Brussels, 05/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - Reacting to the outcome of the European summit last week, several parties at the European Parliament have welcomed the fact that Serbia is now an official EU candidate country, but say precious little progress was made in the field of growth and jobs.
The chair of the EPP Group, France's Joseph Daul, said: “The European Council of 1-2 March brought some good, but also some less good, news. Amongst the good news, is the signature of the new treaty on budgetary discipline. Only two member states refuse to learn the lessons of the debt crisis and are isolating themselves in the process of building a political Europe that shows itself to be more indispensable each day.” He saw the re-election of Herman Van Rompuy as president of the European Council as opting for stability. He welcomed the fact Serbia has now been given official candidate country status, which provides both Serbia and the wider Balkans with positive future prospects, he said, hoping that conditions would soon be met to start accession talks with the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia.
The head of the EPP Group strongly regretted that the European Council did not “signal that growth and employment must now be Europe's priorities. Unemployment of 10.7% and the recession foreseen for 2012 prohibit any further delay in the definition and implementation of measures to address the situation and renew confidence in citizens.” Daul also criticised the Netherlands' veto against entry for Romania and Bulgaria into the Schengen zone. “Either these countries meet the criteria and must be accepted without delay, or they don't and then it is up to the Commission to say so, not an isolated member state.” He criticised Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, describing the website of the PPV party (part of the Dutch coalition government) as “scandalous” with its tales of bad behaviour by people from the newest EU member states.
The Social Democrat Group criticises the European leaders' inability to take any tangible measures to find a proper solution to the economic and financial crisis. “We have been clear from the start that the fiscal pact cannot be the answer to the crisis. This pact calls for stricter austerity instead of coming up with substantial measures for growth and employment”, explained Austria's Hannes Swoboda, the leader of the S&D Group, adding: “The latest alarming figures on the high rate of youth unemployment in Europe require action from us. Europe needs to wake up and take practical action. It is unacceptable that the fiscal pact comes up with harsh sanctions for violations of budgetary discipline, but only guidelines and recommendations on action on youth unemployment.” Swoboda is pleased with the summit's desire to clamp down on tax evasion and collect an additional trillion euros of taxes. A report is due to be published on this in June (see (EUROPE 10564). Swoboda commented starkly: “In his second term in office we expect more from President Van Rompuy than just being secretary general of the Merkozy Team.”
French Socialists are busy with electioneering for the upcoming presidential elections in France. They say that the budget pact must be renegotiated and legitimised by the recession into which some parts of Europe are now plunged, along with the sharp rise in unemployment. They say that the promise of counterbalancing austerity with an economic stimulus programme and action to combat unemployment is not being kept and the budget pact is already doomed because shortly after signing it, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said that he would not be respecting it. German weekly publication Der Spiegel reports that the heads of state of Germany, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom had agreed not to hold meetings with the Socialist presidential candidate in France, François Hollande, who is currently leading in the polls.
The Greens say that the European summit's growth strategy is a smokescreen. “Despite alarming evidence that Spain and Italy are following Greece into recession, EU leaders are taking a coffee break and continuing to put a comprehensive solution to the debt crisis on the back burner”, explained the co-chair of the Greens/EFA, Germany's Rebecca Harms. “It is high time to end the damaging blinkered focus on public spending cuts and start addressing ways to strengthen national revenue sources.” Calling for the promotion of affordable public investment, Harms criticised some countries for vetoing the ambitious energy efficiency directive at the Council of Ministers (see EUROPE 10563). (MB/transl.fl)