Transcript of press conference given by the Prime Minister.docx

Transcript of press conference given by the Prime Minister.docx

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TranscriptofpressconferencegivenbythePrimeMinister

TranscriptofpressconferencegivenbythePrimeMinister,MrGordonBrown,PresidentBarrosoandPresidentSarkozyinLondon,Monday8December2008.

PrimeMinister:

CanIsayfirstofallhowgratefulweareforyoutobewithustoday. IamverypleasedtowelcometoLondonthePresidentoftheEuropeanUnionandPresidentofFrance,myfriendMrNicolasSarkozy,andmyfriendPresidentBarroso,PresidentoftheCommission.

WehavemettodaytodiscusssomeofthedevelopmentsthataretakingplaceinboththeEuropeanandtheworldeconomy. Wehavehadadiscussionwiththebusinessleaderswhohavejoinedusthisafternoon,wehavealsometwitheconomistswhohavebeenlookingatthesituationasitisdevelopingthroughouttheworld,andIampleasedthatleadersfromBritishindustry,theConfederationofBritishIndustry,theFederationofSmallBusinesses,theEngineeringEmployersandothergroupshavebeenwithusthisafternoon.

Wewanttodiscusshowgovernmentandbusinesscanworktogethertodealwiththeproblemsofthisglobalrecession,andwewantedtodiscussthisafternoonalsohowaswetookmeasurestodealwiththeshorttermproblemsthatoureconomiesface,wecouldalsobuildforthefuture,thatwecouldplanfortheupturnaswellasdealwiththeconsequencesofthedownturn. Andwehavelookedathow,justasmanyyearsagoinvestmentinroad,andrailandinfrastructurewasapowerfulstimulustotheeconomiesthen,sotoointhisnewagewecaninvestinthedigitalinfrastructureforthefuture,intelecommunications,inenvironmentallyrelatedindustriesandnewenvironmentaltechnologies,inthelowcarbonindustriesandservicesofthefuture,aswellasintrainingandskills,inotherwordstobuildthetechnologicalandenvironmentalinfrastructureofthe21stcenturyasweinvestoutofthedownturn.

WeinBritainareinvestinganextra£3billionbetweenlastyearandnextyearininfrastructureand,ofcourse,wewillcontinuetolookatourplansforthefuture.

IampleasedthatcooperationinEuropeissuchthattheEuropeanInvestmentBankandtheEBRD,togetherwiththeCommissionwithitsrecoveryplan,arecontributingtotheinfrastructuraldevelopmentofEurope.

AndIbelievethatwecanworkhandinhandwiththenewAmericanadministrationandstimulateworldwidedevelopmentthroughourcommonactions,andthatisoneofthethingsthatwewereabletodiscusstoday.

Soadigital,lowcarbon,environmentallyfriendlyEurope,highlyskilledtofacethechallengesoftheworld,issomethingthatIbelieveisthevisionthatwehavegottoputforwardaswemovethroughthisdownturnandplanforthefuture.

Ijustwanttoaddoneotherthing.Weareallagreedthatprotectionismissomethingthatwemustbothavoidandfightagainstinthecourseofthenextfewmonths.Webelievethatanyresorttoprotectionismwilldelayanyrecoveryandwouldbetorepeatthemistakesofthepast,andthereforeweareconvincedthataworldtradedealthatiswithinourgraspwithinthenextfewdaysissomethingthatallcountriesintheworldmustnowpushwithgreatpriority. AndweareintouchwithMrLamy,theDirectoroftheWorldTradeOrganisation,butwithothercountries,sayingthatweareattheeleventhhourandwemustnowworktogethertomakesurethatwesendasignalagainstprotectionismbysigningtheworldtradedeal.

LetmeintroducefirstofallPresidentSarkozywhohasbeenagreatfriendofthecountry. IwelcomehimbacktoBritain.YoumayrememberhisStateVisitwasawonderfulsuccessforourcountryandIamverypleasedthatyouareherewithustoday.

Nicolas.

PresidentSarkozy:

…briefremarks. IwouldjustsaythatonceagainIfullyrecognisemyownviewsintheanalysisjustpresentedbyGordonBrown.Thisisaveryseriousfinancialcrisisthatrequiredcoordinatedandstrongreaction,whichisexactlywhatwedid.TheeconomiccrisisisveryseriousandinEuropeweneedtoactonstrong,speedyandcoordinatedterms.

Wefullysharetheanalysiswhichyouhaveheardofthesituationandweareoftheviewthattheneedtocoordinatetheeffort,andoureffortsinEurope,isindispensable,evenifeachofusindividuallydonotusethesametoolsfromthetoolkit. WearepreparingthefutureG20summit,whichisaveryimportantmeetingwhichisgoingtotakeplacehereinLondoninApril.Becauseintheeyesofthepublicopinionoftheentireworldwehavepledgedthatthesamerootcauseswouldnotyieldthesameeffects,buttherewouldbedeepstructuralchangesandthatwewouldnotfallbackintothebadhabitsofthepast.

Andweknowthatwiththedetermination,thecredibilityofthesechanges,restsuponEurope’sdeterminationtoimplementchangeintermsofworldgovernance,economicgovernanceandhowwetackleacrisisvirtuallyunprecedentedintermsofscopeandscale.

