The European Conservatives' Spitzenkandidat, Czech Jan Zahradil, praised on Thursday 4 April the European Commission's efforts to ensure a "level playing field" in the single market.
As European Commissioner for Competition, "Margrethe Vestager has done a very good job; she has annoyed a lot of people" by trying to "fight monopolies", said the MEP during a debate organised in Brussels by the Bruegel think tank and the FT. He promised to continue on this path if he takes over the presidency of the European Commission after the European elections.
In his view, EU competition policy must be used to establish a "universal” body of rules that everyone entering the internal market, including companies from non-Member States, should respect at the risk of exclusion from the single market. The Czech did not completely oppose mergers between large companies from Member States, provided that the rules of the game were respected.
Asked about the attitude that Europeans should adopt towards competition from Chinese companies, Mr Zahradil noted that rules are in place to screen foreign direct investments. The principle of "reciprocity" must be stressed, particularly in terms of access for companies to public contracts. But if these companies are "subsidised", they cannot enter the market, he said.
If he is President of the Commission, the Czech sovereigntist has indicated that he will not question the acquis communautaire with regard to the secondment of workers or workplace safety. Nevertheless, "I will never buy Macron's idea of creating a minimum wage in Europe", he stressed.
On respect for the rule of law, the Spitzenkandidat asserted that the opening of the two so-called 'Article 7' proceedings against Poland and Hungary was a mistake. He would prefer simple discussions to take place between the European and national levels on this issue.
Asked about the migration challenge, Mr Zahradil said that it was up to Member States to decide on their own who they wished to welcome into their territory, rejecting any "arbitrary redistribution" of migrants between Member States.
Finally, on the future composition of the Conservative group in the European Parliament, the MEP considered it possible to maintain this group at more or less its current level, despite the departure of British elected representatives. "But my political family will not be able to ally itself with Madame Le Pen”, he said. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)