Following today’s State of the Union address by European Commission President Jean Claude Junker, the ECR Group Co-Chairmen Syed Kamall and Ryszard Legutko have both argued that the EU must urgently change its current direction and have rejected the federalist ambitions contained throughout the speech. 

Speaking at the start of the debate, Dr. Kamall said:

“Today President Junker said the EU had the wind in its sails. Anyone that heard his speech now knows what direction he is sailing it in - towards a United States of Europe. Juncker's plan is to step-by-step move more power away from Members States, and move it towards Brussels.

“The focus on trade was encouraging, as were the references to open markets and creating an environment friendly to business, entrepreneurs, and inward investment. But more and more regulation is not the answer, nor are more EU Growth plans. Businesses create jobs, and the EU needs to help them thrive.”

In summing up Juncker’s speech, Prof. Legutko said:

“Mr Junker has suggested there has been a debate on the Future of Europe. But a debate is when you don’t know the end conclusion. But we already know it. It will be the same old, ‘more Europe, more Europe’ and ‘we need to keep moving forwards’. That is not the answer. Let us look at what is happening first. We need to get the EU’s house in order before there can even be a discussion on centralising even further.”

“It was surprising that Pres Juncker didn’t say much in conclusions from Brexit - we must all recognise that Brexit is a huge loss to the European Union.”

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Contact: Jan Krelina, +32 493 214 346, jan.krelina@europarl.europa.eu