Europe? Just continue!

To build Europe's future we need to “mobilize the public support” Herman Van Rompuy explained at the Allianz Forum in Berlin.

 

 “The crisis made brutally clear that the eurozone as initially designed was regrettably underequipped to withstand a storm, like in 2010”, Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council explained in his speech “Post-Wall Europe” at the Allianz Forum, in Berlin. Today, the existential threat to the eurozone is behind us, he stated. Saving the euro, making the eurozone sound and solid - that would be the legacy of his generation of European leaders.
 

Concerning critique, for instance against 'austerity', Van Rompuy argued, that some countries had built up enormous underlying problems before the crisis erupted, and that correcting those would have been far worse without the euro. Or that solving a crisis of excessive sovereign debt with more debt simply would not work. As the world we all live in is becoming a more competitive place by the day, all 500 Million Europeans are advised to stick to two core values: responsibility and solidarity.

Hans Gert Pöttering, Herman van Rompuy and Wolfgang Ischinger (from left to right) at the Allianz Forum in Berlin.

Hans Gert Pöttering, Herman Van Rompuy and Wolfgang Ischinger (from left to right) at the Allianz Forum in Berlin.

“Mobilizing the public support”
 

Looking to the future, Van Rompuy stressed the necessity of key reforms to improve competitiveness and employment along with solidarity. One of the most important political tasks is “mobilizing the public support” for these important changes. For him, “It all boils down to this: today many people across Europe have the impression that Europe makes them weaker. Whereas the founding promise was that Europe would make people and countries stronger. What can we do to redress the situation?”
 

Wolfgang Ischinger, Chairman of the Munich Security Conference and Global Head of Government Relations at Allianz SE, Munich, adds: “Against the backdrop of global demographic development and the “rise of others” it is becoming clear how essential a strong and sustainable Europe is, in order to safeguard and enforce our interests and values. In a world, where we Europeans will in future be a minority, there is no reasonable alternative for Europe to greater integration and cooperation.”

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Nikolai Tewes
Allianz SE
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