“The European Union is a good project, but it is currently badly managed” – said MEP Bogdan Rzońca during the conference “Christian and social thought in shaping the future of Europe” organized by Institute of Schuman’s Thought in the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
“Today, we have no problem being among the nations of Europe or the world. We have no problem with that and we talk about it, that we need to live in harmony, in peace, we need to build everything. Only when we look at what the liberal-left coalition that rules the European Union does in this the moment, is a big problem for us” – he admitted. At the same time, he stressed that in his opinion leaving the European Union would not be a solution to the existing problems.
Bogdan Rzońca pointed out that nothing is counted in the EU and the European budget is not tight, while the service of the covid loan alone is EUR 2 billion. “The repayment of this loan starts on January 1, 2027 and we do not know what the economic situation in the EU will be like. What will the European Central Bank do, a few days ago it raised interest rates again. When this loan was taken, its interest rate was 1 percent, today is 3 percent, so the costs of debt are growing very much, and when the costs of this debt increase, there is less money in real terms” – he noted, adding that despite this, more expensive ideas are being proposed at plenary sessions. “When we ask about the costs of all decisions made by the European Commission, the answer is one: ‘We will count, but ladies and gentlemen, it will be fine'” – he reported. “The Fit for 55 package is a huge undertaking, completely uncountable” – he alarmed.
The MEP pointed out that large countries do not want to take loans from the Reconstruction Fund because they do not want to pay them back later. “There are six countries that have not taken a single euro out of that 750 billion to date” – he said.
“At the moment we are dealing with a huge European project that is not financially accounted for and this is our main concern” – he concluded. He also noted that due to indebtedness and the flight of companies from the EU, the EU is becoming less competitive. “The average EU debt is 80 percent, we have about 50 percent. So empty money, inflation, are operating. We are dealing with very expensive investments in the European Union” – he enumerated, pointing out that the energy sector has become a weapon of the 21st century. “When we ask where we will get the money for all European countries for a quick energy transformation, the commissioners answer: ‘We will introduce new fees, new taxes’. and the prices of heat and energy in the European Union countries, including Poland, will increase, the operating costs of companies will increase and this is already starting to happen. Many companies are wondering whether to move from the EU to the USA, but also to other countries where there are no such climate restrictions” – he said, pointing out that the pollution emitted by the EU is only 9 percent of the total issued around the world. “Meanwhile, a situation is being created that we are the main polluter of the atmosphere. This is not true, but the entire climate policy is strongly related to business” – he emphasized. He warned that industry would collapse and inflation would rise. “The EU requires Eurorealism. Unfortunately, the EU is ruled by ideologues, not economists, and this is terrifying” – he concluded.
Anna Wiejak