Union on January 1, > > 2001. Besides pursuing the EU > > agenda set out at the Nice > > summit, the social democratic > > administration led by Goran > > Perrson's will attempt to > > advance Swedish business > > interests within the framework of > > EU enlargement. This means > > pushing forward Swedish and > > Scandinavian plans to > > incorporate the Baltic states of > > Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, > > along with Poland and North > > Eastern Russia, into the EU > > sphere of influence. > > > > The presidency of the EU > > Council is shared between all the > > member countries on a rotational > > basis. For six months the national > > government with presidential > > responsibility hosts and chairs > > EU conferences at governmental, > > ministerial and working group > > level. The same government also > > produces statements explaining > > how it is going to promote > > general EU programmes on > > enlargement, foreign or social > > policy. To ensure the dominance > > of the big European powers, the > > presidency works with the > > previous and successor > > presidencies in a "troika." This > > has meant that the largest EU > > countries-Britain, France, > > Germany, and Italy-are never > > out of a presidential position, > > even though presidential slots > > were allocated alphabetically. > > Enlargement has given rise to the > > present system whereby no three > > small countries ever hold the > > presidency in succession. > > > > The EU presidency nevertheless > > gives any national government > > the opportunity to bang its own > > drum and to push forward its > > interests. The British presidency > > in 1998, for example, gave the > > Blair Labour government the > > opportunity to promote the EU in > > Britain, and use the weight of the > > EU to push its own interests in > > Africa. Of 80 foreign policy > > statements issued by the British > > presidency, and reported on their > > website, 24 were on Africa. The > > early 1999 German presidency > > was distinguished by a crisis > > triggered by the resignation of > > the EU Commission in > > opposition to German plans to > > modernise the EU's bureaucratic > > structures. > > > > Finland's presidency of late 1999 > > sought to promote the EU's > > "Northern Dimension" through > > which Finland, and Sweden in > > particular are seeking to > > dominate the Baltic states and > > North Eastern Russia. Finland > > hosted a "Northern Dimension" > > conference notable for the fact > > that no leading foreign minister > > attended, because general > > European interests were more > > concerned with the developing > > crisis in Chechnya. > > > > Portugal's presidency, in the first > > half of 2000, was dominated by > > disputes between the "small" EU > > nations and the leading powers > > over whether sanctions imposed > > in the aftermath of Jörg Haider's > > Austrian Freedom Party's > > accession to power could be > > overturned. Portugal led the > > small nations' campaign to > > present the sanctions as an > > unwarranted interference in a > > country's internal affairs. > > > > Jacques Chirac hailed the French > > presidency, in the last six months > > of 2000, in particularly > > chauvinist terms. "A great > > country like ours always has the > > ability to exert influence and > > give a lead to Europe. The > > exercise of the presidency > > reinforces this ability. So this is a > > most important time in our life as > > a nation, a propitious time for > > taking the initiative and for > > action," he pontificated. The > > main markers of the French > > tenure were the promotion of an > > independent EU military force > > and the conclusion of the Nice > > summit, whose principal impact > > will be to increase the influence > > of the large countries during the > > process of EU enlargement. > > > > Immediately prior to Stockholm > > taking on the presidency, > > Swedish Foreign Minister Anna > > Lindh and British EU > > Commissioner for External > > Relations Chris Patten have > > penned an article in the > > Financial Times calling for > > concrete EU action on the > > Northern Dimension. That > > Patten, a former Conservative > > government minister and the last > > British governor of Hong Kong, > > should associate himself closely > > with the Northern Dimension, > > hitherto primarily a > > Scandinavian concern, is > > significant. Following the Danish > > referendum rejecting adopting > > the euro in September, Britain > > has attempted to develop tactical > > alliances with EU members not > > in the euro zone-principally > > Denmark and Sweden-as a > > counterweight to France and > > Germany. Britain also sought > > Swedish support at the recent > > Nice summit in defence of its > > national vetoes on tax and > > welfare policies. > > > > Patten and Lindh stressed that the > > Northern Dimension was a > > crucial aspect of EU policy on > > Russia. Russian nuclear waste, > > the problem of Russia's > > Kaliningrad enclave, which will > > be wholly surrounded by the EU > > should Poland and Lithuania > > successful negotiate EU entry, > > and how to direct infrastructure > > funds to the Northern region all > > demanded resolution. > > > > "The Northern Dimension must > > be seen as an all-European > > commitment, just as much as EU > > policies towards the > > Mediterranean and the western > > Balkans," Lindh and Patten > > wrote > > > > Beyond diplomatic > > considerations in the increasingly > > fractious internal EU relations, > > British interests in the region > > revolve around potentially > > lucrative contracts in disposing > > of nuclear waste and debris from > > the collapsing remains of the > > ex-Soviet nuclear fleet and oil > > exploration in the Barents Sea. > > British companies have also > > acquired significant assets in the > > ongoing privatisation of the > > Baltic countries infrastructure > > and transport companies. United > > Utilities has recently taken > > control of the Estonian capital > > Talinin's water supply. GB > > Railways acquired the country's > > regional railway Edelaraudtee, > > while RailAmerica bought out > > the state-owned national > > operator Eesti Raudtee. > > > > The Scandinavian countries are > > by far the biggest investors in the > > small Baltic States, however. > > With common borders and sea > > links, Scandinavian capital has > > been pouring into the > > neighbouring Baltic states, for > > example, foreign capital is > > particularly attracted by > > Estonia's extremely low wages. > > Other factors are proximity to > > European markets and relative > > political stability. Favourable > > privatisation terms mean 80 > > percent of Baltic enterprises are > > expected to be in overseas hands > > by 2002/3. > > > > The Swedish Skandinaviska > > Enskilda Banke, dominated by > > the plutocratic Wallenberg > > family, now controls three of the > > leading banks in each of the > > Baltic states. As of July 2000, > > out of $2.2 billion in foreign > > direct investment (FDI) in > > Lithuania 18.1 percent was > > Swedish, 13.4 percent American, > > 9.9 percent Finnish, and 9.7 > > percent Danish. In Latvia by > > 1999, Sweden was the largest > > single investor followed by > > Estonia, Finland, Germany, > > Britain, and Denmark. Denmark > > is the biggest single Latvian > > investor (14 percent) followed by > > America (10 percent), Germany > > and Sweden (8 percent each), > > Russia and the UK (7 > > percent)-out of a total > > cumulative FDI of $1.88 billion. > > > > Of all the Baltic states, Estonia > > shows Scandinavian > > predominance most clearly. By > > September 2000, of $2.5 billion > > FDI, 39 percent was from > > Sweden, 31 percent from > > Finland, 4.5 percent from the > > USA, 4.3 percent from Norway, > > 4.1 percent from Denmark and > > only 2.7 percent from Germany. > > > > Poland, by contrast, is > > principally attracting large > > amounts of German and US > > investment. Of an estimated $38 > > billion total, Germany accounts > > for 15.6 percent, the US 13.2 > > percent, France 9.9 percent, > > Netherlands 8.3 percent and Italy > > 8.2 percent. Unlike its > > penetration of the Baltic states, > > Sweden is in 14th position > > amongst investors in Poland with > > only 2 percent of FDI. > > > > See Also: > > European Union summit in Nice > > increases weight of larger > > countries > > [13 December 2000] > > Rightwing violence in Sweden > > [29 November 2000] > > > > Top of page > > > > Readers: The WSWS invites your comments. > > Please send e-mail. > > > > > > > > Copyright 1998-2000 > > World Socialist Web Site > > All rights reserved > > > > > > > > > |
