Sort out the eurozone first, before further integration: Dutch PM

Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte does not see the need for any current discussion on further economic and political integration within Europe, he said ahead of a visit to the Netherlands by EU president Herman van Rompuy.


‘We have to tackle the problems here and now,’ the prime minister said. Only once the debt crisis has been tackled, will there be a firmer base to improve the alliance, such as in terms of banking supervision, Rutte said.
‘We have to solve the problems now and not get lost in structural discussions about the future of Europe,’ he said.
Confidence
‘That is how you work on recovering confidence,’ he said. ‘That is how countries such as Greece and Spain will solve their problems. And then the eurozone countries will grow together.’ The Dutch prime minister is due to visit Spain and Portugal for talks at the end of this week.
Rutte was responding to concerns from ChristenUnie and PVV parliamentarians who wanted to know more about reports that plans are being made for greater economic integration between the eurozone countries.
On Monday, Van Rompuy told a meeting in St Petersburg the countries in the currency bloc needed to agree further integration to ensure its survival.
‘There is no way back for the euro, there is only the way ahead, for further integration’ Van Rompuy is quoted as saying by news agency Reuters. He added that EU leaders hope to have a ‘working method to achieve this objective’ by the end of this month.

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