○  PMTonyBlairsspeechtoEUParliament  ○

enteurope.itwouldbeaeuropeconfidentenoughtoseeenlargementnotasathreat,asifmembershipwereazerosumgameinwhicholdmembersloseasnewmembersgain,butanextraordinary,historicoortunitytobuildagreaterandmorepowerfulunion.becausebeundernoillusion:ifwestopenlargementorshutoutitsnaturalcoequences,itwouldn''t,intheend,saveonejob,keeponefirminbusine,preventonedelocalisation.foratimeitmightbutnotforlong.andinthemeantimeeuropewillbecomemorenarrow,moreintroectiveandthosewhogarnersuortwillbethosenointhetraditioofeuropeanidealismbutinthoseofoutdatednationalismandxenophobia.butitellyouinallfrankne:itisacontradictiontobeinfavourofliberalisingeurope''smembershipbutagaitopeningupitseconomy.

ifwesetoutthatcleardirectioifwethencombineditwiththecommiion-asthisoneunderjosemanuelbarroso''sleadershipisfullycapableofdoing-thatispreparedtosendbacksomeoftheuecearyregulation,peelbacksomeofthebureaucracyandbecomeachampionofaglobal,outward-looking,competitiveeurope,thenitwillnotbehardtocapturetheimaginationandsuortofthepeopleofeurope.

inourpresidency,wewilltrytotakeforwardthebudgetdeal;toresolvesomeoftheharddoiers,liketheservicesdirectiveandworkingtimedirective;tocarryouttheunion''sobligatiotothoseliketurkeyandcroatiathatwaitinhopeofafutureaspartofeurope;andtoconductthisdebateaboutthefutureofeuropeinanopen,inclusiveway,givingourownviewsstronglybutfullyreectfuloftheviewsofothers.

onlyonethingiask:don''tletuskidourselvesthatthisdebateisueceary;thatifonlyweaume''busineasusual'',peoplewillsoonerorlaterrelentandacquiesceineuropeasitis,notastheywantittobe.inmytimeasprimeminister,ihavefoundthatthehardpartisnottakingthedecision,itisottingwhenithastobetaken.itisunderstandingthedifferencebetweenthechallengesthathavetobemanagedandthosethathavetobeconfrontedandovercome.thisissuchamomentofdecisionforeurope.

thepeopleofeuropeareeakingtous.theyareposingthequestio.theyarewantingourleadership.itistimewegaveittothem.

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