EU
Parliament President
'Trump
Is a Problem for the Whole World'
With
Europe falling ever-deeper into crisis, European Parliament President
Martin Schulz is warning of the further advance of right-wing
populism. In an interview, he also says he fears the possibility of a
President Trump.
Interview Conducted
by Markus Becker, Florian Gathmann and Roland Nelles
September 15, 2016
04:58 PM
On Friday, leaders
European Union member states will meet for their next informal
meeting in Bratislava, Slovakia -- the second one without Britain.
Also in attendance will be Martin Schulz, the German president of the
European Parliament. Schulz is very concerned about the current state
of the EU. "We're at a historical juncture: A growing number of
people are declaring what has been achieved over the past decades in
Europe to be wrong," the politician, a member of the center-left
Social Democrats (SPD) told SPIEGEL ONLINE in an interview.
Schulz warns of the
demons of Europe's past and says that the EU must now fight to keep
them at bay. "I expect from the community of 27 a clear signal
that we will stick together despite the problems and contentious
issues," he says. "Just how important this cohesion is will
become clear as soon as Brexit negotiations begin."
Schulz also
expressed his fears of a possible US President Donald Trump. "Then
you will have an obviously irresponsible man sitting in a position
that requires the utmost sense of responsibility," he says.
"Trump is not just a problem for the EU, but for the whole
world."
Continue reading for
the complete interview.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Mr.
Schulz, during our last interview at the beginning of the year, you
said that things were going badly in Europe. What would your
diagnosis be today?
Schulz: It has
gotten even worse -- above all because of the Brexit decision. With
Britain, Europe's second largest economy, a member of the G-7 and the
UN Security Council, wants to leave the EU. That weakens us and it
weakens Britain.
SPIEGEL ONLINE:
That's not the EU's only problem.
Schulz: We continue
to have major economic disparities in the Union, youth unemployment
is far too high, there is only slow growth and needed reforms have
not been initiated. Then there is the renationalization strategy
being pursued by the governments of Poland and Hungary. All of this
threatens the future of the community. I am very concerned.
SPIEGEL ONLINE:
You're not known for being a scaremonger.
Schulz: We're at a
historical juncture: A growing number of people are declaring what
has been achieved over the past decades in Europe to be wrong. They
want to return to the nation-state. Sometimes there is even a blood
and soil rhetoric that for me is starkly reminiscent of the interwar
years of the past century, whose demons we are still all too familiar
with. We brought these demons under control through European
structures, but if we destroy those structures, the demons will
return. We cannot allow this to happen. Just how important this
cohesion is will become clear as soon as Brexit negotiations begin.
As soon as the British have determined their strategy for the
negotiations with the EU, we will be confronted with a united British
position.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: What
are your expectations for the summit in Bratislava?
Schulz: I expect a
clear signal from the community of 27 that we will stick together
despite the problems and contentious issues. Given the current
situation, that alone would already be a success. It cannot be met by
an inconsistent EU, because there are surely people in London who
would love to play us off against each other. That would be
disastrous for the EU.
SPIEGEL ONLINE:
Could the British be provided with access to the EU internal market
without guaranteeing the right to the free movement of EU citizens?
Schulz: Certainly
not. That is a red line for us in the European Parliament that is
non-negotiable.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: The
British still haven't invoked the official exit clause under Article
50 of the Lisbon Treaty. When should this be filed by?
Schulz: The
government in London apparently had no plan ready for an exit
scenario -- it was taken by surprise. That's why I can understand
that they need a little time to get themselves sorted. But I hope
that the petition is submitted by the end of the year. Once it is,
the two years of negotiations can begin. The people, but also the
economy, the companies, need to be able to plan.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: In
current discussions pertaining to the future of the EU, one issue is
that of a possible joint European army. What are your thoughts on the
issue?
Schulz: We surely
need increased cooperation on both internal and foreign security. But
a joint European army is a very far-reaching proposal and it would be
difficult to implement. Such initiatives are nevertheless needed.
Political leaders need to formulate long-term EU goals that show:
Yes, we want to stay together.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Yet
the forces pulling Europe apart are powerful. Luxembourg Foreign
Minister Jean Asselborn recently called for Hungary to be kicked out
of the EU. Is he right?
Schulz: I have no
regard for such formulations. Right now we need to keep this shop
together and not launch new provocations, day in, day out. Still, I
am also critical of the fact that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor
Orbán is pulling out of everything -- the joint approach to the
refugee issue, for example. He cannot disparage his colleagues in the
EU either -- that's not how we treat each other. We require
solidarity: in refugee policies, just as in the financial
architecture of the structural funds from which countries like
Hungary have strongly profited from for years.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Does
that mean that you want to exert financial pressure on countries like
Hungary?
Schulz: You can't
always be demanding solidarity from others and then refuse to show it
yourself. The process of EU budget revisions will commence soon and
there will also surely be a debate in parliament over whether the
countries that have shown solidarity in the refugee crisis should be
provided with greater financial support.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: It's
not only in Europe that right-wing populists like the Alternative for
Germany (AfD) party are on the rise. In the United States, a
right-wing populist could even become president. What would it mean
for the EU if Donald Trump landed in the White House?
Schulz: Trump is not
just a problem for the EU, but for the whole world. When a man ends
up in the White House who boasts about not having a clue and who says
that specialist knowledge is elite nonsense, then a critical point
has been reached. Then you will have an obviously irresponsible man
sitting in a position that requires the utmost degree of
responsibility. My worry is that he may inspire copycats, also in
Europe. That's why I hope Hillary Clinton wins.
SPIEGEL ONLINE:
Those are astoundingly clear words from a leading European
politician. Even German Chancellor Angela Merkel has shied away from
being so unambiguous.
Schulz: I say what I
think about Trump.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: What
will you do if Trump becomes president and then visits the EU?
Schulz: Then we will
receive him just as we have every other US president.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Your
own future is wide open. You would like to continue in your role as
president of the European Parliament, but according to EU tradition
it would now be the turn of a member of the conservative family of
parties. Are you counting on help from Chancellor Merkel, who clearly
seems to appreciate you?
Schulz: I take note
of the fact that there are a lot of people who appreciate what I do
as parliament president, not just within my Social Democratic party
group, but also among the conservatives. European Commission
President Jean-Claude Juncker and many others, incidentally, would
like to see me carry on. My term runs until Jan. 17, and I will
continue to focus on the problems that need to be solved until then.
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