4 Freedoms (UK EPP) Party leader Dirk Hazell urged: “Europe’s leaders must work together to offer a genuine basis for hope not fear.”
“Mainstream politicians must resist siren populist calls, whilst tackling their underlying causes: two examples where action is needed are the lack of affordable housing and the unacceptable gap between rich and poor. Scandals from football to finance highlight the need for the powerful to become truly accountable. Privilege and top salaries should be matched by real responsibility towards all Europeans. The unique worth of every individual person must again be better respected and as far as possible fulfilled,” Hazell said.
In a few days, on 7 October, President Hollande and Chancellor Merkel will deliver an historic joint address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg. “This Franco-German cross-party move is welcome: Europe united in freedom and solidarity can again lead the world in aligning economic, environmental and social sustainability,” noted Hazell.
Hazell stated: “The EPP Platform for the 2014 European election is a real New Deal for Europe based on opportunity and solidarity. A single digital market worth €1000 per European per year can free the talents of Europe’s youth and SMEs, creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs. People-power not vested interests must prevail so we all benefit from the security of an energy union. And Europeans should, like Americans, benefit from a single capital market finally unleashing the real growth potential of SMEs across Europe.”
“As for EU rule-making, regulation should be as local as practicable but, for example, recent revelations highlight the need for the European Environment Agency to be empowered and required to audit national regulation of EU environmental Directives, with prominent annual reports to the European Parliament. As Europeans we are entitled to know we can trust the word of laws to become deeds,” Hazell asserted.
Hazell stressed: “We must re-build the bridges Cameron so foolishly tore down during his 2005 Conservative Party leadership bid. Pro-EU Tories should return to the mainstream centre right EPP family of Ireland’s Enda Kenny, Spain’s Mariano Rajoy, Poland’s Ewa Kopacz and Germany’s Angela Merkel. The UK needs to recognise opportunities and respect limits, win back friends across Europe and restore declining British influence. It is not too late to correct past mistakes through deft diplomacy ."
Hazell concluded: “We must focus on persuading people that the UK needs to stay united within an ever closer union. Our United Kingdom will better influence the wider World and secure our own prosperity inside our Europe united in diversity.”