Brussels, 07/01/2009 (Agence Europe) - In a press release issued on Wednesday 7 January, the European Socialists express their anger at statements made by Czech President Vaclav Klaus in an article published the same day by the Financial Times. Martin Schulz, German leader of the PES Group in the European Parliament said that the comments were “wholly unacceptable”. The PES has called on Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek to issue a statement making it clear that the president was speaking only for himself and not the government, and that his views did not reflect the priorities of the Czech Presidency of the EU.
In his article, Klaus says that the “best thing to do now would be temporarily to weaken, if not repeal, various labour, environmental social, health and other 'standards' because they block rational human activity”. In an extended argument against regulation and protectionism, the Czech president opposes radical change financial regulation, which “in the midst of recession is counterproductive”, he says. On the institutional level, Klaus hopes that the Czech government will not “lead Europe to an ever-closer union, to a Europe of regions (instead of states), to a centralised, supranational Europe to an increasingly controlled and regulated Europe masterminded from above”. He also questions climate change and challenges the measures planned to reduce CO2 emissions. (O.J./transl.rt)