Steadfast Blair renews call for EU reform

AN unrepentant Tony Blair fought back against his critics and reiterated his demand for European Union reform when he addressed the European Parliament in Brussels yesterday.

Every side of the house from British Euro-sceptics to Conservatives and Socialists welcomed his address and vision for Europe.

The British Prime Minister, who was attacked by fellow leaders over his refusal to compromise over the EU’s budget at the summit last week, stuck to his demands that subsidies for agriculture must go.

He was not advocating the immediate elimination of all subsidies but said a plan must be drawn up for them to be scrapped during the second half of the budget term - which would be around 2010.

However, when questioned afterwards by journalists, he would not say that the €40 billion a year saved from eliminating CAP would go back into the EU budget to fund other policies.

Neither would he back off the demand made by a number of large countries, including Britain, that the budget be capped at 1% of the member states’ gross national product.

“What we want is as tight a budget as possible because of course European governments are under financial strain. The most important thing is to make sure the budget is wisely spent and whatever we agree on as the final figure we make sure we are capable of having a fundamental review of the way that expenditure is made.”

Mr Blair, who delivered his speech in a dramatic, energetic fashion, set out his credentials as a passionate supporter of Europe.

He denied that he wanted only a free market-oriented EU. “I believe in Europe as a political project ... I would never accept a Europe that was simply an economic market.”

In an obvious swipe at the outgoing president of the EU, Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker and French President Jacques Chirac, he said to represent the choice in this way was an effort to intimidate those who want change in Europe. He outlined the crux of the row with other member states when he said he favoured a strong EU, but “it’s just got to be the right one.”

Leader of the Liberal group in the Parliament and a fellow Briton, Graham Watson, told him, “One speech is not enough to set aside years of suspicion.”

Martin Schultz, leader of the Socialist Group of which Mr Blair’s Labour party is a member, called on him to compromise with his fellow leaders. “The EU is not an enlarged Great Britain,” he said.

MEP for Ireland East, Avril Doyle, was not overly enthusiastic. She said while it may be good for Blair’s image at home to stand up to the French, he appeared ready to sacrifice Europe’s budget agreement to continue being “the populist servant of Rupert Murdoch and his newspapers.”