Gozi: we are ready to support Juncker if he abandons austerity

Italy is ready to support the EPP candidate for the European Commission Presidency, Jean-Claude Juncker. This is what the Under-Secretary for European Affairs, Sandro Gozi, explained earlier today on the sides of a convention. “We are not interested in names but in programs,” said Gozi, “and from this point of view there is no prejudice against Juncker. The thing is, Juncker will need to change course and abandon austerity policies.”

The occasion was given by a meeting dedicated to the tenth anniversary of the 2004 Union enlargement, with ten countries joining the EU. “An event that I do not hesitate to define historic, marking the end of opposing blocks in Europe,” said the President of the Italian Lower House, Laura Boldrini, who hosted in Montecitorio the meeting for celebrating the tenth anniversary of the entrance into the European Union of Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary. The ceremony was attended by the President of the Upper House, Pietro Grasso, the Under-Secretary Sandro Gozi, and as representative of the ten countries, the Slovenian ambassador Iztok Mirosic.

In addition to reminding the advantages brought about by the European enlargement, the occasion was turned into an opportunity to think about the future. Because, as Boldrini reminded, “during the six months of the Italian Semester, the institutional structure of the European Community will be set together with the course to be followed in the next five years.”

Priorities, as highlighted in participants’ speeches, are growth, to be realised through distancing from austerity policies, a common commitment in the Mediterranean sea, the relaunch of European integration and the protection of fundamental rights. Boldrini and Grasso underlined their availability of making the Parliament being committed in supporting governmental activity during the Italian semester, in order to achieve these targets.

Gozi has pointed out the Italian government’s agenda. The Mediterranean policy is “the priority. We think the lack of Europe in the Mediterranean area is deeply wrong, because it is a European sea.” Another issue to be covered by the government led by Renzi, when in Brussels, will be the enlargement of the Union, with the Balkans as ‘guest stars’. “Namely, I think about the negotiations with Serbia,” said Gozi, “and with Albania.” If Europe wants to get larger, then it cannot recede on rights. “We would be incoherent with ourselves,” added Gozi, “if we didn’t’ focus on fundamental rights during our semester.”

It was underlined the need of a “quality advancement for the economic management of the Union,” as President Grasso said, highlighting the need to “loosen the balance constraints, writing off the costs of structural reforms from the public deficit accounting.” The efforts would be targeted for developing employment and getting back to growth – sustainable and long-lasting.