Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-09-15-Speech-3-120"
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"en.20040915.6.3-120"2
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"Mr President, when President Prodi, two years ago, described the Stability Pact as too inflexible, he was met with sneers. Mr Zalm, you were one of the harshest critics, because anyone who wanted to change the Stability Pact was considered a softie. As was often the case, you took visible delight in tarring all critics with the same brush, because they were all useless. May I ask you something? Is it not the case, though, that what is now acceptable to you, what you read out a moment ago, very much resembles what those self-same critics of the Stability Pact stated two years ago? Two examples: my group has always argued for more attention being paid to the public debt and somewhat less attention to the annual budget shortage. We have always said that there are situations conceivable in respect of which a Member State should not be penalised for exceeding the 3%, for example in the case of slow growth over a long period of time. Finally, I applaud the fact that the Council and Commission now appear to be willing to be more flexible in their interpretation of the Stability Pact. Mr Zalm, I would urge you, though, to display the same level of honesty and flexibility, and refrain from saying that you will be clarifying and improving the statute. Instead, I would prefer you to say that you are finally taking the constructive criticism of the Green and Left Members of this House seriously and are therefore updating the Pact. Mr Zalm, there comes a time for everyone when they have to admit that they are wrong. This is the time for you to do so."@en1
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