West Europeans Warmly Accept German Unity

The leaders of the 12-nation European Community, in an atmosphere of unusual harmony, on Saturday approved German reunification and the acceptance of East Germany when it integrates with the West.

The heads of government at a special Dublin summit also tackled the sensitive issue of EC political union, agreeing for the first time to seriously examine various proposals for closer ties.

Their firm endorsement of German reunification helps resolve one of the most pressing problems of postwar Europe and was deeply appreciated by West Germany.

At a news conference, a beaming Chancellor Helmut Kohl declared happily: “For we Germans, this was a historic hour today. We hope that all in Europe realize that German unity and European unity are two sides of the same coin.”

As for the move toward EC political union, Prime Minister Charles Haughey of Ireland, who is the community’s current president, said that the organization had “firmly, decisively and categorically committed itself to political union.”

The government leaders assigned their foreign ministers to “examine and analyze” methods for reaching closer political ties and to make recommendations to the EC heads of state at their next regular summit, which will be held here in June.

Debate about European political union had overshadowed the German reunification issue in recent days, mainly because of objections by British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. There had been little advance doubt that the EC would endorse German reunification.

Thatcher has declared repeatedly that the scheme for political union, proposed by Kohl and President Francois Mitterrand of France, is premature and too vague for immediate action.

Often viewed by other EC chieftains as being out of step with the rest of Europe on the question, Thatcher had insisted that her fellow leaders clarify their views on what “political union” means before setting up the special one-day conference that concluded here Saturday.

She had also argued that the EC currently has a full agenda of tasks to accomplish--including preparations for a single market by 1993, tariff regulations, ties with East Germany and non-EC West European countries and integration of East Germany into Western Europe--without taking on the knotty question of European political union.

After Saturday’s meeting, Thatcher explained her position by arguing: “I do not quite know what political union means. I thought they (other leaders) ought to define it first.” She then professed to be satisfied that questions she had raised about the balance between national sovereignty and political union would be closely studied by the foreign ministers in the weeks ahead.

Ireland’s Haughey said he believes that the June summit will set up a special committee to begin forging a “political union” late this year. He gave no details of his vision of the controversial concept, nor did Kohl or Mitterrand.

Kohl, however, described as a “super result” the community’s endorsement of German reunification, and his press chief, Hans Klein, declared: “This is fulfillment of a dream for all Germans--German unity and European integration.”

The summit leaders also supported a wide range of measures aimed at helping emerging East European democracies--but the countries were not offered the prospect of entry into the European Community in the near future.

One senior diplomat said that, realistically, nations such as Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia cannot expect to be considered for membership for at least five years.

Thatcher applauded Kohl’s continuing pledge to commit a united Germany to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. And she welcomed a Saturday statement by Kohl that he would not request special financial aid from the community to help finance German reunification.

Thatcher has previously declared that the EC should not pay “a penny” to support German unity.

The summit leaders endorsed a proposal by the European Commission in Brussels for progress toward East German assimilation by the European Community in stages and without making changes in the international treaty that founded the community. During the transition period, Bonn and East Berlin will maintain close contacts with the European Community over matters that come under its purview.

Under the plan, the first stage of integration will begin in July with establishment of an inter-German monetary union, followed by formal reunification.

A major problem, officials pointed out, will be harmonizing subsidies needed for East German industry, agriculture, fisheries and environmental protection with stiff EC regulations in those areas. Similarly, the large capital infusions expected to be pumped into East Germany would have to be in accordance with community rules.

Officials said, however, that there are provisions for exceptions in such cases, and these are expected to be applied in the case of East Germany.

Ultimately, Thatcher professed satisfaction with Saturday’s summit results, while Germany’s Kohl was elated.

The West German leader devoted much of his public statement to what he called “the tone of friendship” that accompanied the endorsement of German unity by the EC.

Relations have not been all that smooth in the past. At the last EC Summit in Strasbourg, France, in December, Kohl reportedly clashed with some EC leaders who were worried that he was pressing reunification too fast and too far. After that, Kohl aggravated Thatcher and Mitterrand as well as others by his clumsy handling of the Polish border issue.

He also unsettled Western leaders who feared that he was overly concerned about reunification, a goal they feared might loosen West Germany’s commitment to the EC and to NATO.

Mitterrand, in turn, angered Kohl by allowing his office to be a platform for Poles and West German opposition Social Democrats, who implicitly criticized Kohl.

But the wounds seemed to be healed in Dublin. Under the terms of Saturday’s accord, Kohl pledged to consult closely with the EC partners on all aspects of reunification.

“It is my wish that these consultations are not just of a general nature,” Kohl said, “but in specific and technical areas too.”

At his news conference, Kohl rejected assertions that the speed of German unity should be feared by its neighbors.

“We make it clear there will be neither a Fourth Reich nor aggressive German policy,” he said. “There will only be realistic policy that is deeply European.”

And the final European Community communique Saturday summed up the glowing mood with the statement: “We are confident that German reunification--the result of a freely expressed wish on the part of the German people--will be a positive factor in the development of Europe as a whole and of the community in particular.