During the question time that followed the presentation of the programme for Spain's Presidency of the EU to the European Parliament by the Spanish Prime Minister the main issue of interest was the path the European Union should take to recover from the crisis and improve its position in the global economy, maintaining its values and social model.
During the question time that followed the presentation of the programme for Spain's Presidency of the EU to the European Parliament by the Spanish Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, the main issue of interest was the path the European Union should take to recover from the crisis and improve its position in the global economy, maintaining its values and social model.
Mr Zapatero received support and some criticism of the programme he presented during his speech and which he again defended, insisting on the importance of “accumulating the synergies” of a space such as Europe, because countries such as China or India are going to "get ahead of us in a globalised world" in terms of production capacity and innovation.
Joseph Daul (PPE) welcomed the “possibility of an economic government” in Europe, saying that the "main issues for debate should not be feared". He thanked Mr Zapatero for having contributed to the discussion on this matter, although he insisted that for his party the solution does not lie in increasing public expenditure, but rather in supporting small and medium-sized enterprises.
In his reply, Mr Zapatero gave thanks for the “boost to the common European policy” and went on to say that he is “a staunch supporter of the stability pact and tax balance”. “Deficit and surplus are instruments that depend on the economic cycle; increased public expenditure is necessary because private investment becomes paralysed,” he argued.
With regard to creating a favourable environment for businesses, he reiterated his support for a “European digital market” and the development of energy interconnections and renewable energies to achieve greater European independence in this area.
“However," he added, "the Executive has to correct the environments that have favoured financial and real estate speculation”.
Speaking on behalf of the socialist party, Martin Schulz reiterated his support for economic governance, adding that he considered that the failure of the Lisbon strategy, now up for renewal, was due to the doubtful manner in which it had been implemented in Member States.
On behalf of the liberals, Guy Verhofstadt stated his agreement, in principle, with Mr Zapatero's arguments, but argued that the question was whether or not countries were prepared to change. He said, "the decisions now are taken by countries, not the EU”.
Verhofstadt agreed that the new strategy should be based on a policy of incentives and, if necessary, of sanctions, urging José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero to ignore the criticism on this issue by “German ministers”.
He went on to say that the other great challenge facing Europe is the post-Copenhagen strategy. Verhofstadt argued that the European negotiation method had failed, pointing out that at least 8 European heads of government were at the climate summit, including Mr Rodríguez Zapatero. The liberal representative proposed that there be one voice for all and that it is important to be aware that this “is a world of empires”; seeking out a hundred small allies is not the solution.
The Spanish Prime Minister answered that he “agreed with almost everything” Verhofstadt had said, especially in respect of Copenhagen, declaring that he was in favour of entrusting the representation to the Commission.
Daniel Cohn-Bendit from the green party asked that the target of a 20 percent reduction in gases responsible for climate change be exceed by 2020, increasing the goal to 30 percent. He supported Mr Zapatero's proposal for the development of an electric car, but in turn proposed the development of a European tram network. In particular he advocated the incorporation of ecological organisations in social dialogue. Mr Zapatero expressed a favourable view as regards the latter.
Francisco Sosa Wagner (independent) said that he shared the goals of the Spanish Presidency (particularly because, "if rights are the soul Europe, the common energy policy is its backbone"). Nevertheless, he criticised the foreign policy programme, especially the summit scheduled with Morocco, while the issue of the Western Sahara remains unresolved.
Mr Zapatero defended dialogue as a means of spreading European values, not only in relation to Morocco, but also as regards Israel, which was another issue that arose during the individual speeches.
During the debate the matter of Haiti also came up and Mr Zapatero defended, in the face of criticism from the left, the deployment of the marines. “When I see helicopters and marines carrying food, maintaining order and saving lives, it seems to me that it is something worthy of praise", he said, adding that if the European Union is to have a "rapid response (force), it will have to have civil and military components”.
Spain's economic situation came up several times during the criticisms, whilst Spain's reduction in its R&D budget was also mentioned in the individual speeches by Spanish MEPs.
The MEPs from the right criticised Mr Zapatero's immigration policy, to which he replied that he was not "in favour of mass immigration, but rather of mass respect for the rights" of those who seek a better future in Europe.
Finally, Mr Zapatero thanked the Spanish Partido Popular for its support both in this parliament and previously in Spain.