The creation of a Europe of several orbits would be an opportunity and would make it possible to clarify competences between the European Union, its member states and other European countries, the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, said in Maastricht on Friday 9 December, at the 'Europe Calling!' conference to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Maastricht Treaty.
Juncker, who celebrated his 62nd birthday on Friday, said that a different orbit should be invented for the European countries not wishing to participate in all areas in which we try to cooperate. He went on to say that this would not be a tragedy or a crisis, but an opportunity that would make things clearer.
The former Luxembourg Prime Minister often describes himself as the last political figure still on the scene to have been one of those who negotiated the Maastricht treaty, which most notably established the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), during his term as finance minister. The Treaty was concluded in December 1991 at the European Council of Maastricht. Signed in February 1992, it entered into force in November 1993 after a ratification process during which supporters of the single currency in France narrowly (51.04%) won the referendum held on this matter.
25 years ago, we did not feel that we were victims of history, but actors in it, Juncker recalled, stressing that his signature on that Treaty was one of the most important of his political career. He rejected the often-touted idea that the creation of the euro was the price paid for German reunification. The decision to launch the EMU was made at a European Summit in 1988, he pointed out, before the Berlin Wall fell in November 1989.
Juncker also referred to the clash between Germany and France over the independence of the European Central Bank. Whilst the French authorities initially did not want the ECB to be independent from political power, Jean-Claude Trichet later learned his lesson, fighting tooth and nail to defend the independence of the Frankfurt-based monetary institute during his Presidency between 2003 and 2011, Juncker observed. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)