Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-05-17-Speech-3-122"
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"en.20000517.7.3-122"2
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"Mr President, I would like to make a brief comment concerning Sweden. Sweden joined the European Union without an opt-out, certainly not in respect of monetary union. Only on points such as legislation, which is in Sweden’s remit, does the country not meet the criteria. There is talk of a referendum coming up. I would like to know when exactly that will be as I am sure there is not a date for this yet. How long will it be before the Commission does its duty and reminds Sweden’s Social Democratic government of its signature under a very important contract? The Swedish government sets an extremely bad example for the candidate countries which are, at this moment, waiting to join.
Mr President, I would now like to move on to Greece. I have a problem with that country. The Greeks have produced a fantastic achievement. I only wonder how long the effects of that achievement will last. But I am acutely aware that by punishing Greece for achieving something positive, we will let the actual guilty party off the hook. Greece probably does not meet the criteria any more or less than other countries did. The euro zone should be able to carry a relatively small economy such as the Greek one quite easily. At the moment, however, this sends out the wrong psychological message to the markets and citizens who, to use an appropriate metaphor, look upon the euro descending Mount Olympus with sadness in their eyes. This is why Parliament, on behalf of the citizen, has to send out a signal to the Union’s large Member States. But the Central Bank, for example, is not concerned with the euro’s external value. The true culprits are the governments of Germany, France, Belgium and especially Italy. These countries, however, are making a mess of their own responsibilities vis-à-vis the currency and vis-à-vis the European citizen, let alone their own citizens.
They do not introduce the required structural reform within their own markets. Governments are far too accommodating when agreements are not met, under the motto: you meet the agreements today, I might meet them tomorrow. Why is Italy not called to task when it makes a shambles of its good intentions? The large Member States and Belgium are trifling with the interests of all European citizens. It is said time and again that the European citizens are not adversely affected as long as they stay in Europe. But surely, Mr President, we should not make that decision for them? In the Netherlands, many farmers are emigrating to North America. A weak euro lets them down badly. Businesses within the European Union have become 25% cheaper for the United States to buy. I think it is time for some changes. I will be abstaining from the votes today."@en1
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