Prague, April 14 (CTK) – Czech Finance Minister Andrej Babis (ANO) told the weekly Euro on Friday that he is against the acceptance of the euro and any further general integration within the EU.
He said he would insist on a multispeed European model within which some EU countries are to be integrated more, some less.
“I do not want the euro. I want us to keep the crown so that we can basically influence the economy, if a problem arises,” Babis said.
“I am also opposed to any further integration,” he added.
Babis’s ANO is a member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) that insists on quite an opposite policy, the server writes.
Babis said he did not think the Czech Republic would become a net contributor to the European budget.
“Certainly not. Not even after 2020. There is the question of whether the money we are receiving makes any sense. In my view, the soft programmes do not make any sense,” Babis said.
He pointed out that Labour and Social Affairs Minister Michaela Marksova (Social Democrats, CSSD) had received 57 billion crowns, an incredible sum, for retraining between 2014 and 2020.
“I do not know whom we will retrain and reskill while the job offices do not have anyone to offer as we have the lowest jobless rate in Europe,” Babis said.
“In fact, we have to co-sponsor it from Czech money,” he added.
He said it was a pity that the Czech Republic did not have a bigger influence on the way the money was used.
“We largely need to direct it at material investments. We have a tremendous investment deficit,” Babis said.
EU countries should say themselves in what European projects they want to participate and in what not, he added.
“I do not want to have a migrant policy along with France or Germany. We want to have our own migrant policy, quite differing from that of other countries,” Babis said.
The Czech Republic itself should decide on who will work in it and to whom it will grant humanitarian aid, he added.
“Each state has some interests. We have to fight for Czech national interests. We do not want the multicultural model,” Babis said.
