Does the proposed European constitution bring us closer to a federal Europe?
No. Europe is expanding from fifteen countries today to 25 next year. I’m a strong supporter of parliamentary democracy and I believe that the draft constitutional treaty now being examined by national governments goes in the right direction. That is why Poland, Hungary and the new EU states have voted yes to Europe, defying those in Britain in the anti-progressive camp who say no to Europe all the time. We have months of talks between 25 EU nation states to arrive at a constitutional treaty. This will strengthen national and parliamentary control over the EU and be good for Britain.
Given that we have conceded the British people’s right to a referendum on the euro, why shouldn’t we also have one on the proposed European constitution?
In Britain, a national referendum is only for exceptional changes to our system of government. Joining the EEC was such an occasion – hence the 1975 referendum. Joining the euro would be another. But a complex technical constitutional treaty deserves line-by-line scrutiny in Parliament. I want to defend parliamentary democracy.
How can we make the European democratic institutions more accountable to the people of Europe?
The EU has only the powers that its member states give it. Of course, each member state has a democratically elected government from which the members of the European Council and the Councils of Ministers are drawn. Next year we have elections to the European parliament. We need a strong Labour and progressive campaign to defeat the Tories and isolationist press who say no to Europe.
How big a threat is the far right in Europe?
Europe has seen a rise in support for far-right political parties, the spread of Islamophobia and a rise in anti-semitic attacks. The EU has to tackle decisively these extremist politics.
We need proper political representation of all of Europe’s citizens. That includes our ethnic communities. I am proud that there are 38 parliamentarians from ethnic communities represented in Westminster, including two members of the cabinet. There are an estimated fifteen million EU citizens of Muslim background and it is time the political institutions of European nations and the EU itself reflect all of the communities in the new Europe.
What challenges do the accession countries pose to the European Union?
EU enlargement is a marvellous, historic moment. Only a few years ago, half of Europe was run by dictatorships. Tony Blair has led the political drive for enlargement – in contrast to Tory isolationism. The enlarged EU will boost European stability, security, trade, jobs and prosperity. It offers a model to the world of states coming together to strive for ‘peace, justice and solidarity’, to quote the proposed constitution. Labour needs to build links in the new Europe. It is good for jobs. Since 1990, UK trade with the ten new member states has increased by over 400 percent compared with a 43 percent increase in our trade with the rest of the world. Enlargement will also help the fight against international crime and terrorism and strengthen Europe’s, and hence Britain’s, security.
In light of the recent CAP reforms, why should the British taxpayer continue to subsidise French farmers disproportionately to our own?
It is becoming more and more absurd every day that out of the 100 billion euros in the annual EU budget nearly half is devoted to agriculture. Each cow in Europe gets a subsidy of two dollars or euros a day via the Common Agricultural Policy. At the same time, more than one billion of our fellow citizens worldwide have to survive on a daily income of less than one dollar. The agreement reached in June by EU agriculture ministers is a good outcome for Europe. We are breaking the link between farm subsidies and production in order to reconnect farmers to their markets, reducing damaging environmental impacts and reducing bureaucracy.
What are the challenges facing Labour in the European elections next year?
Labour has an excellent team of MEPs and candidates; I look forward to working with them to ensure that Labour and Brit
ain are at the heart of Europe. We must combat the isolationist Tories and some of the Fleet Street hacks who fall into line with them. Sixty percent of our trade is with the EU – millions of jobs depend on this trade. We have to fight the Tories’ strategy of wanting to turn their backs on Europe and the British people by pulling out of the EU.
Would you like to see a European minister appointed at cabinet level?
Every minister should be a minister for Europe – saying yes to Europe to defeat the propaganda lies of the anti-Europeans and isolationist Tories and to put the facts before the British people about the benefits of Britain’s membership of the European Union. It is not the job of the Minister for Europe to be the only minister who puts the case for Europe in the UK. On the contrary, my task is to advance the British position in the 25 EU capitals and make sure the future direction and decisions of the European Union help promote Britain’s interests.
Who would you elect to be the first president of Europe?
The draft constitution proposes a Chair of the European Council, chosen by national governments. This would bring to an end the current system whereby the Council presidency changes every six months by rotation – this is no longer feasible in a Union of 25. We need a team Europe and the standing Chair or President of the European Council needs to be an effective networker who can add European value to what individual countries do.
Most pro-Europeans recognise we made a mistake by not having a referendum on the euro straight after we came to power. Does winning a referendum now – if we ever call it – look very difficult?
I am pro-euro but a referendum held before the economic conditions were right is silly and this is recognised by our partners in the EU. Saying no to the euro in perpetuity – the current Tory policy – is also wrong and alienates every potential investor in Britain. The euro is here to stay. It is the partner currency to the US dollar. It protects public services in nations using the euro and increases productivity and competitiveness. We have to defeat in argument those who say no to Europe and the euro and, once the economic conditions are met, make clear in the referendum campaign that Britain is going to stay in Europe and help it to promote progressive policies for all EU citizens. I’m committed to making the case for Europe and when the economic conditions are right for Britain to join the euro, every Labour minister and MP should argue for a yes in a referendum.
The differing positions of Britain, France and Germany on the Iraq war show that a common European defence and foreign policy is just a pipedream, don’t they?
We’re moving out of the choppy waters of the Iraq conflict to an understanding that Europe and the United States need each other as partners, not rivals. There will always be issues of foreign policy on which we agree and in these areas we should and can achieve common positions. What is important is that Britain and our European partners find new areas of co-operation and fraternity. Our common British and European values are good ones. Around the world, people want Europe to be present as a global player. With 450 million people and 25 percent of world GDP, Europe has global responsibilities and I want British ideas and values to be at the table shaping EU foreign policy.