Armando Dionisi (PPE-DE). – (IT) Mr President, Minister, President Barroso, ladies and gentlemen, the forthcoming European Council is a vital stage in the difficult process of building the Union. Agreement on the financial perspective would restore certainty in our political action and confidence in the integration process, whereas failure would trigger a serious political crisis. The need for agreement must not, however, be mistaken for a willingness to accept just any compromise.

In his inaugural speech to this House, Tony Blair promised the revitalisation of Europe and major budgetary innovations. Today, unfortunately, we have to accept the fact that the proposal is modest and low-key. The Juncker proposal to reduce spending to EUR 871 billion was a difficult compromise to accept, but the proposed further reduction to EUR 846 billion, with substantial cuts in cohesion policies for the new Member States and in rural development, is unacceptable.

I should also like to point out that the contribution demanded from Italy would be greater than that of France or the UK. Thus it would be the poor regions of the old Member States that would be penalised, while the privileges of the countries that want a pared-down budget would remain virtually untouched.

This kind of solution contradicts everything the UK Prime Minister put forward and cannot be accepted by this Parliament. The only way to escape the squeeze affecting our countries and to give fresh impetus to our Europe is to reach an ambitious agreement that combines competitiveness and cohesion, solidarity and innovation.

To conclude, I should like to quote a man of the future: Alcide De Gasperi, whom we remembered yesterday. To reunite Europe we have to throw out a world of privileges, a world of pusillanimity and resentments. We must speak out, write and insist; we must not take a moment’s rest in order to keep Europe on the agenda.