Prague, May 18 (CTK) – The EU should select from the five scenarios of its future development the one which it will follow jointly and more efficiently, Czech European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality Vera Jourova said in Czech parliament when a White Paper on the EU future was presented on Thursday.
The Communists (KSCM) say none of the alternatives is acceptable for them.
The scenarios are called “Carrying on,” “Nothing but the single market,” “Those who want more do more,” “Doing less more efficiently,” and “Doing much more together.”
The conservative TOP 09 is for a deeper political integration and Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) for bigger security and economic cooperation.
The center-right Civic Democratic Party (ODS) says the version “Doing less more efficiently” may be acceptable.
“For me, this is a good alternative. Making a revision of everything that must be dealt with jointly in Europe and then dealing with it more efficiently, abandoning a number of things, not dealing with them and letting them up to sovereign countries,” Jourova said.
It is necessary to join European forces in the sphere of defence, not relying only on NATO, she added.
It will be necessary to deal with ageing of the European continent and unemployment due to digitisation, robotisation and new technologies, Jourova said.
According to the scenario, the EU should focus on the spheres of security, struggle with terrorism, support for innovations and trade and consumer protection.
Other scenarios offer either the creation of a multi-speed Europe with varying degree of integration of individual members or the continuation of the EU in its current course of excessive regulations.
The extreme scenarios of limiting the EU to a common internal market or the transformation of the EU into a federation with a joint government are considered unlikely.
ODS leader Petr Fiala said the idea of reducing the EU only to a common market was tempting, but as unrealistic as a federalisation of Europe.
The ODS is for the relegation of some EU powers back to national states and a flexible, differentiated integration without an pressure on the individual countries.
This does not include the idea of a multi-speed Europe, Fiala said.
“Finding a common view of the EU and its priorities is all but impossible in the political spectrum,” Christian Democrat leader Pavel Belobradek said.
It is right from the political and economic viewpoint for the Czech Republic to join the euro zone, he added.
TOP 09 deputy chairwoman Helena Langsadlova said there should be a closer political cooperation of the EU. Without it, the EU will never be a global player, she added.
Jaroslav Foldyna (Social Democrats, CSSD) criticised Europe for giving up the role of a global player.
A multi-speed Europe would mean the risk that the Czech Republic will be pushed to the margin of the EU, Sona Markova (KSCM) said.
“None of the scenarios is acceptable for the KSCM,” she added.
The current trend of excessive regulations led to Britain leaving the EU, Markova said.
