Mairead McGuinness Fine Gael MEP

                                             

20 December 2011    Christmas week is here and we are all preparing to travel home to our families as the European Parliament closes for holidays.

Christmas is reflective time and there is a lot to reflect on at EU level.
2011 will go down as yet another very difficult year for the EU and for individual member states.

European leaders have spent most of the last year working towards a long-term solution to the financial and economic crisis. Truth is there is no easy answer to this complex problem but some progress has been made and will need to be built on in the year ahead.

In the Parliament this week, (Monday), European Central Bank President, Mario Draghi, insisted that the Euro is here to stay. He was very firm in his comments saying that “I have no doubt whatsoever about the strength of the euro, about its permanence, about its irreversibility. But you have a lot of people – especially outside the euro area – who really spend a lot of time in … morbid speculation.”

I agree with is comments about morbid speculation – there are some commentators who have already written the obituary notice of the euro and the EU and seem hell bent on using it!

Those who engage morbid speculation have a duty to expand on what then . in other words if their doomsday scenario prevails, what will be left, where will the member states of the EU be, both financially, economically and socially.

Yes we are in very deep waters with recession looming in 2012, but given that we had the capacity to get ourselves into this mess, surely we have the capacity workingn together to get ourselves out of it!

There is always a great sense of ‘community’ especially at Christmas in Ireland. As always, we must remember how we can support our family members, neighbours, our community and those less fortunate around the world who are struggling this Christmas.

Community and the importance of working together is something European leaders should also remember when continuing their efforts in 2012. We are a Union of 27 Member States and each Member rightly deserves to have their input and views on the crisis heard. A truly, lasting solution to the crisis will come when all Members are fully engaged and supportive of corrective actions.

The Franco-German accent on all major issues gives the unfortunate impression that the EU is being run by just France and Germany. This is not helpful in terms of bringing all EU citizens along with difficult political and economic decisions.
The negative reaction to the UK’s decision not to sign up to the proposed new compact could have been expected, but some of the public statements around the UK decision were unhelpful. Much work needs to be done to rebuild relationships.

This week brought the sad news of the passing of the visionary, pro-European Vaclav Havel. The former Czech President and playwright played a central role in leading his country out of communism in 1989. Mr Havel’s life and his vision of a united Europe will continue to inspire many Europeans.

Of course, Christmas is a time to remember our loved ones who cannot be with us and to cherish and appreciate those who are.

Nollaig Shona agus Athbhliain faoi Mhaise Duit.