The vision for a political union within the EU and especially the eurozone – set out by the French and German economy ministers in several publications – will undermine Europe’s economic competitiveness and is not wanted by many other euro nations, Sander Loones MEP of the Flemish N-VA said today.

The vision for a political union within the EU and especially the eurozone – set out by the French and German economy ministers in several publications – will undermine Europe’s economic competitiveness and is not wanted by many other euro nations, Sander Loones MEP of the Flemish N-VA said today.

Sander Loones, the Vice-President of the European Parliament’s economics committee, warns:

“European taxes, a eurozone budget, tax harmonisation and Eurobonds, as proposed by the two ministers, is not what Europe needs. Their centralising pipe dream would destroy Europe’s overall competitiveness and risks undermining further the public’s confidence in the EU.”

“Their vision where all countries are equal is based on the assumption that Europe lives in a vacuum. In reality we live in a globalised world where we must all compete. This competition assures governments don’t solve their problems by continuously raising taxes. Competitive taxation assures we are not all dragged down in the wider world.”

“As the President of the German Bundesbank said earlier this year, Monetary Union can function without Political Union as long as rules are complied with and nations are responsible. We need greater discipline and responsibility within the eurozone, not a centralised European state that would leave voters and taxpayers left out in the cold.”
“If France and Germany want to introduce European taxes, they must not assume their vision is what the rest of the eurozone wants.”

Syed Kamall, leader of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group in the European Parliament, said:

“If they truly believe the French and German people want to move towards political union, they should be allowed to do so without forcing other EU countries to follow. Their proposal sounds like a call to get on the economic fast train to Europe’s demise.”

ENDS

Notes: read the article here: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jun/03/europe-france-germany-eu-eurozone-future-integrate