Mr President, Mr President of the Commission, Mr President-in-Office of the Council, ladies and gentlemen, to be honest, I have to say that this debate is, quite frankly, schizophrenic. The policies put forward by the President-in-Office of the Council can only be considered if we disregard the actual situation in Europe. You talk of changes to the pension system in order to preserve social cohesion. Mr President-in-Office, it is sufficient to look at your own country: a general strike of all the trades union has been called for the day after tomorrow in protest against your pensions policy, including the organisations which signed the Pact for Italy with you. Does the fact that all the workers are opposed to a particular policy not tell you something? Does this mean anything to you after the battles in France, after the battles in Spain, after the discontent in Germany, or does it mean nothing? You announce pompously that a European Constitution is being launched. Did you notice that two major European demonstrations were held on 4 October in Rome – one organised by the European trades union, the other organised by the anti-globalisation movement – strongly, vehemently criticising this Constitution for the irresolution and ambiguity of its provisions on peace, rights and employment? Then, at the Perugia-Assisi peace march, crowds of people of different cultures, religions and political allegiance called for the structure of the Constitution to be changed radically, with rejection of war made its first provision. However, the war continues in Iraq and is polluting the world. Guantánamo and the Baghdad detainees have been mentioned today. We might also look at the measures restricting freedom in the Arab countries in the face of terrorism and war. You have not said how we are to escape from this tragic vicious circle. You talk about Europe’s Christian roots, but if these roots exist, the tragedy of the Mediterranean, tantamount to a humanitarian disaster, is unworthy of them. How can you fail to see that the quota policy, the immigration policy, has failed? Mr President-in-Office of the Council, you have spoken in a serious tone about this tragedy in the Chamber. It would be indelicate of me to remind you that your government ministers have said that such immigrants should be kicked out and sent back to their own countries. Rather, I would draw your attention to the failure of this policy, of the policy of control rather than receiving immigrants and creating a different development model. You talk about an economic policy and you seem not to realise that Europe’s economy is actually in crisis and in decline. You talk of measures and trans-European networks, yet you heard their quality criticised just now. I ask you, however, above all, how you are planning to deal with an economic crisis in the face of the devaluation of the dollar, relentless competition from the United States of America and competition such as that emerging from China? How do you plan to escape from this vice and how do you plan to stop the decline? You continue to cling to the Maastricht policies, to the policies which the President of the Commission once astutely described as ‘stupid’. You can only give any real weight to your policy if you disregard reality. Reality will be your downfall.

Political group: GUE-NGL