Entertaining quote of the week… November 20, 2012
Posted by WorldbyStorm in Economy, European Politics.trackback
Radosław Sikorski – Polish foreign minister – writing on the Guardian website on Sunday about the UK demand for cuts in the EU budget says the following:
From the very beginning, Britain has called for cuts of around €200bn compared to the commission’s proposal – cuts that would hinder the growth agenda in Europe.
Well that’s got to be wrong on at least two counts. Firstly, cuts hindering growth? That’s not current orthodoxy. And the growth agenda in Europe. Hmmmm…
BUt I guess faced with the prospect of the UK leaving the EU it gets to the point of ‘say something, anything…’.
The tussle over the EU budget is confusing if one attempts to see it as an ideological fight. When money is at stake ideology can be put on hold. Thus Poland and eastern Europe generally favour an increased budget, while the richer countries tend to oppose the increase,-who pays and who receives.(sorta like Paul Ryan seeking stimulus funds for his congressional district). Barroso is claiming in today’s FT, that the budget is a ‘catalyst for growth’.
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/4b031102-3260-11e2-ae2f-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2Co3UmCkM