Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-01-12-Speech-3-044"
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"en.20050112.3.3-044"2
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"Mr President, I should like to begin by wishing Mr Juncker and his country a successful presidency. Mr President-in-Office, you assume the leadership of the Union at a crucial period. The ratification process for the Constitution is underway, the Lisbon process is not yet making enough progress and the future of transatlantic relations is a source of concern. In March, the European Council will conduct the mid-term review of the Lisbon process. It will do it against the backdrop of the Kok report, which was blunt in its assessment of the lack of progress. I urge the presidency not to be distracted by the siren calls of those who urge that the preservation of the 'European model' is the most important political priority. It is clearly not. It is precisely because so many governments have failed to grasp the nettle of radical reform that the Lisbon process is in such dire straits.
The United States continues to out-perform us and the competitive challenges from Asia, particularly China and India, are increasing, with no apparent urgent response from national capitals in our Union. The presidency must be unequivocal in its support for economic reform, for greater labour market flexibility, for more competitive taxation policies, and for reducing barriers to employment growth, particularly the excessive regulation that pervades all our economies. With high unemployment a factor across Europe, people are waiting for practical ways of getting them back to work.
Reform will be difficult and fraught with risk, but as the United Kingdom, under Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s and Spain under Mr Aznar in the 1990s proved, a resolute approach to economic reform delivers results. Low taxation, flexible labour markets, less red tape and a determination to tip the balance firmly in favour of the wealth-creators offers the only way out of a relative economic decline. These things are naturally anathema to socialists but are good for all our citizens. We look to the spring Council in March to reverse the failures of recent times and put Europe firmly on a free market and enterprise-driven path."@en1
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