At the request of the Socialists and Democrats, the European Parliament is today debating the threat to EU competitiveness posed by the collaboration of the conservatives and the far right and their policy proposal.
René Repasi, Head of the German SPD delegation, said:
"Europe must strengthen our single market to face the challenges of this century. Our recipe is clear: closer cooperation, removing barriers in the internal market, upholding high standards for workers and the environment by attracting skilled workers and investors, and investing in a climate-neutral future. For us, competitiveness means securing jobs and fair wages.
"Instead, many EU countries are drifting to the right, often through the co-operation of conservatives with extremists. Only two weeks ago, the German conservatives torpedoed the firewall against the far right when they tried to pass laws with the support of far-right AfD. The very leader, who for weeks vowed that not even once will there be an accidental or actual majority with those from the AfD in parliament – until he broke his promise. This dangerous cooperation undermines stability and predictability, thereby weakening Europe as a business location."
