DIFFERENT VOICES

Date: 06/02/1997

“Despite statements to the contrary, we are facing a crisis of confidence in European integration ... There has been a slide back into nationalistic thinking.”

Senior Bundesbank official Peter Schmidhuber warning that political and psychological problems now posed a greater obstacle to EMU than economic conditions.

“If Italy is admitted, it could be a time bomb within the Union. If those issues drag on much longer, the whole scenario of EMU in 1999 might implode.”

Ulrich Cartellieri, a Deutsche Bank board member, holding out the prospect of market turmoil if Italy were to be among the first members of the euro-zone.

“If it goes ahead and it succeeds - in other words, if it is stable - then you cannot stay out.”

Robin Cook, the British Labour Party's spokesman on foreign affairs, giving the strongest signal yet that a Labour government would sign up to the euro.

“We need to show people that we are not in a state of perpetual revolution. I do not believe this pace of change can be sustained.”

British Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind in the first of a series of European policy speeches designed to set out his government's view of the way ahead.

“Realistically, the date will be 2002 or 2003.”

Czech Trade and Industry Minister Vladimir Dlouhy acknowledging publicly for the first time that his country, and its neighbours in central and eastern Europe, would not be able to join the EU before 2002.

“It would not only be highly unrealistic, but also, in my view, totally undesirable.”

Internal Market Commissioner Mario Monti stressing he would be opposed to the full harmonisation of national tax systems.

“What I have seen here shames the international community. The conditions are beneath the limits of human dignity.”

Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Emma Bonino describing conditions at Zaïre's largest refugee camp for Hutus.

“The objective of the year is to promote a message of hope, to raise awareness of the problem of racism in our societies, but also to highlight positive ways of overcoming it.”

Social Affairs Commissioner Pádraig Flynn speaking at the launch of the 'European Year Against Racism'.