ČTK

Pavel Telicka – EU Federalisation Unrealistic

Prague, Dec 10 (CTK) – German Social Democrat leader Martin Schulz’s plan to federalise the EU is unrealistic at present, outgoing Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek and Czech Vice President of the European Parliament Pavel Telicka told Czech Television (CT) today.

 

Schulz’s statement mainly targeted the German domestic scene, Zaoralek and Telicka said.

 

The idea was rejected by Jiri Kobza, a deputy chairman of the Chamber of Deputies foreign committee for the anti-European populist Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD).

 

Schulz wants the EU to become a federation in the years to come. Its members should accept a joint constitutional pact. Those who will be against it, should leave the EU.

 

The United States of Europe is to be formed by 2025.

 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) is for a greater EU integration, but is reluctant to set down any objectives unlike Schulz.

 

“Personally, I do not think the words are realistic,” Telicka said, adding that he would prefer to agree with Merkel.

 

He said in some spheres a deeper integration would be desirable, but this did not mean that integration was necessary in each sphere.

 

Zaoralek said the Schulz’s plan would be rejected by a number of countries as too ambitious.

 

The plan is “distant from reality,” he added.

 

Kobza said Schulz’s statement “will be a beautiful epitaph of the EU.”

 

Telicka said he believed in some questions, it would have to be necessary to reopen the basic EU treaties, but this only should relate to the most important questions.

 

Telicka and Zaoralek mentioned the growing anti-European atmosphere.

 

They said it was wrong that in this situation EU representatives insisted on the refugee quotas.

 

On December 7, EC Vice-President Frans Timmermans announced the decision to send the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary to the EU court over their rejecting the quotas for the redistribution of asylum seekers from Italy and Greece.

 

Zaoralek said when it came to the complaint, he still believed that an agreement was possible, citing as an example the option that the Czech Republic would accept tens of refugees.

 

Zaoralek said there was still a lot of time for an agreement because the writing down of the complaint and the court ruling might take several years.