Galery

1

Well, I think, from the British point of view there are a lot of things that need to happen in changing the European Union to make it a sustainable organization in terms of meeting the challenges of 21^st century and also for the United Kingdom to be a full and happy member inside it. The list is quite long. The European Union budget has too many spending areas – on agriculture and on regional funding – and that does not make much economic sense. It is hugely bureaucratic and quite inefficient. I mean for European 21^st century spending, 35% of your budget on agriculture – it does not really fit with the idea of modernity and research and development that is needed to compete with the United States and China. The United Kingdom has been pushing for a long while and I think, slowly, but it is getting some kind of progress.  Otherwise, I think the crisis is giving opportunities to make the European Union much more flexible, because you have the potential of the Eurozone countries maybe going further and possibly of non-Eurozone countries, being able to take some powers back potentially. And that is something I think the United Kingdom and Europe could be interested in.

What kind of powers?

I think the United Kingdom is particularly interested in safeguarding its financial service industry, which is crucial for the economy of the United Kingdom. In addition, things like social, unemployment laws, where there is a feeling that the regulation of the European Union often hampers growth in the United Kingdom and puts barriers to creating jobs. And there are other areas such as crime and justice and justice affairs where often the European way of doing things conflicts with the traditional legal style and principles of the United Kingdom. And I think that is the key. On a more fundamental scale, I think the Eurozone crisis and the political repercussions of it have actually changed the founding principles of the Eurozone, the idea of ever-close union. I don’t think that you can really argue now that every country in the European Union eventually be part of the Eurozone, part of the single currency or the treaties of the European Union. Because what we are seeing now is that some countries will have to move further, some countries will probably want to stay roughly where they are, and some countries may have to pull back a bit. I think the United Kingdom will try to play a leading role in helping to develop that variable geometry in the European Union. It will potentially play a leadership role for those countries that are in the Eurozone now, looking for areas where it could be more flexible, more focused on things that matter – creating growth and jobs, and less interfering in terms of regulations.

How strong are the voices against European Union membership in Great Britain?

It is a sizable minority that certainly would like to see the United Kingdom leave. There is a majority of people who would certainly want to see the European Union reformed in some way. And there is pretty much smaller minority on the other hand, that would like to see the things remain the same or potentially go further in terms of integration. I think the majority of the British public is probably in favour of some level of European Union reform. And there is a sizeable minority, probably around 30-35% that would like to see the United Kingdom leave, if there is a referendum tomorrow, for example. That is what the government is facing. There is real demand in the United Kingdom for a change in the relationship with the European Union. And given what is happening at the moment, given the opportunities there will be to negotiate with European Union partners on possibly new treaties, this government really cannot afford to not address the issue. There will have to be something achieved in terms of making the United Kingdom relationship with the European Union more sustainable. That is in the interest not just for the United Kingdom but also in the interest of other European Union members, because I think, there are many countries in the European Union, which would like to see Britain remain a fully committed member, especially on things like the single market, more economic liberty ideas, free market things. And the United Kingdom has been a big champion of enlargement, for example. So, I think many of these countries would like to see the United Kingdom committed to the European Union. But I think they have to understand the United Kingdom and the country feels that the relationship is not working. So, it is important that it becomes more sustainable, becomes something that will be working in the long term. As things are going now, it is very difficult to see how the United Kingdom can really remain in the European Union in the way it is at the moment and for the next fifty years. It is difficult to see how that can happen.