Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipilä stressed respect for the rule of law, budgetary discipline and the fight against climate change on Thursday 31 January during a debate on the future of the European Union in the European Parliament.
"There can’t be any compromise on the rule of law", Sipilä said. He welcomed the legislative proposal to make the granting of European funding conditional on respect for the rule of law in the Member States after 2020 (see EUROPE 12174).
The Liberal Prime Minister has defended budgetary rigour at national and European level. He highlighted the "unpopular" reforms equivalent to "internal devaluation" implemented in his country to tackle a public deficit that reached 3.2% in 2014: wage freezes, cuts in pensions, increased working hours... The Finnish deficit is expected to be balanced in 2019 and unemployment to be at its lowest level in 30 years, emphasised the former entrepreneur. He also added: "We know what to do, we don't know how to be reelected after. "
Reinforcing these efforts the Finns have accepted for the benefit of their country, Mr. Sipilä said that any kind of budget transfer from virtuous Member States to higher-spending countries was "unacceptable". Agreeing with the fact that Member States have a budgetary responsibility, Guy Verhofstadt (ALDE, Belgium) replied that a fiscal capacity specific to the euro area was nevertheless necessary to cope with macroeconomic shocks.
At European level, this policy line translates into a position defending a multiannual financial framework (MFF) for 2021-2027 close to 1% of GNI. It will also be up to the Finnish Presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2019 to try to reach a unanimous agreement in the autumn on the EU's post-2020 budget. Mr Sipilä said he was confident in Europeans' ability to find a balance between traditional policies (agriculture, cohesion) and those of the future (security, innovation, climate protection).
On migration, the Prime Minister said that European policy must be comprehensive: investment in countries of origin, strengthening the EU's external borders, direct resettlement of refugees from third countries and "solidarity" in receiving migrants between Member States. But he did not specify how to achieve a reform of the European asylum system.
Finland also actively supports increased defence cooperation (PSC or PESCO).
As for the fight against climate change, Mr Sipilä said that the EU should "show leadership " in an area of activity that provides jobs. He mentioned three main lines of action: - reducing CO2 emissions by raising the 2020 target and setting a binding target of “at least a 55%" reduction by 2030 compared to 1990; - creating carbon sinks, using forests and changing agricultural practices: - the development of new technologies.
On behalf of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker advised the next Council Presidency to manoeuvre "with tact" in a period that will be marked by the allocation of the main European positions of responsibility. He suggested to Mr. Sipilä that he organise a summit of the Arctic Council, an idea that the Arctic Council welcomed.
To Jeppe Kofod (S&D, Netherlands), who asked him about his country's opposition to a European tax on digital giants, Mr Sipilä admitted the need for large companies to pay taxes where they make a profit. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)