Martin Schulz: “The reform of the European Union is urgent, because we live in dramatic times!”

Martin Schulz in the SNSPA conference

The threats and challenges to the European Union have never been greater than in the 21st century. We now have a multiple crisis in the area in which we live. And we must note that no country in the European Union, no member of the European Union alone, is capable of competing economically or militarily against rising global forces or against already known superpowers that are – imposed more than 80 years ago. I’m talking about rising powers like China or India, or permanent superpowers like the United States and Russia. Russia is, until today, the second nuclear army in the world.

And the European Union is this single market – the richest and most powerful in the world. Countries from all over the world want to gain access to our single market with their goods and services. But they are at the same time not only our partners, but also our competitors. China and the United States see the European Union’s single market not as we see it, as a form of economic protection. They consider her a competitor. Analyzing objectively, the Inflation Reduction Act, passed by a democratic government – by the Democratic majority in the Senate and the House of Representatives in Washington – is a program against the industry of the European Union. And this is a democratic partner of the European Union.

transcript (EN):

The European Union is threatened and challenged
like never before
in the 21st century.
Now, [we have] a multiple crisis in area in which we are living.
We must take note
that no single country of the European Union,
no single member of the European Union, alone,
is able to compete economically,
to compete militarily,
against a rising force in the world or against
the permanent super-powers… we are working with, since now,
more than 80 years [ago].
I’m speaking about a rising forces like China or India,
or the permanent powers, like the United States or Russia.
Russia is, until today,
the second nuclear army in the world.
And the European Union is
this richest and strongest single market in the world.
And all parts of the world – economically –
want to get access to our single market
with their goods and services.
But they are in the same time not only our partners,
they are also our competitors
because China and the United States
consider the single market,
as the European Union is,
not as we do, as economic protection:
they consider it as a competitor.
And, honesty, The Inflation Reduction Act,
adopted by a Democratic government,
adopted by a Democrate majority in the Senate
and in the House of Representatives in Washington
is a program against
the industry of the European Union.
And this is a democratic partner of the European Union.
I will not speak about those countries
who have a state economy, with state aid,
and go to support their enterprises.
If they are not winning money,
earning profits, with state subsidies to compete us.
This is China.
And I could continue with a lot of examples.
Why the European single market,
our common market, is the best instrument:
if combine our economic force
in international trade agreements
and we, with our economic force,
put conditions to our competitors and not unilateral
they put conditions to us,
this is an element which could strengthen us enormously.
But if it will not combine our economic power
with a political one,
if it continue to be divided politically
in 27 different opinions, 27 different strategies
we have no chance to tackle the challenges.
We are facing,
especially politically, with China or with Russia,
or with the United States,
or with India, or with the Asian Pact…
Indonesia is the biggest member
state of the ASEAN countries:
200 million inhabitants,
an average of growth between 8 and 12% every year…
…by the way – the biggest Muslim democracy in the world…
220 million citizens.
My country, Germany, has 82 million inhabitants.
India and China are neighbor countries.
Both countries have 1.4 billion citizens together.
2.8 billion citizens.
This is a third of world population.
In two neighbor countries.
If this two neighbor countries,
by the way, – competitors -, and India is ,as we saw just recently,
a factioning democracy…
We should draw among us, on our side,
because China is – for sure – not democracy…
But if these two countries
get in the conflict, will enter in the military conflict,
which is not excluded,
we have the next rises in the world:
how should a country like Luxembourg or Belgium
or Slovenia
or Austria – Austria, okay,
Austria is a very specific case; the Austrians, okay,
they take an alternative…
Or Portugal
should compete with China or the United States.
We, Germans,
we are the third economic power in the world.
We are generating 35% of our GDP in export
but 67% of our export
is going to this internal market of the European Union.
We depend on a strong European Union
more than of all other countries.
The European Union
and the member states of the European Union,
also Romania, we must understand that,
we are a community of small countries
and some of them, who have not yet understood that
they are called small countries.
If we will not cooperate and deepen our economic
and political and military and security integration,
in the 21st century we will lose.
And therefore,
I continue to fight for the European integration
against those from outside
who want to destroy the European Union.
Because, by more ideological reasons,
some of them, by economic reasons,
but Putin – for sure – by ideological reasons,
our concept of a modern open minded
diverse society.
Looking to prevent the future of our children
and grandchildren in freedom and self-determination.
The idea of a transnational democracy,
based on the principles of mutual respect,
on tolerance.
As a precondition –
tolerance and mutual respect for a decent life together,
for a live in dignity,
this is for sure not the concept of the Russian
Federation.
They want to divide us, they want to destroy
because their thinking is another one.
Those who
can give the orders,
those who must, follow! This is the concept of Russia.
Our concept is respect, tolerance and dignity.
And, therefore, I’m not surprised that the Russians
finance those parties in our societies
who are intolerant,
respectless and undecent.
This is not surprisingly
and this is in your country the case.
This is in my country,
the case in the country like Germany,
you can imagine that!, with the recent European election
a party with a list leader
who is admiring the Waffen SS…
We have a Germany such a right wing party
that even the right wingers in France and Italy
don’t want to work with them.
Which is in my eyes, for Germany, a signal of alert.
In a country with the responsibility
for the war crimes of the Second World War
With the Hitler regime.
A party with the list leader, for the European election,
praising the SS.
It shows we are living in dramatic times,
we are living in the changing world
where the certainty
that we had overcome the dictatorships,
