Rehn was invited to Paris last week to discuss European economic governance and the economic recommendations the Commission has addressed to France. He concludes that the positions of France and the Commission are not as far apart as they might sometimes seem.
Translated from the French
After a day of direct and frank exchanges with French MPs and senators, Mr Rehn was convinced that the positions of France and the Commission were not as remote as may sometimes be perceived.
Brussels and Paris share a common belief: any solution to the crisis can only be European. And what we all need is a France that is politically strong and committed to Europe. "These regular meetings are for me a political breakthrough on the route to the new economic governance of Europe. In Paris, I tried to show that our recommendations to the states are not a "diktat", but that they provide guidance to increase the potential for growth, enhance competitiveness and create jobs", wrote Rehn on his blog. It was then up to states to define the means to achieve the defined goals.
In France, as elsewhere, the reforms were as difficult as they are necessary. Despite some too simplistic representations, there was no contradiction between balanced public accounts and a policy of growth through economic reforms. He pointed out that the Commission's role was to assist France in this battle and important initiatives had already been launched by the French government - e.g. the Competitiveness Pact in November 2012 and the agreement between the social partners on the reform of the labour market.
Full article (in French)
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