Interview: Danish PM warns against ‘abuse’ of crisis

Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen wants EU leaders to “stick to free market principles” and prevent those who are “trying to abuse the financial crisis” from introducing “protectionist measures” for domestic industries. He spoke to EURACTIV before his keynote address at the European Liberal Democrats’ annual congress in Stockholm last week.

In relation to the current financial crisis, Rasmussen noted that “thanks to a very strong and determined French Presidency, the EU has demonstrated global leadership in handling the financial crisis”. 

However, he was quick to lash out at “political forces that would like to abuse the financial crisis to introduce protectionist measures to protect domestic industries” and urged European leaders to “stick to free market principles”. 

As expected, he reiterated his desire for Denmark to join the euro zone, going as far as suggesting that a new referendum could be held before 2011 (EURACTIV 31/10/08). 

Looking ahead to next year’s European elections, Rasmussen admitted there was “a risk that the Parliament could see an increasing number of right-wing Eurosceptic politicians elected” due to the EU standstill on the Lisbon Treaty. However, he did not think there would necessarily be a “significant impact”. 

The Danish P.M. expressed his strong regret at the Irish rejection of the Lisbon Treaty, and lamented the fact that “if Ireland can’t find a solution before the elections then they must take place on the basis of Nice. We know this is possible under Nice, but it is a weaker treaty than Lisbon.” 

Interestingly, Rasmussen endorsed the possibility of a pact between the Liberals and the EPP after the 2009 elections, which could shut out the Socialists and potentially giving the Liberals a ‘kingmaker’ role in the Parliament. “I favoured strongly the past alliance between the EPP and the Liberals in the Parliament. They cooperated during the term of Pat Cox (as European Parliament President), and in my opinion, this is the natural cooperation in the Parliament. I will work in that direction,” the P.M. said. 

Finally, Rasmussen had this to say to those who favour a genuinely pan-European list system for European elections (including, notably, fellow Liberal MEP Andrew Duff; EURACTIV 13/10/08): “I would not exclude the possibility of genuine pan-European lists in the future, but here and now, and in the foreseeable future, we should stick to national campaigns.”

To read the interview in full, please click here.