06/03/2007 4:52:15 pm
Cameron in Brussels. I just listened to the British Conservative Party leader David Cameron here in Brussels. He was the final speaker at the inaugural conference of Movement for European Reform. A good message about a more open and flexible Europe and limits to the bureaucracy in Brussels. He was also very good in his support for further EU enlargements, for example with Turkey, and provided strong support for reforms, for Europe to be able to compete in a globalised world.

Other speakers included the Czech Prime minister Mirek Topolànek. The former economic adviser to Prime Minister Tony Blair, Derek Scott, spoke very frankly and said that "the European social model has gone bust" and pointed out that none of the foundations for it exists any more. Today′s world demand a totally different kind of society.

The MER is an interesting and promising intiative in many ways, for economic reform and a large EU but with limited bureaucracy. In many ways, it probably resonates well with what many people in Europe feel today. But to increase credibility and impact, there must be more concrete ideas and feeling of a European, rather than British, initiative.