○ PMTonyBlairsspeechtoEUParliament ○
ifso,itisnotacrisisofpoliticalititutio,itisacrisisofpoliticalleadership.peopleineuropeareposinghardquestiotous.theyworryaboutglobalisation,jobsecurity,aboutpeioandlivingstandards.theyseenotjusttheireconomybuttheirsocietychangingaroundthem.traditionalcommunitiesarebrokenup,ethnicpatterchange,familylifeisunderstrainasfamiliesstruggletobalanceworkandhome.
wearelivingthroughaneraofprofoundupheavalandchange.lookatourchildrenandthetechnologytheyuseandthejomarkettheyface.theworldisunrecognisablefromthatweexperiencedasstudents20,30yearsago.whensuchchangeoccurs,moderatepeoplemustgiveleadership.iftheydon''t,theextremesgaintractiononthepoliticalproce.ithaewithinanation.itishaeningineuropenow.
justreflect.thelaekendeclarationwhichlaunchedthecotitutionwasdesigned"tobringeuropeclosertothepeople".didit?thelionagendawaslaunchedintheyear2000withtheambitionofmakingeurope"themostcompetitiveplacetodobusineintheworldby2010".wearehalfwaythroughthatperiod.hasitsucceeded?
ihavesatthroughcouncilconclusioaftercouncilconclusiodescribinghowweare"recoectingeuropetothepeople".arewe?
itistimetogiveourselvesarealitycheck.toreceivethewake-upcall.thepeopleareblowingthetrumpetsroundthecitywalls.arewelistening?havewethepoliticalwilltogooutandmeetthemsothattheyregardourleadershipaspartofthesolutionnottheproblem?
thatisthecontextinwhichthebudgetdebateshouldbeset.peoplesay:weneedthebudgettorestoreeurope''scredibility.ofcoursewedo.butitshouldbetherightbudget.itshouldn''tbeatractedfromthedebateabouteurope''scrisis.itshouldbepartoftheawertoit.
iwanttosayawordaboutlastfriday''ssummit.therehavebeensuggestiothatiwasnotwillingtocompromiseontheukrebate;thationlyraisedcapreformatthelastminute;thatiexpectedtorenegotiatethecaponfridaynight.infactiamtheonlybritishleaderthathaseversaidiwouldputtherebateonthetable.ineversaidweshouldendthecapnoworrenegotiat
