Speech by Alexandr Vondra
Conservative Party Annual Conference
Blackpool, 2nd October 2007
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure for me to be here with you today.
My pleasure is great not only because the favourite band of my youth Jethro Tull started here in Blackpool. But also, and above all, because the city of Blackpool is one of the symbols of yours party significant victory in the recent elections.
And I am deeply convinced that the victory is a sound and solid evidence of the right direction the Conservative Party has taken under the leadership of David Cameron.
The Czech ODS and the British Conservatives are sister parties who have enjoyed excellent relations and I very much hope we shall continue strengthening mutual support and being an inspiration to each other.
The ODS and the Conservative Party come from different countries, different political tradition as well as different historical experience. So what makes us so natural allies?
First of all, we share very similar view of the world. We share the same set of values known as liberal conservatism. We believe in freedom and in people who make their own choices and take responsibility for their deeds.
We distrust any grand schemes of social engineering; we distrust the omnipresent big brother – the state and its top-down approach to society.
What binds us in particular is our European policy.
We share keen and vital interest to be active members of the European Union.
We also share a deep conviction that the EU need to change and reform, if it is to be able to face the challenges of the new century and to comply with the ambition to become a key global player.
Together we are also positive about the possibility of that change.
Therefore the Conservative Party and ODS jointly founded the Movement for European Reform to be a leading force for setting the new policy on Europe.
Europe that is not closed to the outside world. Europe that is flexible and competitive. And I very much believe this approach will be at the heart of the new group we plan to establish together in the European Parliament after the elections in 2009.
Three weeks ago, we hosted a very successful Movement for European Reform conference in Prague, which focused on the issue of maximising Europe’s competitiveness in the 21st century.
The conclusions were clear: the EU must not create further real burdens for businesses across the continent with too much regulation, costs of administration and creeping attempts to harmonize bases of corporate tax across the continent.
What is more, the EU legislation is often inappropriate for local or national need or simply turned to be obsolete.
Now we get the core of the matter.
To be successful, the EU must recognise the limits of its powers.
It should aspire to do less, and do it better.
Only by delivering better and responding to citizens’ real concerns the EU can regain their trust back.
The process of globalisation presents the EU with opportunities as well as challenges.
As the world has grown flat we realize that many of “their” problems have turned to be “our” problems and in reaction to it, the word security has become often cited.
But there is no longer such thing as security. There is no more security security.
On one hand, Europe should focus on finding coordinate action on the issues like terrorism, mass migration or quest for strategic resources, whose negative effects will sooner or later affect its citizens.
On the other hand, it should resign its military rivalling ambitions undermining NATO and Euro-Atlantic bond. We need to keep Europeans and Americans working together.
Let’s work for open, competitive, responsible and flexible Europe.
Europe that is not a fortress.
A union, which can spread its stabilizing effect beyond its current boarders and can find a viable framework of future cooperation with countries, which aspire to become its full members.
Europe in which each state can choose a level of its integration and cooperation with others, while not distorting the principles of single market.
Europe whose agricultural and trade policy will not undermine its own development policy goals.
Europe, that puts its confidence into an individual initiative and free competition.
I believe that these are the principles on which – together with other like minded political forces – we can build Europe that lasts.
Thank you very very much and Good luck!