A la veille du Sommet européen des 16-17 juin

Vu sur le site internet du Groupe PSE au Parlement européen :

"On the eve of the EU summit, Martin Schulz, leader of the European Parliament's 201-strong Socialist Group, called on government leaders to restore trust in the ideals of the European Union.

Said Mr Schulz: "The best way to escape from the current crisis is to show solidarity between our countries.

"It is important for this summit to find a compromise on the future financing of the EU. The EU works only if compromises are made ? but up to now governments have simply been making demands. This approach will not work.

"The European Parliament and the Commission have done their job. They have presented a sensible financial framework that will secure the EU's future and allow us to realise the ambitions of the Lisbon Strategy to create more jobs and growth.

"The member states need to pull together. They must abandon their unbearable, destructive, national egotism and find workable compromises. The summit must restore people's trust and belief in the ideals of the European Union.

"Member states must also stop using Brusses as a scapegoat, blaming the EU when things go wrong but seizing the credit for themselves when things go well.

"The EU has two main tasks now. Externally, we must be competitive, meeting the challenges of globalisation together. Internally, the EU must secure social justice and safeguard our social welfare security systems.

"In the long run, the EU will have to invest in research and cutting edge technology rather than go on subsidising farmers to plant beetroot and the like.

"As far as ratification of the constitution is concerned, every country has the right to decide for itself on how to proceed. But even if we have to shelf the constitution temporarily, the goals and ambitions of the constitution remain valid and we need to work to achieve them in the interests of efficiency, transparency and democracy as well as the creation of jobs and growth."