Need for stronger policy

President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker has held his annual State of the Union in the European Parliament. According to the N-VA’s MEPs, citizens above all need a stronger policy in the areas of security, the approach to migration and job creation.

“Our citizens are waiting not for speeches but for action,” Anneleen Van Bossuyt responds. “Juncker states for example that Turkey cannot join the European Union. That’s excellent, but will he also make his criticism of that country tangible and stop the accession process definitively? Indeed, the Commission has, under his leadership, still proposed granting Turkey EUR 640 million of accession aid next year.”

Winning back hearts and minds

“Juncker’s criticism with regard to Turkey also lacks credibility,” adds Mark Demesmaeker, “if he does not respond with the same conviction and indignation to the Spanish Government, which is criminalising the Catalan democratic movement for self-determination, intimidating the press and doing everything it can to derail a referendum on independence on 1 October. If Europe really wants to win back the hearts and minds of citizens, it must embrace the democratic processes for self-determination.”

Extra efforts urgently required

More efforts are also needed regarding asylum and migration. Helga Stevens is calling on Europe to take urgent action on repatriation agreements, so that it can send back everyone without a right of residence more quickly. The same applies to the fight against social dumping: “Extra efforts are urgently required from Europe in this area too. A level playing field has to be introduced, and Europe must tackle exploitation strenuously. And it will have to happen in the near future or we will soon have no more Flemish construction companies and carriers,” she fears. “I already welcome Juncker’s call for rules that the Member States can enforce vigorously.”

No one-size-fits-all approach, but tailor-made solutions

The fact that the eurozone can only work if the agreed criteria and rules of engagement are observed and sanctioned more strictly is also clear to Sander Loones. “However, if that means artificially helping failing Member States to comply with the agreed euro criteria, I fear the worst. This would weaken the eurozone, not strengthen it.” Sander Loones also does not want Flemings to have a socio-economic policy imposed on them that does not meet their needs: “Taxation and Social security Social security is currently managed at the Federal level in Belgium. The most important pillars of Belgian social security are: sickness and invalidity insurance (NIDHI), pensions, unemployment insurance and child allowances. In addition, occupational illness, occupational accidents and annual holidays are dealt with at this level. Some Flemish parties have been campaigning for years for (large parts of) social security to be transferred to the Regions and Communities. social security touch the very heart of essential national identity. It goes without saying that Member States must retain the last word in this regard.”