SPAIN: Spanish Prime Minister Mr José Maria Aznar, who arrives in Dublin today, tells Paddy Woodworth of problems facing the EU.
'The greatest danger facing Europe," says the Spanish Prime Minister, Mr José María Aznar, "is not knowing how to adapt its institutions and policies to the realities of the times in which we live."
Coming from another EU leader, such a comment might be dismissed as bland Eurobabble. But Mr Aznar, who arrives in Dublin today, is a man with very strong - some would say dogmatic - convictions as to what those realities are, and how we should adapt to them.
Responding to written questions from The Irish Times as he toured European capitals this week in preparation for the final summit of the current Spanish EU presidency, he immediately cites international terrorism and "intensifying the struggle against illegal immigration" as the two greatest problems confronting the EU.
He sees the launch of the euro, which gave his presidency a remarkable success in its opening days last January, as an example of what the EU can achieve, and a source of hope for his ambition of a Europe of wide-open internal markets and full employment by 2010.
After the September 11th attacks, Mr Aznar stood foursquare behind his close ally, the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, in his robust defence of Washington's right to retaliate against international terrorism. He also grasped an opportunity to push his own tough line on the domestic terrorism of ETA high up the European agenda.
He stresses his "deep moral conviction" that the terrorism can only be defeated by methods which respect human rights. But he repeatedly welcomes Russia's warm new relationshiop with NATO, and does not respond to a suggestion that Moscow is violating human rights in its war against terrorism in Chechnya.
Asked if the EU should act as a moderating force on US policy towards Iraq, Iran and North Korea, he responds with characteristic brusqueness: "What do you mean by 'act as a moderating force'? The US is saying that Iraq should permit the entry of inspectors . . . the co-ordination of policy with the US in these matters is essential for our own survival."
Mr Aznar has always insisted that the Northern Irish and Basque conflicts have "absolutely nothing in common", a statement he repeats in this interview.
But he has also said that one cannot distinguish between different types of terrorism, and that "ETA and bin Laden are the same thing."
Why, then, does he think Spanish democrats have nothing to learn from the Irish peace process, since the IRA is also a terrorist organisation?
"Terrorists of one stripe or the other are the same because anyone who murders is not defending ideas, they are just murdering. Ideas are defended with words, with political action but in the Basque Country we do not have two groups in confrontation, fighting a war with the same weapons.
"There is one terrorist gang, ETA, which murders, kidnaps, tortures and extorts money from citizens who are defending their views peacefully and democratically."
"I do agree, however," he adds, referring to what he regards as the inflexibility of Basque nationalism, "that some parties have a lot to learn from the Northern Irish process."
He does not, however, think that Madrid has much to learn from London in this regard, claiming that Spain has long since ceded a lot more autonomy to the Basques than Northern Ireland enjoys under the Belfast Agreement.
Turning again to the forthcoming EU summit in Seville on June 21st, he does not reply directly when asked whether Ireland's difficulties with the Nice Treaty are reasonable.
Nor will he comment on the level of effort made by the Irish pro-Nice parties to get a Yes result.
He simply says: "In Seville, the EU will work to facilitate the ratification of the treaty by the Republic of Ireland, given that we cannot continue to go forward unless the treaty comes into operation."
He emphasises, unsolicited, the importance of another controversial issue, immigration, at the Seville summit. Like his closest EU allies, Britain and Italy, Spain is currently radically tightening its laws in this area.
"I hope," he says, "that in Seville we will all deepen our commitment to the struggle against illegal immigration."
He expresses satisfaction with the progress made by the Spanish presidency towards liberalisation of the energy markets, though many observers believe that France, in particular, somewhat stalled this process at the Barcelona summit.
He believes the EU still enjoys the confidence of its citizens, but concedes that if EU institutions continue to be "removed from reality, and from the real needs of citizens", there will be a loss of faith in the European project.
One of his proposals to counter this tendency is the creation of a new political office. He wants to see a long-term president for the European Council, elected by its members, from among former heads of state or government, "so that our citizens will be able to clearly identify the work of the EU with a political figure."
It is widely believed that Mr Aznar would himself be a leading candidate for this position when he fulfils his promise to step down as prime minister after eight years, in 2004.