DIFFERENT VOICES

Date: 24/04/1997

“Do these doom merchants want us to step backwards towards a Europe only composed of simple trading arrangements? No one can seriously suggest that we turn back the clock and deprive ourselves of the strength and advantages of belonging to the world's first economic power.”

European Commission President Jacques Santer hitting out at the Eurosceptics, in a speech which sparked British accusations that he was meddling in domestic elections.

“Even allowing for the special nature of the British sense of humour, I do not think it is fair play to deal with the concept of Europe and with a European partner in this way.”

German CDU General Secretary Peter Hintze criticising the UK Conservative Party for an election campaign poster portraying opposition Labour Party leader Tony Blair as a ventriloquist's dummy sitting on German Chancellor Helmut Kohl's knee.

“Europe is unity and in unity there is strength.”

French President Jacques Chirac speaking as he announced that the country would go to the polls nearly a year ahead of schedule, saying France needed a “new élan” which could only come with the expressed support of the people.

“Currency union is not some numbers lottery, but rather a conscious political decision.”

Regional Affairs Commissioner Monika Wulf-Mathies criticising her country's government for its tough stand on meeting the entry goals for EMU and stressing that '3.0&percent;' was not written in the Maastricht Treaty.

“Even in international affairs, there is a place for jealousy.”

Russian President Boris Yeltsin's press secretary Sergei Yastrzhembsky claiming that the United States was just envious when it reacted coolly to agreements over NATO expansion reached by the leaders of Germany and Russia.

“However unnecessary the fear, there is no doubt that there is still a real gulf between the two types of member state.”

Social Affairs Commissioner Pádraig Flynn acknowledging the fears of larger EU member states that the smaller ones would 'gang up' to exploit majority voting, but insisting that those fears were unfounded.