# CE2004078EN.01053101.xml

| 27.3.2004 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | CE 78/531 |
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27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CE 78/531

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(2004/C 78 E/0553)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3370/03

by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(14 November 2003)

Subject:   Mr Prodi's comments on the outcome of the Swedish referendum on EMU

Subject:

On 21 September 2003, the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet published comments made by Romano Prodi on the outcome of the Swedish referendum on EMU. Mr Prodi reportedly said that the Swedes voted against because they are afraid of new developments and because they believe that their democracy is superior to others'. Mr Prodi went on to say that the result of the vote mirrored the general feeling in a country and that the Swedes' rejection was also a reflection of our sense of distinctive character and a distance between the Swedish and European peoples, as well as showing a lack of knowledge about Europe.

Do Romano Prodi's comments also represent the views of the Commission? If so, can the Commission explain in greater detail why the Swedes are afraid of new developments and elaborate on the significance of the distance referred to between the Swedish and European peoples?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(8 January 2004)

(8 January 2004)

At Parliament's plenary session of 16 January 2002, the President of the Commission said that ‘to millions of European citizens, the euro notes and coins in their pockets are a concrete sign of the great political undertaking of building a united Europe. As a symbol of that unity, the euro is having an even greater psychological impact than the abolition of passport controls at Europe's internal borders. So the euro is becoming a key element in people's sense of shared European identity and common destiny. It is tangible evidence that European integration is now irreversible. ... We must take this as a valuable lesson in our step-by-step progress towards enlargement’.

This well known position is that of the whole Commission, and there was no reason to modify it during the campaign prior to the referendum on the adoption of the euro in Sweden.

As for the remarks reported by the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, they would seem to have been based on an interview with President Prodi which appeared in the Italian newspaper La Repubblica on 15 September 2003.

In fact the President of the Commission did not make the remark attributed to him by the Swedish newspaper; he did say, in accordance with the Commission line on the subject: ‘It is a pity, because many Swedes understand the advantages of the euro for growth. But a majority of public opinion is still afraid of change. This was the political choice of those who want to emphasise what distinguishes them and who fear losing what they consider to be their essential identity — even losing economic advantages. ... Every nation has the right to express its views. And it is our duty to respect the beliefs revealed in any democratic consultation.’ And: ‘In northern Europe, part of the population remains firmly convinced that a given social model can defend itself better by concentrating on its own chosen identity in politics rather than economics.’

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