ALDE leader slams Sarkozy's 'grasshopper' economics

STRASBOURG - ALDE group leader Graham Watson has criticised French leader Nicolas Sarkozy for his "incoherent" economic policy.

Speaking to journalists after Sarkozy’s address of the European parliament, Watson suggested that the French leader had the directional sense of “a grasshopper in a cornfield”.

“What impressed me least was the total lack of economic coherence,” said Watson.

“He talks of a market economy, and the next minute he talks about national champions.

“He talked about reforming the EU budget, and then he talked about making sure that farmers got their subsidies.

“I asked him if he saw an incompatibility in this, and he did not.”

However, Watson noted the president’s energy and enthusiasm, and commended his “clear commitment” to the European project following France’s damaging ‘no’ vote in 2005.

But he added that commission president Jose Manuel Barroso would be well advised to keep his hands firmly on the reigns of economic policy when France assumes the presidency of the EU next year.

Watson also commented on the controversy surrounding the expulsion of Romanian immigrants in Italy.

He said that the Romanian president had been right to seize the initiative and go to Rome to discuss the matter, and suggested that two or three generations ago, such an issue would have escalated into a significant problem.

“This has been overcome,” he said.

“And the implication for parliament is that we can now look at the application of EU law.

“Millions now enjoy the right to reside abroad, and one of the duties of the union is to preserve that right.”

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