Crisis in Europe is not EU’s fault

The European crisis is not really the European Union’s fault.

This is according to president of the European Commission, Mr. Jose Manuel Barroso and the Danish Prime Minister, Ms Helle Thorning-Schmidt at the Ceremonial Hall of the University of Copenhagen. They had met up to debate ‘The future of EU – Moving forward together?’ as a part of the EU 2012Series hosted during the Danish presidency of European Union.

»Citizens look to the EU when things go wrong to solve their problems, but we were not responsible for the domestic decisions that derived from different problems that struck the member states,« Mr Barroso said at the meeting.

Balanced budgets, also for the others sake

»However, we feel responsible to solve their problems, especially the economic uncertainty and the high rates of unemployment, which are unacceptable,« he added.

Ms Thorning-Schmidt supported his point of view: »Each member must keep its own house in order«, she said.

»The current problems are not derived from institutional European problems, they have been also created by the member states. They must assume their share of responsibility with sound fiscal policies and balanced budgets, and this not only for the sake of these countries, but also for the sake of the whole union«.

Warns against two-speed Europe

In his speech Mr. Barroso emphasised the efforts that the EU has to make now, in order to respond the challenges of the financial crisis.

»If Europe wants to maintain its values and prosper, it is now the time to take measures, and together become stable, smart and sustainable,« he said.

Mr Barroso warned against »the stratification of the EU economies and the famous ‘two speed Europe’«.

The EU will survive

In her speech Ms Thorning-Schmidt pointed to the positive things that have come out of the latest euro crisis. It has, she said, »allowed the EU to achieve goals of co-operation and set up new common rules, as in the Fiscal compact and in the example of the Greek bailout, which have shown a will to work together«.

»Decisions have to made fast. And the ones achieved in the past months within the EU regarding economic reforms were seen as impossible not so long ago. They go in the right direction,« she said.

Ms Thorning-Schmidt closed off her speech on a positive note: »The European Union will survive, because our values are stronger than this crisis«.

universitypost@adm.ku.dk

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