Blair looks for support on reforms from German public

TONY BLAIR continues to build his case for reform of the European Union and its finances.  This time he bypassed the German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and appealed directly to the German people.

In a two-page article for Germany’s biggest selling newspaper Bild, he explains the rationale behind his stance.

The article entitled “EU money for jobs, not cows”, Mr Blair agued that the CAP should be reformed to provide resources for the creation of new jobs not to protect old ones.

His comments are likely are find support in Germany where unemployment is, on average, 7%.

“We have to invest in innovation and education, not finance every cow with €2/day,” wrote Mr Blair.

He continued his attack on the budget saying it was not in the interests of Europe to spend 40% of the budget on an industry in which “less than five per cent of the population works”.

The article, which was supported by a Bild editorial proclaiming “Tony Blair is right to declare war on EU-subsidy mentality”, coincides with growing public unease in Germany in the way the EU affairs are run.

The article is further strengthened by a front page article listing of 19 ways in which the EU supposedly “wasted” millions of German taxpayers’ money.

According to the Independent, Bild’s editor had been offered the article at short notice, but was happy to be given the opportunity.

“Mr Blair is at the centre of the debate on Europe – it’s a pity that he is not running for the German Chancellor’s job,” Bild’s editor told the Independent.