DIFFERENT VOICES

Date: 05/12/1996

“Wondering which is most important for Poland - membership of the EU or NATO - is like asking whether someone prefers their mother to their father.”

Polish Prime Minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz speaking during an official visit to Finland.

“Unfortunately, life is not that simple. The European single market is not just a row of barrows and stalls ...

The option of a loose, non-binding European market with weak institutions is not on offer.”

Trade Commissioner Sir Leon Brittan attacking Referendum Party leader and MEP Sir James Goldsmith for painting a “beguilingly simple” picture of the Union in his proposed question for a British referendum on Europe.

“It is a love story, and matters of love cannot be explained.”

Industry Commissioner Martin Bangemann commenting on Germany's decision to reverse its stand on the liberalisation of postal services and side with the French.

“We want a stable currency; we do not want to slide into a soft currency scenario. That is not arrogance, but comes from 50 years of experience in Germany.”

German Chancellor Helmut Kohl rejecting recent attacks on the Bonn government and the Bundesbank for their tough line on the 'stability pact'.

“We must be careful not to create problems by keeping the number of participants in currency union too small. That would be an historic error with major repercussions which would be hard to undo.”

Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar stressing the need for a large number of countries to adopt the single currency.

“The euro is firstly a political gamble. It is not a toy for the central bank governors.”

French Prime Minister Alain Juppé stressing that while the independence of the future European Central Bank may be sacred, France did not believe this would give it the sole right to decide the exchange-rate policy of the future single currency bloc.

“I am speaking to you as a politician to politicians.”

Irish Finance Minister Ruari Quinn talking to Euro MEPs about economic and monetary union.