Kevin Rawlinson The Guardian - 28 June 2014 “Merkel offers Cameron olive branch after Juncker vote” David Cameron has been offered an olive branch over Britains place in Europe by the leaders of Germany and Sweden after his defeat over the nomination of Jean-Claude Juncker as European commission president. The prime minister was told by the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, that she was ready to address British concerns, while Fredrik Reinfeldt, the Swedish prime minister, acknowledged that closer union was not the best for everyone. Both countries backed the nomination of Juncker, who is thought to (favour further European integration.) Reinfeldt referred to a document issued by EU leaders after they voted 26-2 in favour of the arch-federalists nomination on Friday. Just look into what we have written in our conclusions, he told BBC Radio 4s Today programme. You will find references with text, which I think is very important for David Cameron, saying this ever-closer union perception is maybe not the best for everyone. This had never been stated by the EU before. Reinfeldt said he was willing to walk the extra mile to address Camerons concerns over the EU. Merkel, meanwhile, said she shared some of Camerons concerns and promised a review of how the president is nominated, a process that normally requires consensus among member states. I have every interest in having the UK continue to be a member of the EU, she said. The UK always has to take that decision itself but from a European perspective and a German perspective, I think this is most important and this is what Im going to work on. We have shown very clearly that we are ready to address British concerns. The Ukip leader, Nigel Farage, however, said the prime minister had no support from European leaders and that Camerons defeat exposed his inability to renegotiate Britains relationship with Brussels. Farage said there was a mood within the EU that it would rather get rid of the friendless UK than allow it to start picking apart treaties. He told Today that leaders viewed Britain as a damned nuisance that was always complaining. He added that while Merkel said she would address British concerns, ultimately, when she puts her foot down everybody fell into line. She said countries can move at different paces, while some can get there more quickly than others, but she wasnt for a moment suggesting that Britain can opt out of the principle of an ever-closer union … What I saw yesterday was the prime minister utterly humiliated, looking like a loser who had learnt nothing, still insisting, though its rather more difficult, that he can renegotiate our position. He cant. * In terms of the fundamental changes that the British people really want in this relationship, namely, we want a trade deal and not membership of a political union, I would say this to you: the other European leaders and certainly the European parliament would rather the United Kingdom left the EU than start to pick apart the treaties because if they do that they know therell be half a dozen other northern European countries that will demand the same. Cameron insisted he had taken some small steps forward by securing changes to the text of a document setting out the EUs strategic agenda for the next five years. Those changes make clear that the 28-nation bloc is ready to address British concerns about its future direction and accepts that its commitment to ever-closer union does not preclude individual members taking their own decisions on the pace of integration. He said the result of the vote had been a bad day for Europe and he now faced an uphill struggle to keep Britain in the EU if his promised referendum on membership goes ahead in 2017. The former defence secretary, Liam Fox, insisted the defeat had not weakened Cameron or Britains role in Europe. The prime minister has shown Britain will not take a back-seat approach to reform of the European Union, he wrote in the Sun. If Juncker represents an even more integrated EU, then the prime minister has shown he supports an agenda for reform. The Labour party leader, Ed Miliband, said Camerons advocacy had become toxic and Fridays events showed he could not represent Britains interests in Europe. Personal comment: ( But the truth is nor can Ed Miliband) who stated that he had NO INTENTION of taking us out of the EU Unless, repeat, unless greater integration and change in British Law by the EU was intended? So it seems we can trust Miliband to do even less than Cameron?
Posted on: Sat, 28 Jun 2014 16:53:11 +0000
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