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| Juncker now opposes "ever closer Union" |
"People feel that the EU is heading in a direction that they never signed up to. They resent the interference in our national life by what they see as unnecessary rules and regulation. And they wonder what the point of it all is. Put simply, many ask 'why can't we just have what we voted to join - a common market?"
David Cameron
"I'm ready to be insulted as being insufficiently democratic, but I want to be serious ... I am for secret, dark debates"
Jean-Claude Juncker
Sweet victory for David Cameron!
In a major speech to be given in London next week, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker will admit that Cameron is right; The European Union should give up its goal of "ever closer Union".
Juncker and Cameron have met several times in secret in order to discuss Cameron´s Europe agenda. During these meetings Cameron was able to convince Juncker that the EU should return to its original concept - a primarily free trade organisation without any ambitions to grow into a federation.
Juncker and Cameron are planning to introduce their new plan for Europe at an EU summit to be held in Brussels in May. Several EU leaders have already announced their support for the Cameron-Juncker plan.
The reason for this unexpected turnaround is, according to a source who has been involved in the discussions, the growing opposition against the present German dominated model of the Union. A UK led loose free trade area is in the present circumstances much more appealing to many of the present member countries.
The new Cameron-Juncker plan would bring an additional much welcomed benefit: The number of EU bureaucrats could be reduced from the present 170,000 to about 7,000.
