Spain dreams of 'economic government' in Europe

Spain plans to use its EU presidency to push for a form of European economic government, with the promise of rewards for members who meet binding targets - and the threat of sanctions for those that don't.

The Spanish government intends to introduce the initiative at an EU summit in Brussels on February 11 which will focus on ways to revive sluggish growth, Prime Minister José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero told reporters on Thursday.

In doing so, Madrid is clearly posting its desire to play a leading role in European affairs despite the new leadership dynamic created by the Lisbon reform treaty, under which Belgium's Herman van Rompuy has become the European Union's first permanent president.
Spain hopes the EU can agree on a replacement for the bloc's long-term growth strategy known as the Lisbon Agenda, which was supposed to make it the world's most competitive economy by 2010 but which did not achieved its aims because governments were under no obligation to conform.

Spain, which began its six-month EU presidency stint on January 1, now plans to learn from that failure and introduce a new 10-year growth strategy.

"It is vital to have a new kind of strategy for 2020, to make it more efficient," said Zapatero.

The new 2020 plan "must include incentive measures, and corrective measures" for states that fail to fall into line, he said.

He mentioned information technology and energy as sectors where this could be applied.

Spain's secretary of state for European affairs, Diego Lopez Garrido, said the idea would be to reward countries with EU aid when they meet the binding targets, and to sanction those that do not.



That would imply that the EU would have the right to oversee national budgetary priorities, in addition to the existing stability pact, which imposes limits on public deficits for eurozone members.

But Spain risks crossing Britain and other countries with more liberal economies, which fear a loss of sovereignty on economic issues.

"But I know that a certain number of countries back greater economic unity, France for example," Zapatero said.

Paris for some years has pushed for an "economic government", at least within those nations that share the euro single currency, despite resistance from Germany which sees it as a threat to the independence of the European Central Bank on interest rates.

France floated such a plan in late 2008, at the height of the financial crisis. Now Zapatero wants to pick up the baton. "The idea is still on the table," he said.
Spain assumed the EU presidency from Sweden at the start of the year and will oversee the first six-month stint whereby the system of a rotating presidency sits alongside Van Rompuy in his new post as president of the European Council.

Source:telegraph.co.uk/

Spain promises to strive to end Europe’s economic crisis

Spain will strive to end Europe's economic crisis during its European Union's presidency. Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodríguez Zapatero said in his New Year message.

Spain has taken over EU presidency for six months starting January 1, 2010.

Spain has plans to enhance Europe's international influence, defend and spread co-operation, peace and dialogue among the countries.

Apart from economic growth, creation of jobs will be Spain's top priority.

Commenting on the issue, Spain's foreign minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos said, "Spain will not abandon its responsibilities. But we will do it with modesty, with discretion."

The Prime Minister further added that the Lisbon Treaty would allow Europe to become more efficient and dynamic as the treaty would help Europea

Source:topnews.co.uk/

Number of illegal migrants arriving in Spain falls

MADRID -- The number of illegal immigrants risking their lives in rickety boats to reach Spain's Canary Islands from northwest Africa has descended to levels last seen a decade ago, officials said Saturday.

In 2009, a total of 2,041 adults - and 201 children - arrived in the islands or were rescued as they sailed toward them, an Interior Ministry spokeswoman said.

Levels this low were last recorded a decade ago, when 2,165 people made landfall on the archipelago, made up of seven main islands - and two tiny ones - 1,380 kilometers (858 miles) off Spain's southwestern tip.

The number of immigrants began to shoot up in 2002, when 9,929 arrived, and peaked in 2006 when 31,859 had to be housed, the spokeswoman said on condition of anonymity in keeping with government rules.


More than 96,116 people have sought shelter and a chance of a better, European-style life on the islands since 1994.

The recession, which has caused unemployment in Spain to ascend to nearly 18 percent, along with coastal patrols, have helped slow immigration.

The European Union agreed in 2006 to beef up Frontex, the bloc's external borders agency, after Spain lobbied for years for more funding. In May of that year, it agreed to deploy planes, boats and rapid reaction aid teams from its member states to deal with the flood of African illegal migrants trying to reach the Canary Islands.

It is not known how many people have died trying to make the perilous ocean crossing against prevailing trade winds. However, 45 died in 2008 compared to 32 in 2009.

In February a ramshackle boat with 32 migrants aboard overturned just 20 meters (22 yards) from the northeast coast of Lanzarote and 25 of its dazed and exhausted passengers, including four children, drowned.

Source:washingtonpost.com/

Ahmadinejad: European politicians are stupid

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says "European politicians are stupid, that they know nothing about politics and even less about history". He added that "one was more stupid than the other".

According to the semi-official Fars news agency, President Ahmadinejad said "Iran's foreign enemies cannot harm the Islamic state," adding "they had planned a very complicated and wide-ranging scenario... but they don't know that a nation which is ready to sacrifice its life for its religious figures will destroy all their Satanic attempts".

Mr Ahmadinejad said European politicians erroneously believe that a ban on building minarets will restrict the Islamic religion, saying, "minarets do not cause people to believe, they are a result of belief".

At the end of November, more than 57 percent of the Swiss electorate voted in favour of a referendum banning the construction of minarets. The decision was widely condemned.

Source:rnw.nl/