Jospin backs federal ‘economic government’
French premier Lionel Jospin today stepped into the growing dispute about Europe’s future, calling for a European constitution, an ‘‘economic government’’ and a ‘‘social treaty’’, all run by a ‘‘federation of nation states’’.
The French blueprint differs significantly from the latest German proposals for full integration, with Mr Jospin emphasising like Tony Blair a greater role in EU affairs for national parliaments.
European Commission President Romano Prodi is expected to deliver his response tomorrow in a speech in Paris, concentrating on the need to keep the Brussels Commission fully independent, whatever the level of EU involvement of nation states.
Mr Jospin significantly not back Mr Blair’s call for a European Parliament second chamber made up of national MPs.
But he did call for the creation of a permanent conference of national parliamentarians to prevent Europe encroaching too far into member states’ sovereignty.
This would be the backbone of a ‘‘federation of Nation States’’ which Mr Jospin said was necessary in an enlarged EU in which improved cooperation would be indispensable.
The speech, Mr Jospin’s first major contribution to the debate on Europe since assuming office in June 1997, is in marked contrast to the German approach, but still gives Tory Eurosceptics fresh ammunition, with its call for ‘‘economic government’’ of the single currency countries, and a ‘‘social treaty.’’
