International

The ex-Prime Minister of Belgium, right wing liberal Guy Verhofstadt, is issuing threats. In his view Europeans have the choice between superstate Europe on the one hand and nationalism on the other, to which he then immediately adds: "And you know what nationalism did to Europe. It gave us a terrible century and millions of deaths."

By Jan Marijnissen

The ex-Prime Minister of Belgium, right wing liberal Guy Verhofstadt, is issuing threats. In his view Europeans have the choice between superstate Europe on the one hand and nationalism on the other, to which he then immediately adds: "And you know what nationalism did to Europe. It gave us a terrible century and millions of deaths."

From its fruit you can recognise the tree. What does Verhofstadt want, and what are the fruits of his thoughts? He wants a European tax, of for example ten percent of the taxes we currently pay. He wants one European state which can holds its own against the United States, China and India, with a president and a minister of foreign affairs, and of course one European army. He wants Europe to have the wherewithal to meet its obligations. He wants a single European 'bad bank' which, at the expense of the taxpayer, would take over the banks' toxic loans.

Who is this Verhofstadt? He has gained a reputation as 'Mister Europe' because of his aversion to the nation state and his wish to arrive at a single European superstate. Until the last elections he was Prime Minister of Belgium. He could not unite French-speaking Walloons with Dutch-speaking Flemings. On the contrary, by the time he lost office he had left his country deeply divided and in a state of confusion. The formation of a government appeared for many months an impossibility. Yet above all he is a free market liberal, which goes some way to explaining why he is so strongly in favour of a federal Europe. After all, the EU is neoliberalism's dictator.

Even now, in the midst of financial and economic crisis, he can utter no word of self-criticism. Not a single word about the disaster brought about by the deregulation of the financial markets, of which he was an advocate. Not a word about the greed at the top, which he has always defended. Not a word about the need for an alternative to this system. He contents himself with saying, "There is no alternative". This man, who as premier lacked the courage to hold a referendum on the European Constitution, has, in addition to his references to the twentieth century's two world wars, another threat up his sleeve. "We are becoming like Japan. Without a single Europe we also will fall victim to stagnation,” was how Verhofstadt put it recently in a TV appearance.

Verhofstadt is a supporter of, as he expresses that euphemism, the 'open society'. ‘Open’ means in reality in this instance 'free': free from rules, a free hand for the dominant power, for capital. The overwhelming majority of the Dutch political elite supports Verhofstadt's point of view. Yet what we need is regulation. We need laws and rules to curb the greed at the top, laws capable of guaranteeing the right of every individual to a decent existence and of securing the general interest.

So, on 4th June – Vote SP for less Brussels!