Mirek Topolánek: “European solidarity is unthinkable without national responsibility”

Topolánek called on the EU Member States to show clear and unequivocal unity in the fight against the impacts of the financial crisis.

At the informal EU summit in Brussels, Czech Prime Minister and President of the European Council Mirek Topolánek called on the EU Member States to show clear and unequivocal unity in the fight against the impacts of the financial crisis. He said that protectionism and breaking the rules of fair competition may, in the long run, do more economic as well as political harm than the crisis itself.

“European solidarity is unthinkable without national responsibilty”, said Mirek Topolánek, adding that for confidence in the internal market to be maintained and strengthened, all the Member States must respect the rules of the market.

According to the Czech PM, the informal summit, which brought together the Heads of State or Government of the Member States, but also top representatives of the European Commisson and the European Parliament, should above all send a clear message that the EU Member States will act in concert when implementing the Economic Recovery Plan. That is to say, they will take into consideration their respective starting points and the different forms of impact of the economic crisis but at the same time respect the common rules of the internal market.

For more information see the Calendar on the website of the Czech Presidency.

Contact:

Jiří František Potužník, Spokesman of the Prime Minister for the Czech EU Presidency
Tel.: +420 224 002 497, GSM: +420 725 818 435, E-mail: potuznik.jiri.frantisek@vlada.cz