06/12/2005 11:12:18 am
Reform Talks. Yesterday started with a very interesting meeting with the American Under Secretary of the Treasury, Tim Adams. My aim was to provide the facts about the European - and Swedish! - economy, its challenges and the need for reform. The day ended at at dinner in Brussels, after the interesting start of a conference called "The Brussels Congress", with Europeans that support the free market and fight the big state and its regulations. This morning, I spoke about my book at that very conference, which was well received.

Several people here are more EU-sceptic than I am. Of course, I dislike anything the EU does which distorts a free economy and society, but the EU has also been a force for a single market in Europe. That is a great achievement. I think the main aim for market-oriented people at the EU level today should be to try to tip the EU devleopment in the right direction again, from all the talk today of more regulations, taxes and subsidies. The aim should not be to leave the EU or try to replace it.