Centre Right Establishment lets Europe down (North Wiltshire Liberal Democrats)

North Wiltshire Liberal Democrats <info@northwiltslibdems.org.uk>

Centre Right Establishment lets Europe down

December 9, 2011 4:42 PM
Originally published by Sir Graham Watson MEP

Speaking after a high level meeting of European Liberals this morning, South West MEP and European Liberal Democrat and Reform party President Sir Graham Watson MEP said:

"Just as national leaders within the centre-right European People's Party have played fast and loose with constitutional niceties, so now Europe's establishment - predominantly from the EPP - has re-written EU rules in a dangerous way."

"While many of the things agreed at the EU Council were necessary to save the Euro, the way in which it has been done stores up problems for the future."

"For the sake of Sarkozy's standing in the polls, the European Council President Van Rompuy has been sidelined, the Community method has been undone and the Lisbon architecture dismantled. The introduction of a 'super' qualified majority of 85% leaves large member states with a veto but not their smaller counterparts."

"It appears that the French and German leaders came into this summit with one outcome in mind and no one was going to scupper that. Sarkozy could have done more to accommodate British concerns."

"This threatens the single market. The European centre-right establishment is responsible for this mess."

ENDS

Note to Editors

The European People's Party is a centre-right pan European party and holds the largest grouping of MEPs in the European Parliament. French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are affiliated to this group.

UK Conservatives were also aligned to this group until their withdrawal in 2009 to form a European Conservatives and Reformists group.