Policy Focus

Socialists lambast Klaus for remarks on financial crisis

Source: PES press release

Date: 7 January 2009

Czech president Vaclav Klaus provokes anger and concern among Socialists

Socialist Euro MP today angrily rejected a call by Czech Republic President Vaclav Klaus to repeal core EU policies on social and environmental issues.

They urged the Czech Premier Mirek Topolànek to issue an immediate statement declaring that the president speaks for himself and not the government and that his views do not reflect the priorities of the EU Czech presidency.

Said the head of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament Martin Schulz: " the statements y Vaclav Klaus published in today's Financial Times are wholly unacceptable.

He is trying to turn the clock back on 60 years of progress that has brought peace and prosperity for millions of people in Europe".

The Czech government must urgently make clear that Vaclav Klaus speaks only for himself and that Europe's achievements will not be threatened under the Czech presidency.

Said Socialist Euro MP and president of the Committee for social Affairs and Employment, Jan Andersson: "the views expressed by Mr Klaus are against everything that European socialists stand for. Weakening social and environmental standards in Europe could never be a solution."