By Bruno Waterfield - 23rd May 2004
Britain and France share the same “Gaullist” approach to the EU in opposition to euro-federalists such as Belgium and Germany, UK Europe minister Denis MacShane has told EUpolitix.com.
In an interview MacShane suggests that despite popular perception London is not standing alone behind Britain’s ‘red lines’ during EU constitution negotiations.
Contrary to received wisdom, he argues, it is Anglo-French agreement on a Europe of nations rather than a Franco-German axis on an integrated EU that is driving the grand European debate.
“The biggest debate in Europe is between those who want a federal integrated European state and those who want a Europe based around nation states pooling sovereignty but cooperating freely and not losing their independence,” he tells this website.
“The fundamental debate is, if you like, between a more Gaullist vision of Europe, which we share with France, and a more integrationist vision of Europe, which perhaps you hear from colleagues in Brussels and Germany.”
MacShane is critical of a pro-European thesis which claims that in a globalised world the nation state’s era is over - “a vision I often hear from MEPs, particularly German MEPs, sometimes Belgian politicians”.
“We are firmly in the French camp of saying that Europe has got to move forward on the basis of the nation state still being the essential component,” he said.
Looking ahead to a new European Commission in November MacShane highlights the importance of building on economic growth.
“I hope the next commission will really focus on what Europe needs to do which is to recover economic confidence, recover job creation, dynamism based on the new knowledge economy so that Europe does not fall behind either North America or the growing economic powers in Asia,” he said.
Here too, MacShane is looking to Paris and new French finance minister, and Jacques Chirac rival, Nicholas Sarkozy to emulate a UK economic model based on labour market reforms.
“Mr Sarkozy the new economics minister… is re-examining the advantages of the 35-hour week and asking serious questions about that policy,” he said.
“He is looking at tax cuts, very much adopting a pragmatic ‘get the economy going again’ British approach.”
To read the full transcript of the EUpolitix.com interview with Denis MacShane, click on the 'further reading' link, right.
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