Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2014-07-02-Speech-3-132-000"
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"en.20140702.13.3-132-000"2
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"Mr President, I would like to welcome the Prime Minister to the Parliament. I am afraid that my speech will not be as flattering as the last one towards you. Europe is in crisis. We see little or no growth. You have identified that global competitiveness is in decline. We see high levels of unemployment, and the results of the European elections are clear. Whether you voted for the left or for the right in the last elections, Europe cannot go on as it is. Europe has to change. Europe needs reform now.
Here in the European Parliament, I am proud to lead the European Conservatives and Reformists Group, a group committed to reform and to working with those who are prepared to take the tough decisions to meet the challenges of the 2050s, not look back to the 1950s. So, while we may not agree with the old idea of a United States of Europe, I very much hope and believe, Mr Prime Minister, that you are one of those modern politicians who seeks positive change to meet the challenges of the future.
So, as you advance the agenda of your Presidency, we will give you our support when you make the case for reform. We will give you our support if you make the case for economic reform, and we will look to you to champion the single market and the digital economy, to reduce bureaucracy and to cut red tape, to open up markets and to stimulate trade. On the digital economy, let us no longer seek to second guess digital entrepreneurs or to engage in the Soviet-style economics that tells companies how much they can charge their customers. Let us instead lay down a framework for strong competition and for cross-border commerce. Then we should get out of the way and allow entrepreneurs to do what they do best: create jobs, generate wealth and improve our standard of living. That is why we welcome the Commission’s second tranche of refit announcements to cut the burden on our businesses.
But this Parliament can help by asking some questions. Where is legislation no longer needed? Where is legislation destroying jobs? Where is legislation standing in the way of economic growth? And do we really need all of the 180 proposals carried over from the last European Parliament?
On trade, my group will work with you for an EU that is open to trade, not an EU of protectionism sheltering uncompetitive businesses behind barriers at a cost to the consumers. We should instead seek more trade agreements with negotiations which are as transparent as possible to prevent those with an anti-trade agenda from hijacking these discussions.
Let us now turn to two vital political questions: the Mediterranean and energy. All of us in this House have been shocked by the tragedies that continue to occur in the Mediterranean. Frontex can clearly play a role by helping to secure the borders and by stopping those seeking a new life from falling victim to traffickers or to the roaring seas. But, in meeting this challenge, it should be about cooperation and not coercion – and not the erosion of sovereign Member States. Turning to energy policy, we should seek to reduce our over-dependence on regimes which do not share our values, whether in the Middle East or Russia. So let us not seek yet another rhetorical Union, but instead a functioning market identifying and eliminating the blockages in the single market and encouraging better interconnections.
Prime Minister, you have a busy agenda. Where we disagree with your proposals, we will offer an alternative. Where you pursue the 1950s agenda of ever-closer union, we will urge you to look to the future but, where you look forward to the 2050s, we will work with you. We hope that a fresh face in the Council chair will see fresh ideas and a fresh break in the politics of the past. If you can deliver this, we look forward to working with you."@en1
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