“Timmermans: the EUROPEAN elections a battle for Europe’s soul”
“Elections to the european Parliament will be a battle for the soul of Europe.”
“It says Frans Timmermans, who is the european socialists’ candidate for the new president of the EUROPEAN commission.”
“– It will be between those who say that we can control our destiny by the need to include people and to make sure that society works for everyone, and those who say that we can control our destiny if we exclude the other, building walls and make Europe white, ” says Timmermans at a press conference on S-congress in Örebro, sweden.”
“– It’s about all people’s equal value and rights. It is a fundamental choice we as europeans must do in the election, ” he says.”
“Stefan Löfven took up the same theme in his closing speech at the congress.”
“– All the countries in the EU must stand up for the core values. There is no funeral when it comes to human dignity, there is no reasonable anti-semitism, not just racism or tolerated level of hatred of women and homophobia. If they are values we can never compromise, ” said Löfven.”
“The european social democrats’ policies have been inspired by the Swedish social democrats and Stefan Löfven, said Frans Timmermans.”
“– It is inspiring how he and the party have stood up for values at a time when Europe is shaken by major changes, where people ask themselves what place they have in this new time and in which uncertainty may a part to make extreme political choice, ” says Timmermans.”
“According to minister for EU affairs Hans Dahlgren will be the basic values in Europe, the centre for the social Democrats’ EUROPEAN election campaign.”
“– It is a frightening perspective we see as the fundamental values we have in the EU is being questioned, and where the far-right political parties have gained direct political influence, and driver issues that go against the whole basis of the European union, ” says Dahlgren.”
“the EU has a very strict control of the countries that want to become members, but once inside it is the control over that they are committed to the principles bad. Dahlgren points out four ways to improve this control.”
“The first is that the use of the EU budget. Here, there is a proposal from the european commission that countries which do not fully respect the rule of law, to receive less money from the EU structural funds.”
“– It is a very important påtryckningsfaktor, ” says Dahlgren.”
“The second is to support the EU court of justice’s monitoring of countries really stick to the treaty’s clear statements of values. The third relates to the article 7 of the treaty, which allow to take voting rights away from those countries that violate the treaty’s principles.”
“A fourth and the new way that the Socialists intend to pursue is to create a common function, where all the countries look at each other. Such a system already exists today in the united nations.”
