"We'll have United States of Europe," EP president says

BRUSSELS European Parliament President Martin Schulz has strongly criticized British PM David Cameron for his plan to call a referendum on the EU. Schulz also said he advocated a transformation of the EU. "We'll have United States of Europe," EP president says “I deeply disagree with Cameron,” he told a press conference, commenting on the British PM’s speech. The European Parliament president said Cameron’s idea was “dangerous” and that it could open Pandora’s Box because other countries would probably follow in Britain’s footsteps. “It would then be a self-fulfilling prophecy, Schulz warned and noted that “some genies have already left the bottle” because euroskeptics in the EU were already celebrating Cameron’s speech as a triumph of new ideas. On the other hand, he admitted that many of Cameron’s criticisms were justified. “We have to do better,” Schulz said and added that EU’s main weak points were democratic deficit, social inequality and lack of transparency in institutions. The European Parliament president complained that heads of EU member states often blamed the EU for no reason. “They create a problem and then send it to Brussels to be solved,” he stressed. Schulz pointed out that no EU member state was strong enough on its own to take on challenges such as climate change, immigration and economic crisis, adding that solution for the problems was in the continuation and deepening of the European integration. “Some day we will have the ‘United States of Europe’,” Schulz said and added that it was “possible and necessary” to form such a structure. However, he pointed out that such “super-state” would not cause “national identities to melt away”. “We will not make Texas out of Germany and California out of France,” Schulz promised and noted that a diversity of European identities was the biggest precedence of the EU. Latest polls show that 40 percent of British citizens would vote to leave the EU while 37 percent would vote to stay in the Union. (Beta/AP, file) Tanjug

"We'll have United States of Europe," EP president says

“I deeply disagree with Cameron,” he told a press conference, commenting on the British PM’s speech.

The European Parliament president said Cameron’s idea was “dangerous” and that it could open Pandora’s Box because other countries would probably follow in Britain’s footsteps.

“It would then be a self-fulfilling prophecy, Schulz warned and noted that “some genies have already left the bottle” because euroskeptics in the EU were already celebrating Cameron’s speech as a triumph of new ideas.

On the other hand, he admitted that many of Cameron’s criticisms were justified.

“We have to do better,” Schulz said and added that EU’s main weak points were democratic deficit, social inequality and lack of transparency in institutions.

The European Parliament president complained that heads of EU member states often blamed the EU for no reason.

“They create a problem and then send it to Brussels to be solved,” he stressed.

Schulz pointed out that no EU member state was strong enough on its own to take on challenges such as climate change, immigration and economic crisis, adding that solution for the problems was in the continuation and deepening of the European integration.

“Some day we will have the ‘United States of Europe’,” Schulz said and added that it was “possible and necessary” to form such a structure.

However, he pointed out that such “super-state” would not cause “national identities to melt away”.

“We will not make Texas out of Germany and California out of France,” Schulz promised and noted that a diversity of European identities was the biggest precedence of the EU.

Latest polls show that 40 percent of British citizens would vote to leave the EU while 37 percent would vote to stay in the Union.