Verhoftstadt optimistic for EU27


“We shouldn’t focus on the negative story of one country leaving us, but on the optimistic prospect of building a new common destiny for the 27,” – said Guy Verhofstadt, ALDE leader, while debating president’s Juncker White paper on future of Europe.
I think you are right when you say the first three scenarios aren’t really an option and we should go ahead with scenario four or five: doing things more efficiently and doing more together. We desperately need a European solution to the migrant crisis, we need to expand our internal market to the digital and energy sectors, and  we need to build European capacities to stabilise our neighbourhood and to keep Europe safe,” – continued Verhoftadt, addressing Juncker directly.

“What we absolutely should avoid is going further down the path of ‘Europe à la carte’, with opt-outs and exemptions for everyone. Europe today is a union of ‘too little, too late’ because we are a loose confederation of nation states paralysed by the unanimity rule. If we want Europe to work again, we need more unity. This is what our founding fathers had in mind: Jean Monnet, Paul-Henri Spaak and yes, Winston Churchill who led the pro-European fight in Britain.

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