that we had a victory against this thinking of oppression,
of extermination,
of this dreams of grand empires,
submitting everything under the rule of power
instead of the rule of law.
Under the rule of violence instead of respect.
These people, thinking in that way,
are generating more and more support
in all member states of the European Union
and they are supported by the Chinese,
they are supported by the Russians
and – we should be honest – they are also supported
by some elements of the democracy
in the United States of America.
The thinking of Donald Trump is not as far from
this kind of political vision as it should normally be.
Donald Trump is not respectful and he is not tolerant
and, honestly, privately, he is not
a decent man.
But perhaps the next president of the United States
and what will happen if he makes a deal with Putin?
We, as Europeans,
should prepare to stick even more than ever together
because then we are alone –
and that no single country of the European Union
is strong enough, neither your country, nor my country –
and for sure
not the smaller countries of the European Union,
Baltic countries for example,
are not able to defend their interest alone.
Therefore,
more than ever in the 21st century
European integration is in my eyes
not only necessary
the quest of survival for democracies
and the survival of our
democracies is the best instrument
to grant to our children and grandchildren
the same privilege as we,
in our lifetime, had the chance
to live with.
The enlargement of the European Union
means nothing else than to integrate
in the community of nations and countries
nations and countries who are not yet a member,
but who belong to Europe and to our ideas.
This is for the western Balkan countries,
the same cases for Moldova,
and, sooner or later,
we must find the way how to enlarge the European Union.
So, these nations can become a members
of our European family.
But one thing is also clear.
As long as the European Union
will not be able to reform its treaties
and we continue
especially on the principle of unanimity
every enlargement leads to a kind of paralysis
of the European Union.
This is our big historical contradiction
that you,
on one hand, needs geopolitically that enlargement,
but on the other side, we are structurally…
Every enlargement
increase the difficulty of decision making
And the problem is that, for ordinary citizens,
and therefore I will get back to the last question
a big community
with a lot of different tendencies and parties
and whatever,
if not deliver solutions, is perceived as not necessary
Or, is contraproductive. That means
the European Union needs an entire reform.
But that was the same debate we had 20 years ago
how we can enlarge if you have not yet reformed.
It was before your country
became a member of the European Union. The same debate.
And, then, we started the process.
Because we knew in that time
that the Maastricht treaty and the Amsterdam Treaty
and the Nice treaty was not enough.
For, in that time, 15 [member states]. But for sure not enough for 25 or, later,
28 member states.
And we called for a convention,
the convention adopted a draft constitution,
and a draft constitution failed.
And then happened the following thing:
deepening – before enlargement – was the message!
Then, because we saw that the convention lasted longer,
the message was in parallel enlargement and reform.
Then the reform failed, but the enlargement happened.
And this was exactly in the interest of those people
who wanted to lead the European Union to paralysis.
But not by saying Look!
This is the wrong way!
By saying the last one was a mistake.
The same people!,
who cultivated the prejudices,
mentioned at the beginning
but these people,
like the United Kingdom Independence Party
in the European Parliament, is Brexiteer party.
No deepening, but enlargement!
Than the enlargement came,
led to a bigger blockage within the European Union,
and they argued: \
this is an inefficient, superfluent thing!\
Therefore,
it is a problem I have no solution for the time.
I would insist that we reform the European Union
but our problem is
and that I’m grateful that you mention it
we are living n times of war.
Such a academic debate
or academic observations I’m making now
are not and in no way helping the Moldovian citizens.
And I will not speak about Serbia,
the double game
the Serbian president is playing the whole day.
And I can’t speak about Turkey
because if you enlarge the European Union
with Ukraine,
which is sooner or later necessary,
what are we telling to the Turks?
[They are] waiting since more than 60 years
that the European Union will keep the promise.
\
And if we enlarge for Ukraine, but not for Turkey…
And even the foreseeable time
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
will be replaced by a CHP president
perhaps İmamoğlu, mayor of Istanbul,
a pro-western open minded party,
which in no way Muslim society,
but a democratic society in a Muslim country.
And then we tell them
No, it's not possible to join the European Union'. But they argue: We are now returning to a political basis,
sharing your principles!’ And we continue to say \
That I think
we must convince people that we must reform
the decision-making structures
within the European Union. It means three key elements.
No principle of unanimity in the Council.
Secondly, not a commissioner for every country.
A kind of European government.
And third: a new hierarchy of competences.
The European Union must not interfere in every detail
in the single market.
But the city council of Bucharest could decide
on which is concerning the climate change?
Whatever they want to decide?
That question will not be solved in Bucharest.
This is a question solved by corporation of World Regions.
So a new hierarchy of competences
as European Union should focus on the important items.
Our common currency, a common tax policy,
a common economic investment strategy,
international trade.
Defense and security. Fight against organized crime.
All the things the national country alone can’t tackle.
And perhaps to get a little bit away
from this over-regulation within the single market
which is
unpleasant for a lot of people.
And, then, a majority vote in the Parliament
and in the Council, as the rule.
It means, for example,
for us, Germans,
that we are running the risk to be overruled
in the Council.
Today if Germany and France, in the Council…
you know, if it’s difficult for the other countries…
But we must come to a situation which is not
as I often compare it
to describe the situation in Bruxelles:
`imagine that United States of America
in Washington, had not a president
but the 50 governors would gather in Washington
on the principle of unanimity!
This is
the style in which the European Union is organized.
And therefore
the precondition for enlargement
is reform of the European Union.
That’s urgent because we are living in dramatic times.

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See Romanian version https://revistacultura.ro/reforma-uniunii-europene-este-urgenta-pentru-ca-traim-vremuri-dramatice-martin-schulz/