Romanian MEP, Maria Grapini, had a dispute with French President, Emmanuel Macron, in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, in regard to the future of Europe and of the EU.
President Macron expressed several times his wish that France and Germany “to be a power over the other states.”
Grapini congratulated the French President for his speech and added she agrees “we should not have an authoritarian democracy, but the authority of democracy”. Gapini asked: “don’t you believe that your statements that France and Germany should be the tough nucleus and to lead, and that this arrogance to be a power over the other states leads to euro-scepticism?” ziare.com reports.
Grapini continued: “How can we convince the citizens in my country, Romania, that they are equals at the negotiating table, if you state that you want a Europe with two speeds, and that you want two states to be over the other states? How can we reform Europe, if you want to maintain this discrepancy between the Member States?”
In reply, the French President said that two-speed Europe already exists: “There is a Europe of the euro, the Europe of Schengen, two-speed Europe already exists. Out task is not to declare these are closed-clubs and not to make arbitrary decisions on the way others are welcomed or not in these circles.”
Emmanuel Macron added that in order to advance in Europe, there is a need that “those powerful, the most ambitious, can advance” because only in this way Europe has made steps forward.
“Had Europe waited for the entire club, I am sorry to say it, you wouldn’t be here. Europe was born by the ambition of those who assumed crazy risks and followed these risks,” the French President said.