Open Europe : Daily Press Summary

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Open Europe’s joint business intervention triggers new wave of EU debate in Sweden;Swedish Europe Minister welcomes the initiative The front page of the Swedish financial daily Dagens Industri follows up yesterday’s op-ed from several leading business people, including H&M CEO Karl-Johan Persson, which was published in conjunction with a letter in the UK and an article in Germany by business leaders calling for sweeping EU reform. The paper quotes Mats Arnhög, one of the signatories and a well-known biotech entrepreneur, as saying that “we have transferred powers to Brussels in a way that wasn’t originally intended.” Swedish Europe Minister Birgitta Ohlsson is quoted as saying, “I’m on their side…I’m happy that Swedish, British and German business people made a joint statement.” The leader the Social Democratic opposition party Stefan Löfven says that whilst he’s sceptical of David Cameron’s attempts at renegotiation he agrees with “some” of the points raised in yesterday’s op-ed.Dagens Industri: Front page

EU referenda on the table in German coalition negotiations
Süddeutsche Zeitung reports that CDU/CSU and SPD working groups have prepared a draft paper calling for more direct democracy via referenda in the on-going Grand Coalition talks. The proposals, which will be discussed on Wednesday, say that people should “be consulted directly on European policy decisions of special importance,” and that this applies “especially to new Member States, where important competences move to Brussels or when it comes to Germany’s financial contributions on the EU level - for this, we want to provide nationwide referendums.”
Süddeutsche Welt Handeslblatt

Commission set to launch review of Germany’s current account surplus
European Commission President José Manuel Barroso said yesterday that “in principle” the Commission will tomorrow open a review into Germany’s significant current account surplus – which is above the 6% of GDP threshold for such a review – as part of its role in tackling macroeconomic imbalances in the eurozone. Germany has come under increasing pressure from within the eurozone and from the US over its refusal to boost demand during the eurozone crisis. On his blog, EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn wrote that a rise in demand in Germany would help create a “mutually beneficial rebalancing in the eurozone economy”. Open Europe’s blog post highlighting a defence of the German surplus was cited by the Guardian’s live blog.
Open Europe blog WSJ FT Brussels Blog Kathimerini Reuters Euractiv La Tribune Le Monde Libération El Pa�*s EUobserver Irish Independent EU Observer FR Olli Rehn’s blog

Compromise on EU budget sees historic reduction in EU spending
Following 16 hours of talks between EU member states, MEPs and the Commission, a compromise was struck this morning on the EU annual budget for 2014. The budget totals €135.5bn in actual payments, a 6% cut compared to 2013, and €142.6bn in new spending commitments. Open Europe’s Pawel Swidlicki was quoted by CNBC as saying that the “European Parliament has quite a large say over how the budget is spent, but little voice in how to raise the money. So from its perspective they have an in-built tendency to want bigger EU spending.”
Open Europe research: Reforming the EU budget CNBC BBC European Voice Euractiv Reuters FAZ EUobserver Handeslblatt Spiegel Les Echos

Privileged treatment of sovereign bonds must be ended in order to break the sovereign-banking loop, Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann said yesterday, arguing, “Over the medium term, government bonds should be treated like other bonds or loans to companies.”
DPA Weidmann speech MNI

The FDP in Saxony has adopted a resolution which reads: “The party is committed to less powers for the EU,” wants “fewer Commissioners, and more decisions to be taken on the national or regional level again”.
FDP Sachsen

In an interview with Germany’s Nordwest Zeitung, the European Commissioner for Consumer Protection, Neven Mimica, says, “We have no need for additional laws and regulations at the European level. In some areas, Europe is rather over-regulated. What is needed is a better coordination of the national authorities and a harmonisation of existing laws.”
NWZ

Elsevier's EU correspondent Carla Joosten writes that “Whoever dares to express criticism of the growing influence of Brussels is quickly dismissed as populist.” She adds that by accusing critics of ‘nationalism’, EU leaders are driving voters into the arms of the Freedom Party of Geert Wilders or the National Front of Marine Le Pen.
Elsevier: Joosten Volkskrant: Sneijder

British cities could face race riots as an influx of Roma migrants creates “frictions” with local people, David Blunkett, the former Home Secretary has warned.
Telegraph

Reuters reports that European Commission President José Manuel Barroso described France's 2014 budget as “satisfactory” yesterday, while adding that the country still needed to do more to reduce unemployment. France aims to meet the EU’s 3% of GDP deficit target by 2015, but the Commission has forecast the French deficit will be 3.7%.
Reuters

In a feature on wasteful EU spending in Die Welt, German commentator Henryk M. Broder notes that the small Pacific island of Pitcairn, which officially has a population of 48 inhabitants, has received around €4.4m in 13 years from the European Development Fund.
Welt

Several European leaders will meet in Paris today to discuss ways to tackle youth unemployment in Europe. Le Figaro notes that David Cameron will not take part in the summit.
Le Figaro

Greek Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras will resume his meetings with the EU/IMF/ECB Troika today, in the hope of making progress on the release of the next tranche of bailout funds ahead of the meeting of eurozone finance ministers at the end of this week.
Kathimerini

Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has left the European People’s Party (EPP) grouping to join the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR). Turkish EU Minister Egemen Bagis put the blame on the EPP, saying: “The EPP kept the AKP in ‘observer status’ for 10 years, in a way it did not deserve, and it didn’t keep its promise for associate membership.”
Hurriyet

Ceské Noviny reports that Czech President Miloš Zeman has said he may appoint Bohuslav Sobotka, winner of the recent parliamentary elections, as Prime Minister-designate but only after he recovers from a knee injury and returns to work in early December.
Ceské Noviny

The Slovenian government will face a confidence vote on Thursday, linked to amendments to next year’s budget which will increase taxes to help shore up the government’s finances. The governing coalition is expected to win the vote.
Reuters


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