Credible and ongoing implementation of the texts of the ‘Green Deal’, vigilance with regard to the future new European rules on fiscal governance that certain The Left MEPs have called for to not be approved, and consideration for the difficult situation of European farmers...
Meeting in Strasbourg on Tuesday 16 January for a debate on the priorities of the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council, the MEPs, particularly the Belgian MEPs, did not go easy on Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, asking him to maintain a high level of ambition in terms of support for Ukraine and the European Union’s place in global competition, while improving social Europe and workers’ rights.
The Belgian Prime Minister began by setting out his vision for 2024, recognising that it will be a crucial year for both the EU and the West, when Europeans and Americans will go to the polls and the EU may once again be “more than ever ‘on its own’” in the event of the return of Donald Trump and his “America first” approach.
“Our democracies will be put to the test”, he told MEPs from the outset, while arguing that Europe should not be afraid of this, but on the contrary “embrace” these challenges to become “solid, stronger, more sovereign and more self-reliant”.
The Prime Minister also said straight away that support for Ukraine was a priority and “existential” for the EU, with the need to maintain financial aid and the continuation of military support, which will also be on the agenda for the European Summit on 1 February.
Another major challenge will be maintaining a strong European economy, as Europe cannot become “an economic museum”.
In particular, the Prime Minister would like Europe to more automatically reap the rewards of its great capacity for innovation with industrial applications on EU territory. A focus for this will be developing the capital market and using the ideas Italy’s Enrico Letta will propose to breathe new life into the single market.
Discussing the fight against climate change, the Prime Minister, who was criticised in 2023 for defending, like Emmanuel Macron, the idea of a pause in environmental regulations, maintained that the EU has a duty to reduce CO2 emissions and achieve carbon neutrality.
But he also insisted on the need to ensure businesses are taken into consideration as part of all these reforms, while continually ensuring the “necessary social support”.
Other priorities mentioned by the Prime Minister in a concise but comprehensive speech included enlargement, which will firstly involve internal reforms within the EU, with a Union that needs to “get better” before enlarging, as well as migration, the Rule of law and the defence of LGBTIQ rights.
With regard to enlargement, he also announced the working themes of the future roadmap to prepare for the arrival of new countries: “the financing of the Union, the future political priorities to be set at European level, the strengthening of our European democracy and better integration of the Rule of law in the EU to ensure that the Copenhagen criteria are not just conditions for accession, but a permanent obligation”.
Asked by fellow Belgian Benoît Lutgen (EPP) about the difficulties faced by farmers, which was not mentioned in the speech, Alexander De Croo assured that he also wanted to support them and bring together “agriculture and industry” without pitting them against each other when it came to implementing the texts of the European Green Deal.
Responding to criticism from Philippe Lamberts (Greens/EFA, Belgian), who said he was “shocked” by his comments on a possible pause in the ‘Green Deal’, Mr De Croo said he had been misunderstood. “I’ve never said anything about a pause on the Green Deal”, but when it comes to implementing all the texts, “we have to look at the sequences carefully” to win the support of the public and industry.
Also questioned by Spain’s Iratxe Garcia Perez (S&D) on the rights of digital platform workers, the Belgian Prime Minister said that “social protection” for these people was “essential”. The Belgian Presidency will therefore try to “strike the right balance”, as this new economy also has “advantages” in that it allows people to enter the labour market.
See Alexander De Croo’s speech: https://aeur.eu/f/ae5 (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)