friendsofeurope
Η Πρόεδρος του ΔΙΚΤΥΟΥ και μέλος του Συμβουλίου του Ευρωπαικού think tank Friends of Europe, συμμετείχε στην 10η Στρογγυλή Τράπεζα “State of Europe” που διοργάνωσε σε συνεργασία με την Λιθουανική Προεδρία και τους Financial Times. Η φετινή Στρογγυλή Τράπεζα ειχε σαν θέμα τις προκλήσεις που αντιμετωπίζει η Ευρώπη: “Tough choices for a troubled Europe”.
Στην ετήσια αυτή συνάντηση κορυφής συμμετείχαν 80 διακεκριμένες προσωπικότητες απο τον χώρο της πολιτικής σε ευρωπαικό και εθνικό επίπεδο, της οικονομίας και επιχειρηματικότητας, της Κοινωνίας των Πολιτών, και της ακαδημαικής κοινότητας καθως και 150 παρατηρητές. Μεταξυ αυτών, ο Πρόεδρος του Ευρωπαικού Συμβουλίου, Herman Van Rompuy, ο Υπουργός Εξωτερικών της Λιθουανίας, Linas Antanas Linkevičius, ο βραβευμένος με το βραβείο Nobel καθηγητής κ. Χ. Πισσαριδης, κ.α.
Η Άννα Διαμαντοπούλου υπογράμμισε στην παρέμβαση της, ότι η κρίση μπορεί να επιλυθεί μόνο από ανθρώπους με “προοδευτικά μυαλά” και με προτάσεις εκτός του συμβατικού πλαισίου σκέψης που κυριαρχεί σήμερα.
Με αφορμή τις Ευρωεκλογές είναι αναγκαία μια άμεση λύση γιατί υπάρχει κίνδυνος η επόμενη Ευρωβουλή να αποτελείται από μεγάλο αριθμό λαϊκιστικών – αντιευρωπαϊκών δυνάμεων.
Press Release
Europe endangered by deeper north-south rift
Austerity policy versus growth and risks of an ever-deeper north-south divide in a Europe still plagued by mass youth unemployment dominated Friends of Europe’s annual State of Europe roundtable debate on “Tough choices for a troubled Europe”.
Participants warned Europe’s internal rifts and slow economic recovery were impacting on its global relevance and influence.
The EU was being asked to do more with less money said Linas Antanas Linkevičius, Lithuanian Foreign Affairs Minister.
Eurozone economies may be on track for fragile recovery but Europe’s toughest challenge is to ensure growth and jobs, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy insisted at the meeting.
“We are far from winning the battle for jobs. Unemployment is devastatingly high and more entrenched,” said Van Rompuy, adding that countries had to engage in structural economic reforms but also to focus on short-term growth to fight unemployment, especially for young people.
“We need an ever-closer Eurozone,” said Van Rompuy, saying he believed countries were on track to establish a much-needed banking union.
The Council President said the crisis had made all Eurozone countries more aware of their interdependence and that states had shown “solidarity” – a comment that later drew strong reaction from other participants.
“The Euro was a great, unifying idea but now Eurozone policies are dividing Europe,” warned Christopher Pissarides, Nobel economics prize-winner and Regius Professor at the London School of Economics.
Did Germany realise that its austerity prescriptions for the Eurozone were seriously damaging southern European countries? he asked. “We need to bring growth,” he insisted, suggesting that the focus should be on investments, especially in infrastructure.
“We need a rallying call to restore Europe’s credibility and we need to restore trust…muddling through make things worse,” he underlined, pointing out that a stronger push was needed on the banking union.
Pissarides suggested the establishment of an independent fiscal council to monitor Eurozone fiscal policies.
Several participants including Conny Reuter, Secretary General of Solidar, and Oxfam’s Céline Charvériat insisted on the need to look at the impact of austerity on European citizens.
Europe’s crisis can only be resolved by “out-of-the-box thinkers” said Anna Diamantopoulou, President of the Diktyo Network think tank and former European Commissioner.
With the European Parliament elections next year, it was urgent to deliver results. If not, there was a risk that the assembly would be over-run by populists, she warned.
πηγή: friendsofeurope.org