AndIwouldlikeonceagaintosaytoGordonmyfriendshipandconfidenceonhowgreatapleasureitistoworkwithhim,asindeedalsowithPresidentBarroso.

AndnodoubtwearegoingtohavetodomoreinEuropeintermsofcommonenergypolicy,investmentintheenergysector,intermsofthedigitalsector,thedigitaleconomy,investinginthefuture,andskillsandtraininginvestment.

PrimeMinister:

IamproudalsotobeabletoworkwithPresidentBarrosowhohasdoneatremendousjobasPresidentoftheCommission. HeistheinspirationbehindtheEuropeanRecoveryPlan,whichwillbediscussedbytheCouncilthisweek.

PresidentBarroso.

PresidentBarroso:

Thankyouverymuch. IthasbeenapleasuretobeagaininLondon,thistimeforthisveryimportantmeetingwherewealsometbusinessleaders. AndIcantellyouthattherewasarealconcernthatforanunprecedentedcrisisweneedanunprecedentedlevelofambition.

SoIwasproudtoseethattherewasoverwhelmingsupporttotheEuropeanrecoveryplan,presentedbytheCommission,andIhopethatthisweekthe…theEuropeanCouncil,supportsthatplanthatwehaveproposed. Itisanambitiousbutsustainablerecoveryplanwitha200billioneurofiscalstimulus.Ibelieveweneedtargetedmeasures.

Thiscrisisisthefirstcrisisofglobalisation…itisnotlikeothersinthepast. Infactalsotosolvethefinancialcrisisweneedaspecialeffortwiththerealsideoftheeconomy. Onlywiththatsupportfromtherealsideoftheeconomywillwemakealltheenginesworkagain.

Sowehavetounderstandthatitisnotimefordogmas,itistimeforpragmatism. IntheEuropeanUnionweareworkingsothatwecanachieveahighlevelofcoordinationatthesametimeusingatthemostthecommoninstrumentsthatwehave,likestabilityandgrowth…,ourinternalmarketrules,sothatwecanmaximisethepositivesynergiesandminimisethenegatives… Astronglevelofcoordinationisneeded. WeneedaEuropeanperspectivestatingthiscrisis,butnotonlyforusinEuropebutforourpartnersaroundtheworld. 

AndasPrimeMinisterGordonBrownandPresidentSarkozyhavesaid,Europewasleadingtheseefforts.ItwasthankstoyourleadershipthatwehadthatG20meetinginWashingtonthatstartedthiseffortforglobalgovernance,andwewillhaveundertheleadershipofGordonBrownasthenextChairoftheG20hereinLondoninApril,amajoroccasiontokeepthatleadershipforEuropeandfortherestoftheworld,workingespeciallywithourAmericanpartnersandfriends.

SoIreallybelievethatifweworktogetherwecanmakethiscrisisanopportunity,becauseitisintermsofcrisisthatwecanmakepeopleacceptsomehigherlevelofchange.Andsowecanusethiscrisisto,withonestonekickto…ifImayusethatexpression,itmeansthatusingtheshorttermstimulustopromoteourmediumandlongtermreformsforthecompetitivenessofEurope.How?

 Promotingourtransitiontoalowcarboneconomy,exactinginknowledgeandskills,exactinginenergyandsecurity,investingininfrastructuresataEuropeanlevel. SowehavetherighttoolsataEuropeanlevelandalsotopromotegrowthglobally.

Thisisbasicallywhyweneedthiscommonapproach,ofcoursemakingoureffortstoreachadealintheDohatradetalks.

Question:

IwouldliketoaskyouhowunitedEuropeisonthis?

  TheredoesseemtobealittlebitofaschismbetweenBritainandFranceontheonehand,andGermanyontheother.Andwhenonelooksatthisgloballynowthereappearstobe,withallduerespecttoPresidentSarkozy,alittlebitofaleft-rightsplitonwhetherafiscalstimuluscanworkwith…playingusinthemiddle?

PrimeMinister:

WellIdisagree. Wehaveunityonafiscalstimulus,wewerediscussingthisattheEuropeanmeetingonThursday. PresidentSarkozyandPresidentBarrosohavebroughteverybodytoapositionwheretheynowagreethatafiscalstimulustobackupthecutsininterestratesarenecessary.AndIthinkwhatisreallyinteresting,ourmeetingtodayisanticipatingalsoeventsinAmericainJanuaryandafterwardswherethereisgoingtobeaboosttotheinfrastructure,publicworks,spendingondigitalinfrastructure,spendingonnewtechnologyandcommunications,andIthinkyouwillfindthatEuropeisinthevanguardofwantingtoleadinthisaswell.

Nicolas.

PresidentSarkozy:

Thankyouforyour… Iamtouchedbyit.  Butyouknowyouhavetorealisewhatwearetryingtodo,whatwearestrivingtodo. Europeaccountsfor27countries,wearefacinganunprecedentedcrisis.Sonotonlydowehavetoharmonisethepositionsof27countries,butinadditiontothatyouhavetoimaginenewwaysofrespondingtoacrisisthatlookslikenoother. Nowobviouslyyouhavetobelieve,andgetotherstobelievewithyou,butjustawordabout