Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-03-14-Speech-3-064"
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"en.20010314.2.3-064"2
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"Mr President, the Lisbon Process is to create the most dynamic economy in the world. Open coordination has been chosen as the method, and I would like to share my experiences.
Sweden has taken part in a number of summits and processes. Ever since the Essen Summit of 1994, there has been talk of the importance of lowering taxes on work and increasing flexibility. In practice, Sweden has done the opposite. Just as with its self-imposed exclusion on the question of the euro, it ignores what has been jointly decided. Instead, the tax burden is increased and entrepreneurs continue to be hampered. In Stockholm, we must make comparisons and learn from each other.
So how will that work? It is true that there is talk of increased employment but the truth in Sweden is that, despite three years of economic growth, more people remain outside the workforce than was the case in the early 1990s when we experienced the worst recession since the Second World War. At the same time, real unemployment is hidden by labour market policy and temporary mass training initiatives which do not lead to quality jobs. Furthermore, the statistics include a frightening rate of sick leave. If we add latent job-seekers and the under-employed, unemployment in Sweden covers 17% of the workforce – compared with the official statistic of 5%.
The Lisbon Document talked a great deal about knowledge. Despite all the talk of lifelong learning, in terms of knowledge, Sweden risks meltdown as we are failing right from the start. 34% of young people in upper secondary schools lack satisfactory qualifications in mathematics, Swedish and English. At the same time, raising quality within education through independent schools and increased competition is being thwarted – exactly contrary to the intentions in Lisbon.
Swedish universities are in crisis. It is true that Sweden has many people with degrees, but it lacks people with real cutting-edge expertise. Therefore, the socialists are lowering taxes for rich specialists that have been flown in and raising taxes for permanently resident, poorly-educated Swedes.
Talking and planning is one thing – especially if you can do it in a meeting room somewhere else in Europe – but implementing and changing requires greater conviction. Power to act is needed now, not least for national structural reforms and increased liberalisation at EU level. Instead of devoting myself to meaningless compromises and fine words, I intend to continue to criticise the European model, which has so far not been able to create many new jobs but instead sentences far too many people to long-term unemployment, social exclusion, poverty and marginalisation."@en1
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