Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-05-05-Speech-3-403"
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"en.20100505.73.3-403"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I am going to continue somewhat along the lines of Mr Verhofstadt’s speech. It is clear that we have been drifting for four months. It is clear that we have made mistakes. It is clear that, by drifting, we have given impetus to the markets and to speculation. Those Council Members who are responsible should at least admit it! They should say: ‘We are to blame! It is us! It is our fault!’ Mrs Merkel, Mr Sarkozy, I do not know what they are called or what they do in life, but everyone could read it in the newspapers: action needed to be taken straight away. That is my first point.
Secondly, I would like one thing to be understood at least, and that is that the task facing the Papandreou government is nigh on impossible. I call on Ecofin, on the Heads of State or Government, to realise that their countries are incapable of implementing reforms. How much time does France need to reform pensions? How much time does Germany need to build up pensions? Now, Mr Papandreou is being asked to change everything in three months. You are completely crazy.
The events currently taking place in Greece prove it. Greece – rather, Mr Papandreou – is not being given the time to achieve a consensus in Greece. No one identifies with the State in Greece. The policy is one of every man for himself, which is regrettable, and decades of political corruption in Greece are also responsible for this situation. What must be created, however, is cohesion. It must be created, it cannot be decreed!
You in Spain will see what happens if you have problems, and those in Portugal will see what happens if they have problems. Mr Barroso knows something about this, since he lost elections in this way. Therefore − no, he never lost an election − what I mean is that we must have a sense of responsibility and that we must not ask for the impossible. I have the impression that, at one time, people would say, people would hear: ‘I want my money back’. Now, I have the impression that, at government level, it is a case of: ‘I want to make money on the back of Greece’. For that is also the problem: by borrowing at 1.5% or 3% and lending to Greece at 3%, 5% or 6%, money is being made on the back of Greece. That is unacceptable!
Besides, Europe can take initiatives. Mr Verhofstadt is right when he talks about a European monetary fund, about an investment and solidarity fund in order to raise a European loan. The Treaties must be amended. Well, ladies and gentlemen, we in this House have the opportunity to take an initiative to amend the Treaties. Let us not wait for the Council; it is incapable of reaching a decision. Let us take the initiative, a common initiative by this House to amend the Treaties, so that, at last, there is a European monetary fund that can actually combat speculation. We can do it; yes, we can. Let us do it.
Now, I would like to say something about the way in which the events in Greece are being managed. I call on the Commission to involve the Directorate-General for Employment in the management efforts so that we can also gauge what is happening in Greece. I call on the Council to tell the IMF to involve the International Labour Organisation in the management of the events in Greece, because these are human beings we are talking about. There are employment problems, there are employees. I believe that it should not just be finance, but also security and the ILO or the Directorate-General for Employment, that dictates. The latter would counteract the madness that sometimes characterises those who take decisions on the basis of purely financial considerations.
I have one last point. There is a way of shoring up the Greek budget, and it is simple: the European Union should take an initiative aimed at disarmament in the region. In other words, a political initiative between Greece and Turkey aimed at disarmament. In other words, a political initiative to have the Russian troops … the Greek troops … the Turkish troops – excuse me – withdraw from Northern Cyprus. Let them disarm. I will say one thing: people are, nonetheless, hypocritical. In the last few months France has sold six frigates to Greece for EUR 2.5 billion, helicopters for more than EUR 400 million, and some Rafale jets (one Rafale jet costs EUR 100 million). Unfortunately, however, my spying efforts do not allow me to say whether it was 10, 20 or 30 Rafale jets. That comes to almost EUR 3 billion. Then, there is Germany, which has sold six submarines to Greece in recent months for delivery over the next few years. They come to EUR 1 billion.
Yet this is completely hypocritical. We are giving them money to buy our weapons. I call on the Commission to give an account here, in the European Parliament, and at the Council, of all the weapons sold by Europeans to Greece and Turkey over the last few years. Let there be some transparency at least. Let us know! Well, I tell you that, if we are going to act responsibly, we must guarantee Greece its territorial integrity: Greece has 100 000 soldiers, more than 100 000! Germany has 200 000. This is completely absurd: a country with 11 million inhabitants has 100 000 soldiers! Let us put that to Greece. It may well be more effective than cutting the pay of someone who earns EUR 1 000. This is my request to the Commission: be a little fairer."@en1
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