Brussels, 29/04/2014 (Agence Europe) - Four of the main candidates for the presidency of the next European Commission crossed swords on Monday 28 April, on the most effective response to Eurosceptics, and on the economy, immigration and external policy.
The debate was broadcast on Euronews and brought together Christian Democrat Jean-Claude Juncker, Socialist Martin Schulz, Liberal Guy Verhofstadt and Ska Keller from the Greens.
Countering Eurosceptics and extremism
A quarter of all EP seats could be won by Eurosceptics. Martin Schulz said that these Eurosceptic parties could all criticise but did not offer any kind of solution. He said that what had to be avoided was an EP full of parties pushing a xenophobic agenda. If European citizens do not take these elections seriously, there will be Eurosceptics at the EP. Guy Verhofstadt said that they had to explain to people how these parties were using all the tricks in the book to falsely claim that, by hiding behind borders, all the problems would disappear (immigration, unemployment, climate change and economic crisis etc.). Verhofstadt argued that sovereignty had to be reinvented at EU level. Ska Keller (Germany), 32, the youngest and only woman member of the quartet, was in fighting form and was critical of these extremist far-right ideas being adopted by the Centre-Right. She said: “By repeating the slogans of the extreme right, you are strengthening the extreme right and this is very dangerous. The Prime Minister of Bavaria is using these kinds of slogans”. Jean-Claude Junker replied: “I will not discuss” with these kinds of movements. He was also asked by his Liberal rival about the presence of avowed Eurosceptics in the EPP, including the former Italian leader, Silvio Berlusconi. The former Luxembourg prime minister reaffirmed that the recent comments of Berlusconi about the Germans had sickened him: “I do not agree that we should set countries against each other. I am a man of values”.
Economy, youth unemployment
Verhofstadt said that he wanted to “mend the economy and create jobs but to do this, another kind of Europe is needed”. According to him, the kind of Europe that exists has managed the economy very badly. He also said that civil liberties had to be protected. Juncker said he wanted a Europe with its feet on the ground, which created jobs without spending money that it does not have. Schulz highlighted in particular the need to tackle speculation and heavy cuts in education. Keller argued for a more democratic Europe that promotes people's social rights.
On the question of youth unemployment, Schulz said that certain excess needed to be addressed (such as the exploitation of young skilled workers who are made redundant after a six-month traineeship). He also called for improved access to lending for SMEs and favourable interest rates for young people who have to pay back the costs they have incurred from their studies. Verhofstadt advocated a new integration strategy as a driving force for growth and to help repair the link that has been broken between the banks and businesses. The leader of the Liberals said that more Europe was needed if growth was to be relaunched. Keller from the Greens said that the EU should invest in the future and in education to transform the economy and create quality jobs. Junker, when asked about his role in implementing austerity policies, replied that it had been necessary to resolve the problem of public deficits by making public spending healthier. He argued for a digital market and completion of the internal market, as well as tacklingsocial dumping. He also said that he supported a legal minimum wage throughout the EU.
Institutional architecture. Who has the power? Junker believes that power is in the hands of those elected. For Schulz, the future president of the Commission will need a qualified majority in the EP and the Commission should have the right of initiative to introduce legislation in certain areas, so as to rebalance the scales of power. Verhofstadt said that a change in power was needed, with the right initiative for the Commission, because currently everything is decided in Berlin, then in Paris, while the European Council had “managed the debt crisis very badly”. He advocated a European government that held the reins of power. Keller called for greater transparency at the Council, for example, when it came to knowing which countries vote against which proposals. She criticised the current Commission for having watered down targets on climate change.
Other debates will take place in several European countries over the next few weeks, before a major debate between five candidates on 15 May, which will be broadcast in the majority of the 28 member states.
On the question of immigration, the three European veterans agreed on the need for controlled economic immigration, while Keller differentiated her position by calling for a greater opening up for refugees and asylum seekers. Schulz called for a European legal migration policy and also highlighted tackling illegal immigration trafficking networks. He said that immigration “will be one of my priorities” in the event of his being elected head of the Commission.
Verhofstadt said that the issue of the trafficking in human beings had to be tackled, and migrants welcomed with the burden shared among the EU countries. Juncker acknowledged that the EU was unable to take in all those suffering in the world. He said that European solidarity should be better organised in this area, particularly on return programmes.
External action
To the question of whether Ukraine would be a member of the EU in the next five years, Junker said that “we cannot promise the Ukrainians an agreement. There are quite a lot of reforms to implement beforehand: corruption needs to be tackled by introducing national reforms”. Schulz said that, first of all, discussion was required on how to keep the country whole: “What Europe has not done enough of, is bring economic support”. Verhofstadt said that “we need to get Putin out of the country, he needs to be stopped. Sanctions need toughening up: Putin will not stop if we do not introduce individual sanctions (rather than economic ones) targeting his entourage”. He deplored the fact that “we don't have enough courage to take on the Russian oligarchs”. Keller argued that the most important thing to do was to reach a peaceful solution and she recommended limiting EU energy dependency on Russia: “We have the sun, wind, wind turbines and renewables. We need more ambitious targets: 20% is ridiculous. During the transition we will need gas production plants but we also need to invest in renewable energy sources”. Juncker also asserted that the EU should reduce its energy dependency on Russia. He criticised shale gas and said that the EU should get organised to be able to purchase gas and oil from the US, as a means of reducing economic, trade and political dependency on Russia. Verhofstadt affirmed that “our first priority is creating a common European defence policy (a European pillar of NATO, for example). It is by doing this that we will have a common foreign policy”.
NSA and TTIP. According to Keller, the US should stop spying on us. On the issue of the transatlantic agreement, Schulz stated that trade was not a bad idea but that it should also serve as an instrument for “reinvigorating our social and economic rights”. He is in favour of publishing the EU negotiating mandate. Junker said that European standards had to be defended. Verhofstadt said that the protection of citizens' privacy had to be ensured in this TTIP agreement.
Other debates will take place in several European countries over the next few weeks before the major debate with five contenders (the four above, along with Alexis Tsipras, from Greece, the head of Syriza and candidate of the Radical Left) on 15 May, which will be broadcast in the majority of the 28 member states. (LC)