This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/02/uk-should-stop-sitting-back-in-eu-says-jeroen-dijsselbloem
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| UK should stop 'sitting back' in EU, says Jeroen Dijsselbloem UK should stop 'sitting back' in EU, says Jeroen Dijsselbloem | |
| (4 months later) | |
| One of the eurozone’s most senior figures has called on Britain to lead in Europe and go beyond defending the interests of the City of London. | One of the eurozone’s most senior figures has called on Britain to lead in Europe and go beyond defending the interests of the City of London. |
| Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the Dutch finance minister and president of the Eurogroup, wants the UK to play a stronger role to make the European Union a success if Britain votes to stay in the 23 June referendum. | Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the Dutch finance minister and president of the Eurogroup, wants the UK to play a stronger role to make the European Union a success if Britain votes to stay in the 23 June referendum. |
| “The UK shouldn’t just be leaning back and making sure the interests of the City are heard; they should be leaning forward and making sure we really need to get it right. Just staying in the EU, but sitting back and playing defensive just isn’t good enough.” | “The UK shouldn’t just be leaning back and making sure the interests of the City are heard; they should be leaning forward and making sure we really need to get it right. Just staying in the EU, but sitting back and playing defensive just isn’t good enough.” |
| The Netherlands, a free trade-loving country that takes a pragmatic approach to EU integration, has long been a close ally of the UK in Brussels. The Dutch are concerned that the impetus to extend the EU single market will be lost if Britain votes to leave. | The Netherlands, a free trade-loving country that takes a pragmatic approach to EU integration, has long been a close ally of the UK in Brussels. The Dutch are concerned that the impetus to extend the EU single market will be lost if Britain votes to leave. |
| In an interview with the Guardian and six other European newspapers, Dijsselbloem said he would welcome the UK “taking the lead in Europe” and showing initiative on projects to deepen the single market and promote trade, including the controversial transatlantic trade pact, TTIP, which is on the verge of stalling, owing to deadlocked talks between the EU and US. | In an interview with the Guardian and six other European newspapers, Dijsselbloem said he would welcome the UK “taking the lead in Europe” and showing initiative on projects to deepen the single market and promote trade, including the controversial transatlantic trade pact, TTIP, which is on the verge of stalling, owing to deadlocked talks between the EU and US. |
| He was speaking on the same day that the head of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi, warned that Brexit posed “a downside risk” to the global economy. | He was speaking on the same day that the head of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi, warned that Brexit posed “a downside risk” to the global economy. |
| Dijsselbloem insisted there was “no big plan” to put on the table the day after a possible Brexit, although a lot of ideas were under discussion. “Every door you open [in Brussels], people are talking about what if and what should happen.” Brexit would have “negative effects” on the UK and the rest of Europe, although he insisted the eurozone would not be blown off course. | Dijsselbloem insisted there was “no big plan” to put on the table the day after a possible Brexit, although a lot of ideas were under discussion. “Every door you open [in Brussels], people are talking about what if and what should happen.” Brexit would have “negative effects” on the UK and the rest of Europe, although he insisted the eurozone would not be blown off course. |
| “I don’t think there will be chaos and panic,” he said. “The most important message that has to come from us both today and on the 24th is that we have to make [the eurozone] work, that we are determined to keep strengthening the monetary union - which, by the way, is not necessarily a full political union - but strengthening what we have.” | “I don’t think there will be chaos and panic,” he said. “The most important message that has to come from us both today and on the 24th is that we have to make [the eurozone] work, that we are determined to keep strengthening the monetary union - which, by the way, is not necessarily a full political union - but strengthening what we have.” |
| Dijsselbloem, a fiscal hawk, who has led the Eurogroup since 2013, sharply criticised the European commission for not championing the EU’s fiscal rules. | Dijsselbloem, a fiscal hawk, who has led the Eurogroup since 2013, sharply criticised the European commission for not championing the EU’s fiscal rules. |
| EU law requires countries to keep budget deficits below 3% of gross domestic product or face fines or the loss of European funds. Although these rules were tightened up after the eurozone crisis, several countries have been allowed to miss the targets, without facing any sanction. | EU law requires countries to keep budget deficits below 3% of gross domestic product or face fines or the loss of European funds. Although these rules were tightened up after the eurozone crisis, several countries have been allowed to miss the targets, without facing any sanction. |
