Brussels, 07/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 7 January, European Parliament President Martin Schulz, who is also contending for the presidency of the European Commission, warned UK Prime Minister David Cameron that his desire to renegotiate the UK's relationship with the EU through a change to the Treaties was “wishful thinking”. In an interview in The Guardian, Schulz also said he believed that Cameron's attempt to renegotiate the Treaties (particularly as regards the issue of free movement) would not resonate in other member states and would “probably be rejected”.
In Schulz's opinion, “we need the UK in the European Union as a fully fledged member”, and a new deal focusing on the permanent nature of “particular roads” (like that envisaged by Cameron for his country within the EU) is considered “unacceptable for a lot of other countries”. Poland, which is riled by the British controversy on migrants from new member states, gave an initial illustration of this on Monday when the Poland's foreign affairs minister announced that Warsaw would veto any attempt made by Cameron to change the Treaties.
Schulz believes that Cameron “should make his suggestions for reform of the EU, and then we can discuss it openly. I don't believe that it's good to say 'these are my points and if you don't agree I'm going out'. It's not in the interests of the UK to go in this direction. Let's be pragmatic and not look at it ideologically”. (SP/transl.fl)