Bolkestein bites back on EU services shake-up

The Dutch architect of controversial EU legislation liberalising Europe’s service sector has hit back at his French critics.

Former European Internal Market Commissioner Frits Bolkestein has taken the fight to France – the country most hostile to the economic reform.

“[The Services Directive] will facilitate free movement of services, which will result in an increase of growth and employment,” he said.

“Everybody would benefit from this, including France.”

French President Jacques Chirac used an EU summit two weeks ago to force a re-think of proposals as his country faces a crucial referendum on Europe.

Bolkestein is angry that the Services Directive has come to be linked to his name when proposals were agreed by the whole European Commission of the time.

Current French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier was an EU executive along with his Socialist colleague Pascal Lamy in January 2004, Bolkestein notes.

“I did not see a formal step of your government towards the commission or myself which implied the total rejection of this directive,” he said.

Many French fear that the shake-up will see workers undercut on wages or conditions by new EU countries in Eastern Europe and that standards will slide in public services.

The concerns are credited with boosting French opposition to the new EU constitution into the lead ahead of a May 29 vote.

New polling in Le Monde puts the ‘non’ camp on 53 per cent, with opposition evenly spread throughout social class and political affiliation.

Bolkestein recognises that the services row “may have a certain importance in the referendum”.

But the Dutchman is not a fan of referendums either in France or the Netherlands - his countrymen are set to go to the polls on the EU constitution on June 1..

“Personally, I oppose direct democracy. It is for elected officials to decide, they are there for that,” he said.

The Dutch Liberal – well to the right of most of Europe’s political spectrum – professes himself amazed at the row.

“In the Netherlands, one looks at a little bit France with a certain astonishment and one wonders why one is so excited in this country,” he said.

“Myself, I am astonished a little bit, because what I read in the press always does not correspond to the truth.”

Bolkestein has been stung by plays on his name – critics have dubbed the legislation the “Frankenstein Directive”.

“I am not a werewolf,” he told French TV. “My name is pronounced ‘Bolkestène’. That rhymes not with Frankenstein, nor with Einstein.”

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