Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2013-02-05-Speech-2-078-000"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20130205.4.2-078-000"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spoken text |
"Mr President, may I start by joining with the other group leaders and paying tribute to you and to your brave armed forces for the current operation in Mali. Your troops, aided by British and other Member States’ forces, are risking their lives to protect us, and we owe them a huge debt of gratitude. I think the Chamber is united on that point.
Mr President, I want to see a strong France helping to move Europe in a new direction. So far, the first few months of your Presidency have shown that socialism will deliver neither.
Mr President, thank you for agreeing to hold a debate here in Strasbourg today. It is, of course, a beautiful and welcoming city, one that should perhaps be visited by everyone at least once, but maybe not once every month. You label yourself a pro-European, but if you truly were, then you would allow the Treaties to be changed so that this Parliament can finally decide where and when it sits. A large majority of Members in this Chamber, from all different nationalities, from all political groups – even including some French Members – are now in favour of this reform. I hope that you will support it, and I am sorry that none of the other group leaders had the courage to mention it.
Mr President, I do not want to concentrate purely on Strasbourg today. Instead, I want to convey to you a simple message: thank you. Thank you for brilliantly demonstrating to the rest of Europe exactly what a socialist government looks like in practice – one that gets elected on to put an end to austerity and is then mugged by economic reality into introducing harsh budget cuts. I hope that the British Labour Party and all of the other socialist parties across Europe campaigning on similar themes are watching what actually happens in practice.
When the socialists left power in my country, they left a note in the country’s Treasury. It said: ‘I am afraid there is no money left’. Last week your Labour Minister admitted that France is bankrupt. Let us be clear. Things are not in great shape in other countries either, but since you have come to power we have seen how devastating socialism can actually be, even to a country as well-placed and talented as France. When we look at the start of the crisis, it was socialist governments – in Spain, in Britain, in Portugal and in Greece – that maxed out the national credit cards, and it is conservative and centre-right parties that are helping to clear up the mess that they created.
Mr President, you have shown us our socialist future. If we increase taxes to 75%, if we lower the retirement age to 60, and if we have a 35-hour working week, then of course that is electorally attractive. However, it is also devastating to our international competitiveness. Ronald Reagan used to have a great saying: ‘If it moves, tax it; if it keeps moving, regulate it; and, when it stops moving, subsidise it’. Reagan, of course, meant that as a joke, but sadly many of our socialists in this Chamber see it as some sort of manifesto.
If Europe is to thrive then we need to take a new direction. For socialists – and you have said it again today – the single market means harmonised labour rules. It means, as you said, harmonised taxes and harmonised economic policies. For me, the single market means a free forum where we all compete with each other and, in turn, we then become more competitive in the international market.
I raise this point because many in this House – and I think you hinted at it in your speech – keep suggesting that David Cameron was somehow asking for an unfair competitive advantage in his speech two weeks ago. That is simply not the case. He wants reform for all of Europe – a single marketplace where one country can have lower taxes, such as in Ireland, where other countries can have more flexible labour rules, such as in the UK, where some countries can have industry-friendly policies such as in Germany or the new Member States, and yet all still be integral members of the single market. It is time to make the EU about competition once again.
After David Cameron’s speech, Mr President, your Foreign Minister said that this approach was like joining a football club and wanting to play rugby. Now, I like Mr Fabius; he has been right before. If you remember, he led the French ‘No’ campaign against the European Constitution. I think he is right again. In fact, I do not think he realised quite what a good analogy that actually was. This is because, of course, a football pitch is exactly where the game of rugby was first invented. No doubt the person who picked up that ball at the time and ran with it was derided, insulted and shouted at by his fellow players. But now, of course, we know that he invented a game followed by millions, although I suspect its popularity is waning a bit in France after Sunday’s result. Congratulations to Italy.
Personally, I prefer football. In fact I am proud to be a fan of Newcastle United. I am delighted to tell you that this month we have signed five new French players. I do not know whether your new 75% tax rate had anything to do with their enthusiasm to leave France and join Newcastle, but if it did, can I say on behalf of all Toon fans: ‘Merci beaucoup, Monsieur le President’. France’s loss is Newcastle’s gain."@en1
|
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata | |
| lpv:videoURI |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples