Brussels, 05/07/2016 (Agence Europe) - The idea of changing the treaty to reform the twenty-seven country European Union once the United Kingdom has left is not backed by the president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker.
In a debate on Tuesday 5 July about the outcome of the last European Summit on the fallout of the victory in the British referendum of people wanting to leave the EU, he said that while one cannot continue as before, he refused to revise everything and agreed with those who say that the time has not come to made far-reaching institutional reforms. Juncker said he agreed with those who say that the time has not come to revise the treaties. He recommended speeding up the reform agenda already agreed upon at European level, citing digital union and the capital market union. He insisted that this meant applying the decisions that have already been taken.
Many countries, such as Germany, Austria and Slovakia, oppose any change to the treaties to reform the EU, but Poland favours it (see EUROPE 11585, 11583).
The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, said that the 27 member states were determined to remain united and continue to make progress. He said Europe's leaders, who will be meeting informally in Bratislava on Friday 16 September, should take account of the discontent of European citizens that was shown in the British referendum and give them new “hope”.
Criticism of intergovernmentalism. Several MEPs criticised the countries attached to the intergovernmental approach for managing European affairs. On behalf of the S&D group, Italy's Gianni Pittella said the EU27's inability to come up rapidly with tangible reforms was “the umpteenth proof of the weakness of intergovernmental Europe”. He slammed statements by German finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble in favour of giving Eurogroup economic governance powers to the detriment of the European Commission. The “Confederation of Nation States based on the unanimous voting rule is the problem you refuse to recognise!” said Guy Verhofstadt (ALDE, Belgium) to Donald Tusk.
If the EU27 find common solutions in Bratislava to common problems such as the refugee crisis, then European citizens will be persuaded that Europe works, said Manfred Weber (EPP, Germany). He said it wasn't the structures that were being challenged so much as the results.
Other MEPs said the outcome of the British referendum was due to rising inequalities. On behalf of the GUE/NGL, Germany's Gabriele Zimmer said that the only way to restore confidence was to support those who are afraid of slipping down to a lower social class. She called for the introduction in the EU of a minimum wage that is higher than the poverty level and for equal pay for equal work. Rebecca Harms (Greens/EFA, Germany) said answers needed to be given to rising inequalities, failing which this situation will be exploited by nationalist sand Europhobes. She said it was important to understand why the British voted against their own interests.
“Continue to want to impose more European Union when people want to be given their sovereignty back!” cried Marine Le Pen (ENL, France), promising a referendum on France leaving the EU if she wins the French presidential elections in the spring of 2017. She added: “You either change radically or you disappear!” (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion and Lionel Changeur)