Politics.be - S1D /Spa : Merkel-Sarkozy pact under fire at european parlaiment

Martin Schulz, leader of the European Parliament's main progressive group, the 186-strong Socialists and Democrats, deplored the summit's Franco-German inspired EU competitiveness pact. Behind it, he said, lay reduction of the European Union to deals between governments.

"To strengthen Europe, we need economic governance based on the community method," said Mr Schulz, "not a programme that divides Europe".

On the crisis in Egypt, Mr Schulz said EU leaders sadly only expressed individual opinions on everything rather than taking a concerted European approach.

"We have security policy interests of the highest order," said Mr Schulz, "but we are not getting through. We are incapable of acting as a Union."

Dismissing the competitiveness pact, Mr Schulz said: "Increasing competitiveness is a laudable goal, but we can't achieve competitiveness by massive and one-sided social cutbacks."

He denounced the pact's plans to abolish salary-indexation that exists in some EU countries: "Does anybody really think that by abolishing salary-indexation, we will increase Europe's competitiveness?" It would create a lop-sided situation socially and deny compensation to the lowest paid people, he said. "If you're going to go along with that, you'll add a new crisis to the crisis that we're already in the throes of."

"To fight wage dumping, we need agreements on minimum wages in Europe at a level that will protect people’s livelihoods.

"A strategy for competitiveness worthy of the name must contain proposals on how innovation, research and development can be promoted together in Europe, or on how to bring about a future-orientated industrial policy geared to innovation and green growth."

Calling for defence of the EU community method of policy-making, Mr Schulz added: "Either we will succeed as 27 member states or we will founder."

Bron: politics.be