Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-06-18-Speech-3-124"
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"en.20030618.9.3-124"2
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"Mr President, I should like to begin by saying that I am in favour of simple, clear, transparent ground rules for the political groups in the European Parliament. I am, however, opposed on principle to the use of taxpayers’ money for political parties. It is quite simply a question of whether parties are to be supported by public funds or by members of the individual parties. I believe they should be supported by the latter. In this matter, it is not the people, or the electorate, that have created a need for publicly financed political parties. The need that has arisen in this case has been created by professional politicians, and that is, as I see it, an artificial need. For what is a European party? For the individual taxpayer, it exists solely on paper and is a mere mirage, devoid of substance. In financial terms, there are no large amounts involved – as yet. This is the thin end of the wedge, however. I anticipate the aid increasing all the time, and it would grow at a rate in excess of the general rate of inflation.
I also think a question mark can be placed over the democratic element in this proposal. The principle must be that, if we absolutely must give taxpayers’ money to European parties, all parties should be given it, and that would not be the case under the proposal. I am in favour of clear transparent rules, but I am not in favour of aid for European parties, and that is why I also reject this proposal."@en1
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