New Europe's opinions of Blair's EU reform mission

[Blackleaf]

If anyone, it is Slovenia which understands Britain and its stubborn insistence on the rebate for as long as the common purse is an infusion catheter for keeping the Franco-German zombie alive in the form of overly large and uncompetitive agricultural sector...

One must not overlook the fact that Britain's successful economy is raising serious doubts in France and Germany about the efficiency of subsidies. All these dilemmas are uncovering the real, though hidden, black sheep of the EU.

We in the Baltics have a foreign policy that is aimed at the US and we follow free market principles in domestic policies, and by doing this we put ourselves in the same boat as Britain.

The Baltic states have only one ally within the EU, and it is Britain.

BBC News

Friday, 24 June, 2005

What New Europe's newspapers say.

French President Jacques Chirac

"If anyone, it is Slovenia which understands Britain and its stubborn insistence on the rebate for as long as the common purse is an infusion catheter for keeping the Franco-German zombie alive in the form of overly large and uncompetitive agricultural sector... One must not overlook the fact that Britain's successful economy is raising serious doubts in France and Germany about the efficiency of subsidies. All these dilemmas are uncovering the real, though hidden, black sheep of the EU: French President Jacques Chirac."

Slovenia's Dnevnik

"Czech Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek should support the British stance as it is irrational to spend 40% of the EU budget on agriculture."

Czech Republic's Pravo

"The British prime minister took a risky step. But if it goes well, all of Europe will be grateful to him... The British rejection of the union budget is a courageous step and - God willing - represents a turning point in the union's history... Blair will face a tough six months when presiding over the EU. However, these may be months of European miracles with which Blair will enter the union's history."

Czech Republic's Lidove noviny

"Tony Blair is one of very few politicians - if not the only European one - who does not intend to hide his head in the sand. You can agree or not with his vision, but most certainly it touches genuine issues. The British prime minister calls a spade a spade: if the EU turns its back to challenges of globalisation and does not start reforms, then it risks a strategic failure. If it does not allocate more money for education, new technologies, assistance for entrepreneurs - then it will lose the global competition."

Poland's Rzeczpospolita

"Many experts agree that the British model - a free trade zone and economic union with little political integration (with a few exceptions) - would be the most acceptable for Lithuania."

Lithuania's Lietuvos Rytas

"The paradox of the situation lies in the fact that the Baltic states, which have many reasons to grumble at the Brits, have only one ally within the EU, and it is Britain.

The new European split does not fall along the line of rich and poor, but along the line of liberals and socialists. We have a foreign policy that is aimed at the US and we follow free market principles in domestic policies, and by doing this we put ourselves in the same boat as Britain."

Latvia's Telegraf

news.bbc.co.uk . . .

Edited June 24, 2005 by Blackleaf