Tony Blair claims that the recent 1.isbon EU summil was the most united and successful for some time. This is probably because he feit zone. he had more impact in shaping the key discussions than at previous meetings. This summit focused on what is, at the end of the day, the key issue the European Union to com- snapink up they pete with 11s global economic competitors: the United States, and marker.
Within this, Europe's key rival the USA, which seized the aavantage Japan during 1990s. And Today the US economy is fas more de-regulated than any inside the EU, with Britain Blair claims that the summit marked "a sea change in economic The EU he said was taking a the social regulation of the 1980s towards enterprise, innovation, competitiveness and employment He is partly right. The the Thatcherite neo-liberal agenda has been championing proudly. Blair has argued But EU is the adoption of British standards of labour flexibil- whipping ity and British levels of privatisation.
The claim that they will "create million jobs within a decade™, however, While as a smoke screen. in race 1e their proposals are successfully carried through, millions 01 100S destroyed in the drive for higher productively and further deregulation.
The summit agreed a series of sweeping reforms aimed at redressing the huge gap in which opened between he level es ex pheita in the exploitation labour - by further deregulating the moving towards the British (or "Anglo Saxon"') model.
The attitudes. specifically to speed up liberalisation' in the gas, electricity and transport sectors across Europe. tially opposed by France's different and more difficult political conditions in doing he accepted the proposals as a necessary part of the packsingle age.
But there is another rcason with Tony Blair has been keen to present this summit as reflecting a new and posithe EU, tive mood Within which is rooted in domestic British politics.
of the issues at the core of the current crisis Bic British manufacturing industry - is Britain's nonmembership of the Euro From point of view of manufacturing employers, whilst Britain remains a part of the EU, there is no future for manufacturing industry oulside of the Buro zone where would protected ( rather different. tions within what is overmain CaCH The current strength of the nound has highlighted the problem, not created it.
the zone with Greece Party Pakistan (LPP) applying to join (having got neo-liberal house in order, alter belos imitais refused for not meeting the criteria). Denmark, 100, m moving towards a referenThis increases dum on i. the pressurc on brisa man manufacturing industry expected that since new Labour were keen to get to e cone as soul d politically possible, they would go ahead with a referclection. It was just a case on hanging on until then.
things go acording The British xenophobia, and Germans around Bob, nas increased reactionary oppothis, it is