Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-05-05-Speech-2-215"
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"en.20090505.22.2-215"2
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"Mr President, the Czech Presidency has achieved important successes in difficult times and this record is due not least to the personal skills of Prime Minister Topolánek and Minister Vondra, who is with us today. I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to them and thank them for their work over the last five months.
Undoubtedly the economic situation will dominate the June summit, which will of course focus on short- and medium-term measures to get consumers spending and banks lending again. However, it should also look at how the EU can assist enterprise in the longer term. For some small businesses this will mean improving access to finance and maximising their opportunities in the single market, but for many the answer will simply be for politicians to cut down on red tape and interference.
That is why Europe cannot be allowed to go down a Socialist route this June. The economic downturn has caused the Socialists to show their true colours. They believe politicians should dictate how many hours you can work. They believe trade unions should prescribe your working conditions. Above all, they believe that they, rather than the people, know best. Nothing epitomises the ‘politician knows best’ attitude better than the recent debate over the Working Time Directive.
Conservative MEPs were pleased last week to be able to see off the latest attempt by UK Labour MEPs to scrap Britain’s opt-out to the directive. In Britain, 3 million people use the opt-out. Its businesses, workers and public services rely on that possibility.
The Czech Presidency is on the side of the workers in this debate, and I congratulate it for helping us to see off this latest onslaught by Socialists. I urge the June Council to sort out this issue once and for all, and to make it quite clear that workers, not politicians, should choose their working time."@en1
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