| Jean-Claude Juncker, the head of the commission, admitted on Tuesday that France had been given leeway on EU fiscal rules “because it is France”. In 2015, France was allowed two more years to meet its fiscal targets. Italy has also been granted “flexibility”, while Spain and Portugal avoided fines last month, despite missing fiscal targets. | Jean-Claude Juncker, the head of the commission, admitted on Tuesday that France had been given leeway on EU fiscal rules “because it is France”. In 2015, France was allowed two more years to meet its fiscal targets. Italy has also been granted “flexibility”, while Spain and Portugal avoided fines last month, despite missing fiscal targets. |
| Juncker, sensitive to elections in Spain later this month and in France next year, has said fiscal rules should not be applied blindly. | Juncker, sensitive to elections in Spain later this month and in France next year, has said fiscal rules should not be applied blindly. |
| But Dijsselbloem warned the commission that it had to protect the rules or risk making “a blind monetary union” that lacked credibility. | But Dijsselbloem warned the commission that it had to protect the rules or risk making “a blind monetary union” that lacked credibility. |
| “You have to be a little careful if it is in your advantage that the commission turns a blind eye … In the end, if we turn a blind eye everywhere, we make a blind monetary union.” | “You have to be a little careful if it is in your advantage that the commission turns a blind eye … In the end, if we turn a blind eye everywhere, we make a blind monetary union.” |
| This approach could undermine attempts to deepen monetary union, he said. “If the commission is only strict with smaller countries and unable to be strict on larger countries, that would be devastating for the confidence we have in our cooperation.” | This approach could undermine attempts to deepen monetary union, he said. “If the commission is only strict with smaller countries and unable to be strict on larger countries, that would be devastating for the confidence we have in our cooperation.” |
| The prospect of Brexit has raised speculation in Brussels that the eurozone could be shocked into deeper integration, by taking steps to eventually create a eurozone finance ministry, for example. | The prospect of Brexit has raised speculation in Brussels that the eurozone could be shocked into deeper integration, by taking steps to eventually create a eurozone finance ministry, for example. |
| Dijsselbloem stressed the eurozone should concentrate on completing work already on the table, rather than “dreaming away about a European finance minister”. | Dijsselbloem stressed the eurozone should concentrate on completing work already on the table, rather than “dreaming away about a European finance minister”. |
| “One of the reasons why Europe has become vulnerable – to put it mildly - is that we took big steps in last decade, expanding, deepening the union, but we never seem to complete the job,” he said. “We took away internal borders, which is a good idea, but we failed to secure the outside border. We start projects but never really seem to finish them.” | “One of the reasons why Europe has become vulnerable – to put it mildly - is that we took big steps in last decade, expanding, deepening the union, but we never seem to complete the job,” he said. “We took away internal borders, which is a good idea, but we failed to secure the outside border. We start projects but never really seem to finish them.” |
| He called on eurozone finance ministers to complete the “banking union”, a system of banking supervision, seen as the next step to deepening monetary union and preventing future crises. | He called on eurozone finance ministers to complete the “banking union”, a system of banking supervision, seen as the next step to deepening monetary union and preventing future crises. |
| Looking to the short term, he expressed confidence that the International Monetary Fund’s board would back eurozone plans to delay debt relief until 2018, when Greece has completed its bailout programme. He said he admired the Greek prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, who won a second election in Greece last September, after agreeing to a €89bn eurozone bailout with tough conditions attached. | Looking to the short term, he expressed confidence that the International Monetary Fund’s board would back eurozone plans to delay debt relief until 2018, when Greece has completed its bailout programme. He said he admired the Greek prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, who won a second election in Greece last September, after agreeing to a €89bn eurozone bailout with tough conditions attached. |
| Dijsselbloem was one of five European presidents, who put his name to a report, laying out a blueprint for the eurozone. Published in July 2015 at the height of the Greek crisis, the report called for more eurozone cooperation and, in the long-term, sharing more sovereignty, a euro area treasury and a full-time Eurogroup president. | Dijsselbloem was one of five European presidents, who put his name to a report, laying out a blueprint for the eurozone. Published in July 2015 at the height of the Greek crisis, the report called for more eurozone cooperation and, in the long-term, sharing more sovereignty, a euro area treasury and a full-time Eurogroup president. |
| Dijsselbloem said there were many questions about how a European finance minister would work, adding it was not a logical step when Europe needed to “stabilise its economy and deliver material results for citizens”. | Dijsselbloem said there were many questions about how a European finance minister would work, adding it was not a logical step when Europe needed to “stabilise its economy and deliver material results for citizens”. |