Protectionism 'a threat to Europe'
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said yesterday that a recent bout of economic protectionism represented a “threat” to the European Union, and vowed to combat any attempt to favour national interests in the single market.
Energy companies have been at the centre of disputes among EU nations in recent weeks, sparking accusations of protectionism against France and Spain for seeking to prevent take-overs of national power companies by rivals from Italy and Germany.
“My commission will fight all kinds of economic nationalism,” Barroso said. “I believe economic nationalism is a threat to our European values.”
Barroso’s comments drew applause from a crowd of Christian Democrats and other European conservative politicians at a Rome meeting of the European People’s Party.
“What we need is a real European force to drive our economy in a globalized world,” he said to an audience that included Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. “The internal market is not just about economy … It is also a social and political project.”
The issue of protectionism in a supposedly integrated bloc of 25 nations has contributed to an identity crisis for the EU, as it struggles to cope with voter rejection of its draft constitution and dwindling public support for plans to add Turkey and Balkan nations as members.
French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy also spoke yesterday, saying that “reciprocity” was necessary to ensure fair competition in Europe. “We must open door when others are ready to open doors.”
