GUE/NGL President Gabi Zimmer has described how last week's European Summit agreement on the MFF constitutes a “bad deal” for people across Europe.

Speaking in a European Parliament plenary debate this morning, she said: “We want a Europe that offers young people a future but Council and Commission are not delivering. What is the point of frontloading EUR 6 billion for Youth Unemployment? Where is this money coming from and where is the EUR 8 billion coming from for the whole seven years? What is the point of so-called flexibility when you are just moving deficits from one year to the next? Schulz’ social democrats should not help the EPP to get their majority for this shady deal for Europe.”

She continued: “Negotiating the EU budget shouldn't be about tinkering at the edges with an eye on the German elections or the European elections. There are citizens who depend on programmes and projects and they are going to lose out. And it is not only people who are losing out: democracy is also losing out as the European Parliament continues to be sidelined in this so-called budget compromise.”

Discussing the budget compromise in the context of the allegations that US surveillance agents have been bugging EU officials and buildings, she added: “Quite clearly the Americans are better informed than the European Parliament about what is going on. An apology from the US is not sufficient: any negotiations on a free trade agreement must now be cancelled until we find out if we are equal partners on an equal footing with equal rights and equal standards.”

GUE/NGL Press Contacts:
Emily Macintosh +32 470 85 05 08
Gay Kavanagh +32 473 84 23 20
European United Left / Nordic Green Left
European Parliamentary Group