European
Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker’s ambitious vision for a strong and
united Europe 2025 in the annual “State of the Union” debate on September 13
received plenty of feedback from political groups.
Plans on
defence, security, legal migration, international trade, social equality and on
how to strengthen the EU’s budgetary capacity and democratic decision-making
process were discussed by political group leaders in a three-hour debate.
Antonio
Tajani, the president of the European Parliament, welcomed Juncker, the college
of Commissioners and the Estonian Presidency of the Council to Parliament for
the annual “State of the Union” debate. He outlined European citizens’
expectations for more cooperation between EU institutions and member states on
migration, terrorism, economic growth and social rights.
EPP group
President Manfred Weber (DE) also welcomed Juncker’s vision for deepening the
EU. He said: “The world does not wait for us”. But he highlighted people’s
worries, like the fear of globalisation: “we need a social market economy”, and
also to “secure our borders to stop illegal migration”.
S&D
leader Gianni Pittella (IT) proposed that EU member states “hit all
multinationals which defraud fiscal authorities by obliging them to refund”,
adopt measures “against the exploitation of young people” and a “child
guarantee” and ensure education and shelter for all children in the EU. On
migration, he called on the EU Commission to “have the courage to open legal
channels”, as closing illegal routes is not enough.
Syed Kamall
(ECR, UK) underlined that, if it really wants to protect citizens, “Europe
can´t be protectionist”. In order for the European economy to thrive, we need
to create more opportunities, not more regulations, he said, adding that “EU
growth plans don´t create jobs. Businesses create jobs”. People outside the
European Parliament want to know that we “continue to steady the ship and will
not set sail into yet more storms,” he said.
ALDE leader
Guy Verhofstadt (BE) said Juncker’s speech was “full of vision and ambition for
2019”, partly because “a lot has changed”, with the “populist spring” grinding
to a halt in Austria, the Netherlands and France. “Welcome all to the side of
reason!”, he said, adding that “Only Nigel Farage doesn’t get it!”, referring
to a majority of EU citizens wanting more European action. “The EU is necessary
to withstand alt-right governments.”
Patrick Le
Hyaric, Vice-Chair of the GUE/NGL group, suggested turning the Juncker fund
into a large social and environmental fund. “There is an urgent need to exit
the competition EU and build a Union combining social humanism and ecological
progress with a fair directive for posted workers, minimum wages, pension
protection, poverty eradication and equality between men and women,” he added.
Philippe
Lamberts (BE), co-chair of the Greens/EFA, advocated “reconciling European
citizens with the very idea of the EU”. To do so, Juncker’s speech should have
sought to “reduce inequalities”, “limit our ecological impact to the bounds set
by nature”, “reorient trade policy”, “freeze CETA”, “get rid of glyphosate and
strengthen the definition of endocrine disrupters”, he added.
Harald
Vilimsky (ENF, AT) stressed that his group does not want the “failed” Euro to
expand and opposes a Defence Union and free movement of workers within the EU.
Internal borders must be kept up to stop “millions of Africans and Arabs
swamping the Union”, he concluded.
https://www.neweurope.eu/article/eu-parties-state-union/