He still has much to tell us. I'm talking about Jacques Delors. He wasn't able to take part in the conference-debate in Brussels this Tuesday on the new departure for economic and monetary union (EMU) and on future financing for Community activity, but he has already pointed out the way before that he believes should be taken to relaunch European construction. His interview in the Italian publication “Il Mulino” already gave, in summary, an overview of what he advocates. He confirms his vision of the future Europe as a Federation of Nation States, with pointers on how to accomplish it. I'll give a broad-brush account by summarising his vision for Europe in eight points.
(1) Simplify. Jacques Delors considers that the complexity of the developments under way “distances citizens and handicaps the system. Between European Semester, Six Pack, Two Pack, Fiscal Compact, Growth Pact and so on, who can understand - leave alone control - the system? Who can tell to what transfer of sovereignty, or to what sharing of this sovereignty, these new control arrangements will lead?”
(2) EMU as “enhanced cooperation”? The evolution that Jacques Delors recommends for EMU is almost revolutionary, despite its interrogative form: “Is it not advisable to make of EMU a true enhanced cooperation under the Lisbon Treaty? Is it not necessary to define exactly the respective roles of economic policy cooperation, on the one hand, and economic policy control, on the other? To clarify the place of the policy and that of the rule? Several governments prefer a cloak of mystery in order to avoid domestic problems…”
(3) In favour of balance between monetary section and economic section. Since 1997 Jacques Delors has been fighting for the adjective economic in EMU to have as much weight as the adjective monetary. Respect of this principle implies that in the EU “some countries will go further, while still respecting the marriage contract of the 27”. This implies that the two speeds are unavoidable, as mentioned in point 8.
(4) EMU is not the only reason for the global crisis. Jacques Delors notes that - during international meetings and for means of information - economic and monetary union has become the only culprit responsible for the global crisis. Yet it's obvious that the British and American problems, as well as slowdown in the emerging countries, are not due to EMU problems.
(5) Never ignore the nations. Jacques Delors reaffirmed his position: “I have never been a fundamentalist federalist. If I use the formula Federation of Nation States, despite its ambiguity, it's because I am anxious to support elements of union in diversity. The nation as an element of motivation in History must never be ignored.” And he emphasised the need for national parliaments to participate in European debates because “public-spirited life in the EU begins through democratic debates on the national level”.
(6) The virtues of acting together. Pronounced before the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Europe, Jacques Delors' words had an almost prophetic ring: “It would be possible with a great deal of instruction to draw up a list of positive consequences for citizens resulting from the European adventure. But who dreams of doing it? If we talk about peace, we get annoyed (…) We have to overcome the concept of an inevitable Europe but which doles out punishment. We need to make it positive by common actions going in the direction of economic and social dynamism, giving people - through action - the feeling of the virtues of acting together.”
(7) Respecting the single currency obligations. The idea that all the countries of the EU could aspire to join the eurozone “has made us forget the constraints of a strong single currency. Some countries take advantage of this to exaggerate. Each country should, from this point of view, confess.”
(8) Requirement for two speeds. In Jacques Delors' opinion, Europe must not close the door to candidate countries, but the Greater Europe which results “will not be able to have ambitions as great as those cherished in the 1950s to 1980s. Hence the need for a differentiation to let factors of dynamism come into play in areas such as Schengen, the euro and - perhaps tomorrow - defence (…) We will definitely have to return to this.”
Two essential points of achievement. In my view a double lesson should be drawn learnt from all I have just said - Jacques Delors sees economic and monetary union as an “enhanced cooperation” under the Lisbon Treaty, which makes a two-speed Europe inevitable. (FR/transl.fl)