Mark Francois: ČR v Evropě a ve světě

Mr Chairman,

It is a real pleasure to be here in Brno in the heart of Moravia amongst my friends in the ODS party. I have now been to a number of your meetings and conferences and I always enjoy being with fellow Conservatives – who like fighting socialists.

I am also delighted to be able to talk to you this afternoon about the success our two parties has had this year in the European Parliament working together towards our shared goal of a free, open and reformed Europe.

Despite their geographical separation Britain and the Czech Republic share many vital interests. We are both strong supporters of NATO and in Afghanistan our soldiers are currently fighting side by side, as comrades in arms, to protect our common security.

Britain and the Czech Republic are also important trading partners – trade between our countries now accounts for over 149 billion Crowns and is growing by the year. UK companies are now important investors in the Czech Republic and the British people’s love of visiting your country has made us your second largest tourist group. In fact next Month HRH the Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall are due to visit Brno University, so you will have some pretty senior tourists too.

We in Britain will also never forget the great debt we owe to the Czech servicemen who fought alongside British servicemen in the Second World War, in the cause of freedom.

The exploits of the Czechoslovak pilots who served in the Royal Air force in 310 and 311 Squadrons protecting the English skies are well known as are those of the Czechoslovak Army at Torbruk in North Africa.

Britons and Czechs have been strong allies in the past and I believe that we can be strong allies in the future as well.

It is because of our shared interests and love of freedom that it was natural that in 2006 Mirek Topolanek and David Cameron pledged to form a new group in the European Parliament.

The Group’s goal was to push forwards our shared vision of a free, open and outward looking Europe where the rights of all states – large and small – are respected. I am very proud to say that since I last spoke to you in Prague, this project has become a reality. In June of last year, along with MEPs from six other countries, we formed the ‘European Conservatives and Reformists’ group.

The group’s importance and influence in the Parliament was immediately proved in the re-appointment of President Barroso as head of the Commission. Our group’s support was crucial in thwarting the Socialists initial plans to install a candidate opposed to economic liberalism. In fact our importance is shown by the fact that when President Barroso came to visit the different groups prior to his request for re-appointment, he visited our group first.

We have been allocated many key committee posts including the influential chairmanship of the internal market committee. We now also have a seat on the Conference of Presidents, the ‘top table’ of the European Parliament, where how business will be managed is often brokered and thus where many important decisions are made.

In addition, our group is now increasingly making its influence felt as an advocate of economic liberalism and reform. Where we share a common interest we work with and support other Parliamentary groups, principally the EPP and ALDE and, collectively, we can outvote the socialists and their allies. But importantly, where we differ we can also argue against further centralisation and regulation if we choose.

I would like to thank the ODS Party and to acknowledge the hard work of your MEPs which has made this New Group possible.

This is, however, only the beginning. We have already laid the foundations for two new organisations. Firstly, an alliance of Parties to be headed by, my friend, Jan Zahradil MEP. This alliance will give our joint project both greater resources and a new framework in which to make our voices heard in Brussels. Secondly, we will also be starting a new political foundation to help and support our parties at a European level.

The Financial crisis and how we in Europe respond to it could be the defining issue for the next decade. Already we have seen how countries that have had responsible centre-right governments such as the Czech Republic have fared better than those of with governments of the left.

You are fortunate in the Czech Republic to have had the good management of ODS. State debt in the UK accounts for nearly 70% of GDP – nearly twice the level of the Czech Republic.

Unfortunately there are those in Europe who do not believe in responsible public finances, deficit reduction and freeing our industry from burdensome regulation. Those on the left believe the exact opposite. They believe that what we need is more Government intervention and yet more spending.

What Europe needs and together we are delivering is a less regulated, open and flexible Europe, where economic and political power is not concentrated just in the hands of a few large states but in the hands of many individuals.

Soon those individuals will have their say. In less than four months both the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic will have elections. For us this is the first real chance in over 10 years to get rid of a tired and discredited Socialist Government. The task is great, we take nothing for granted but we are increasingly optimistic that we can succeed.

In your country people have in recent years been lucky enough not to have experienced the dead hand of a Socialist Government. I hope to be able to say this again next year. If anyone needs a reminder of the dangers Socialism poses let them look at Britain – in ten years Labour built up a debt bigger than that we used to fight the Second World War! Soon they may be gone but their debt will linger with us for many years to come.

The coming elections in your country and mine could not be more important. I wish you every success and would love for nothing more that to be there in London in a few months time as your leader, Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek meets my leader, British Prime Minister David Cameron, in Downing Street. Good luck!

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