Wednesday, April 20, 2016

EU looking in the mirror and finding a crumbling edifice

EU FACES RUIN: Staggering admission from Juncker as he admits EU DOES meddle too much

VOTERS all over Europe have lost faith in the EU because of its meddling in their lives, the most senior Brussels bureaucrat admitted yesterday.

Jean-Claude JunckerGETTY
Jean-Claude Juncker said the dream of the EU could collapse
Jean-Claude Juncker said the dream of European integration could collapse “in ruins”.
Public support has collapsed right across the EU’s 28 member nations, said Mr Juncker, who is European Commission President.
In an astonishing confession of failure, he added: “We are no longer respected in our countries when we emphasize the need to give priority to the EU.”. 
Even the Eurocrats admit the EU isn’t working 
Matthew Elliott
His remarks, in a speech in Strasbourg, were being seen last night as recognition of public revulsion at the EU ahead of Britain’s in-or-out referendum on June 23.
Campaigners for an EU exit said Mr Juncker’s confession proved the UK will be better off out.
Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the Vote Leave campaign group, said: “Even the Eurocrats admit the EU isn’t working for Europe.
Migrants arriving in Europe by seaGETTY
The EU is incapable of dealing with challenges such as migration
“Juncker should have added that Brussels costs too much – £350million a week for British taxpayers.
“On June 23 we can kick out this unpopular and hapless EU President and instead spend our money on our priorities.”
Tory MP Craig Mackinlay said: “Jean-Claude Juncker is right that the EU is unpopular and too interfering. It has lost respect.
“He also forgets to mention that it costs too much – not least due to his £250,000-a-year salary – and is incapable of dealing with global challenges such as the migration crisis.
“That’s why it would be safer to say goodbye to Euro fat cats like Jean-Claude and his meddling EU judges.”
Ukip MEP Bill Etheridge said: “His analysis is partially correct – but his solution is always more EU control and centralisation. The EU has no respect for democracy.”
Mr Juncker told a meeting of the Council of Europe: “The European project has lost parts of its attractiveness. One of the reasons EU citizens are stepping away from the European project is the fact that we are interfering in too many domains of their private lives.
Craig MackinlayGETTY
Craig Mackinlay said the EU costs too much
"We were wrong to over-regulate and interfere too much in the lives of our citizens.”
Mr Juncker also said voters were repelled by the threat of expanding Brussels power.
“It’s true that we are not very popular when we advocate for Europe,” he said.
“We are no longer respected in our countries when we emphasise the need to give priority to the EU.”
And he acknowledged that European citizens rejected the dream of a united Europe.
“We will eventually end up with the ruins of this ideal,” he said.
Mr Juncker, a former prime minister of Luxembourg, accepted the migration crisis and terrorist threat put huge strains on the EU.
And he warned that Europe’s dwindling economic strength was undermining the EU’s global status.
“We are losing economic clout in a very visible way,” the Commission chief admitted.
Bill EtheridgeGETTY
Ukip MEP Bill Etheridge said 'the EU has no respect for democracy'
But he refused to answer a question from Tory MP Kelly Tolhurst about what the EU was doing to cut costs.
David Cameron’s spokeswoman said: “What you have seen the President point out is the need for the European Union to focus on areas where it can add value and not over-interfere. That is something we have been calling for for a while.”

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