Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-03-08-Speech-2-482-000"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20110308.25.2-482-000"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I no longer feel compelled to say anything about the somewhat embarrassing history of the competitiveness pact. It was quite bizarre to hear that the paper does not exist, even though this paper was distributed in the corridors of Council Headquarters in Brussels. As I have already stated in Brussels, the way in which the facts have been disputed in the Council’s buildings bears all the hallmarks of a socialist or communist regime in its dying days.
From my point of view, the fact is that for months now, we Europeans have been experiencing more than a currency crisis, but also a crisis in the capabilities of our national governments to accept shared responsibility for the problem and to follow a joint strategy that could lead us out of these difficulties.
If we now make the crisis mechanism permanent, however we may have achieved it, then we will have taken one step forward. However, if one looks at Greece, then I would say that we may be deluding ourselves if we believe we have the crisis under control. It is equally clear in Greece that the one-sided nature of the measures, exclusive concentration on austerity measures and cuts, is not working. The country must also be in a position to make investments. When a country like Greece cuts expenditure so radically, then it needs to know where its income is to come from.
I am annoyed by the fact that, in advance of this week’s meeting of the European Council and in statements relating to the Council meeting in 14 days’ time, we are hearing from Germany that it will not be prepared to discuss conditions for Greece or for necessary changes. The same old mistakes are being made again: this unilateralism and insistence on a single method. If we are to follow the model described by Mr Verhofstadt, as well as decisions in relation to specific consolidation measures, economic union also requires a readiness for genuine solidarity. Hence, Greece should expect more from us than we have given so far.
I completely agree with Mr Schulz and the previous speakers and I would like to state clearly on behalf of all those in my group who have been working on this issue for many months: the Community method is something special. We need genuine, understandable decision-making processes in Brussels, so that citizens from Greece to Denmark, in Germany and in Spain, trust in us. If we really were to establish this ‘closed shop’ proposed in the competitiveness pact as contrived by a small number of Heads of Government, we will lose the debate about trust in the European Union. This is really what the crisis is increasingly about. I can only hope that we will be delivered from this stupidity and that this Council meeting will show more sense.
Since you mentioned sustainable growth, Mr Barroso, let me add one more thing. I cannot understand why a Commissioner for Energy in Brussels would say that ambitious climate protection targets would mean deindustrialisation in Europe. The German Minister for the Environment was in Brussels 14 days ago and presented a study that predicted six million jobs for the European Union if we set a 30% climate target. This would mean sustainable growth. Mr Barroso, you must stop Mr Oettinger."@en1
|
| lpv:videoURI |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples