JOSCHKA FISCHER ON THE FUTURE OF THE EU

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer clears up a few things about the future of the EU:

"When the Wall came down, it created a new social and economic landscape in Europe. We are faced with the contradiction that very conservative and rich societies, built over decades, have created a beautiful house called the European Union. But the back of the house was the Wall. When the Mediterraneans knocked at the door ... we built some very beautiful new additions to this family house. And suddenly the Wall came down and this very conservative EU Europe -- and I don't mean politically conservative -- saw the poorer part of the family waiting on the other side. We witnessed a very silent revolution that had to be integrated into the very conservative structures and realities of Western Europe....

"We are talking about 1,000 years of European history. We are talking about different languages, different cultures. We are talking about over 500 million people. We are talking about very successful nation states and nation states with terrible histories like my own country. We are talking about the old European state system with its prejudices, fears, concerns, and very different traditions. To bring that together, you have to deal with the resistance of centuries....

"This is the first time in German history that we are embedded in a peaceful Europe without any threat from outside and without threats from us to our neighbors. It's the first time that we are in a sustainable and structurally peaceful situation and this offers new opportunities. 60 years of peace also means 60 years of wealth accumulation and we are in a situation where we can, and must, reduce the role of the state. But on the other hand, we have a tradition where the state guarantees much more than it does in the Anglo-Saxon tradition.... It's about very deeply rooted traditions. And to break up these traditions in a peaceful way is the new challenge we are facing."

Huh?