sexta-feira, fevereiro 13, 2004
Reino Unido: Líder Conservador Defende Uma UE Diferente
No Daily Telegraph
European Union [is] damaging itself because it [is] seen by its citizens as "a one-way street to closer integration to which all must subscribe".
He added: "This is a perception which must be changed if Europe is to retain public confidence."
Mr Howard stressed that he understood why Germany had developed a strong pro-integration approach to Europe in the post-war era. It was, he said, "thanks to her specific experiences in two world wars".
But he said Britain's different post-war history and traditions, and its faith in its own government institutions, meant that the British people could not accept the constant and irreversible transfer of powers to Brussels which their German counterparts regarded as necessary.
He called for a more flexible Europe in which countries could say no to EU policies rather than having to fight unseemly battles to secure opt outs, as Britain did over the single currency at Maastricht.
"I'm not talking about a two-speed Europe," he said. "That implies that we are all agreed on the destination and differ only about the speed of the journey."
He did not want Britain to be taken down the road towards a federal state. "I don't want to reach the destination that some of our partners may aspire to. But I don't want to block their aspirations. My policy is simple. Live and let live. Flourish and let flourish. That is a modern and mature approach."
posted by Miguel Noronha 10:58 da manhã
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