mr president i would like to thank mr verhofstadt for reminding us all of the failure of left-wing economic policies in the united kingdom
we are very grateful for the advice and i hope my colleagues and i will be able to remedy that in the forthcoming general election
even before the recent crisis the economies of europe were losing ground to our major rivals and competitors
our growth level was less our unemployment higher our relative trading position was in decline and our share of global output falling
we had launched the lisbon strategy but without enough conviction or commitment unsurprisingly it has not succeeded
europe twenty twenty must not go the same way
i am very pleased that my group was among the first to submit proposals to help with its progress
we now need to set a new course for our economies
we must recognise that governments do not create productive jobs or raise living standards
only competitive business and successful entrepreneurs can do that
our member states and the institutions of the european union then need to support them by reducing the burdens they face
we cannot expect to have dynamic economies if we make even greater demands on those who are generating growth and jobs by imposing heavy tax regimes and bureaucratic regulations
we need to encourage more research and development improved higher education and better vocational training as president barroso has just emphasised
the internal market needs to be reinvigorated and extended to new fields
the stakes could not be higher
for almost three centuries the strongest economic powers in the world have also been those with the most liberal and the most democratic constitutions the cause of freedom and economic prosperity have marched together
we are now entering a new era
by the end of this century considerable economic power may have shifted to states with undemocratic governments
that authoritarian capitalism may not evolve gently into the democratic and responsible capitalism we enjoy today in europe and the west
we hope those states will liberalise
we will offer them friendly encouragement to do so but we know the risks
it is in the interests of our citizens that the twenty twenty programme succeeds in stimulating the creation of good jobs and rising living standards and it is in the interests of the free world that the twenty twenty programme points the way to a stronger economic future for all our citizens
