In his remarks, Sebastian Kurtz, the co-ruler with the Social Democrats, the Conservative People's Party, criticizing "the EU's wrong decisions in the past, repeated mistakes or violations of its own rules", speaks of the need for redress.
It seems incomprehensible to him that the EU is so weak that it cannot protect its external borders, but, on the other hand, force the change of restaurant menus due to the Allergy Directive, or not is able, as the largest donor in developing countries, to represent its interests towards them, as in the case of the repatriation of refugees who are not granted asylum.
Therefore, in the context of the Austrian Presidency of the EU, in the second half of 2018, considering that the EU should step back to the minor issues and focus on the essentials, Sebastian Kurtz calls for, for example, the reduction of half, to 14, of the European Commission - which currently employs a total of 25.000 staff - and one rotating Commissioner.
In addition, the Austrian Foreign Minister calls for an expiration date for Community law and for each new regulation to abolish two existing ones, as he points out, regulations and directives currently cause a total bureaucratic cost of 124 billion euros per year.
He proposes a direct election by the citizens of the President of the European Commission, who is to be elected next in 2019, while in the framework of a subsidiarity agreement the member states to define, at the beginning of the Commission's term, the areas for which it will be competent beyond its permanent jurisdiction.
Considering that 90% of its proposals can be implemented without a change in the Treaties, calls for another EU focus on a common Foreign Policy, a common Defense and Security Policy, but also a common Trade and Climate Protection Policy; while he considers the Social Union as a "utopia".
Sebastian Kurtz sees Britain's exit from the Union, which will take place during the Austrian Presidency, as an "opportunity for EU reform", arguing that "the EU should not remain the same, with only one member less. but it must seize the opportunity to change course "in areas such as the immigration crisis, the over-indebtedness of countries, the crisis of confidence.
Critics of the just 31-year-old conservative politician - the youngest minister in an EU country - who is currently gaining the highest popularity in Austria and is being ousted for being welcomed by the electorate, but at the same time for populist and partly unrealistic proposals. the leadership of his People's Party.
His goal, as well as that of his party supporters, is for the People's Party to emerge as the first political force and the same new federal chancellor of Austria in the next parliamentary elections scheduled for autumn 2018, in defiance of the far-right Nationalist Party. , which has been steadily ahead for many months in all polls with more than 30%, at a time when the People's Party is just approaching 20% and the Social Democrats - who now lead the ruling coalition with the People's Party - are struggling to reach percentages over 25%.
However, Austrian Foreign and Integration Minister Sebastian Kurtz has already commissioned a draft of his reform proposals in the coming weeks, and in April, in order to present them, he intends to personally start a "round of capitals", when the events and celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome on March 25, 1957.
News: newsbeast.gr