The president of the European employers’ organisation BusinessEurope, Maciej Witucki, called at the Forum Europa in Brussels for an end to the perception that the European Union is “a bubble”, as he believes it is “the only path to success for 450 million Europeans”.
At this event organised by New Economy Forum in the EU capital, Witucki criticised the fact that national politicians often portray Brussels as imposing measures and urged them to highlight the positive changes it drives, citing mobile phone roaming as an example.
“We must not view Brussels as a bubble; we need to understand what is being done there”, stated Witucki, who reiterated that “we have no alternative” and warned that “we are at a decisive moment”.
In this regard, he pointed out that changes are needed within the European Union and added that these must be made swiftly to enable European businesses to become more competitive.
He also stressed that “we need economic growth” to safeguard the European social model, maintain citizens’ standard of living and ensure social harmony.
Witucki argued that although the EU is currently facing difficulties in terms of economic growth, it has the resources to “hold its own against other parts of the world”, citing, amongst other things, its industrial capacity, its educational standards and the capacity of its domestic market.
“We have all the potential”, said Witucki, who emphasised the need for reforms to strengthen the domestic market and exports. To this end, he called for an end to protectionism.
“Competitiveness is not just the economic agenda; it is the European agenda”, continued Witucki, who also highlighted the importance of strengthening the single market across all sectors – including energy and the environment – through shared objectives.
“That is the path to greater competitiveness, and we do not have much time”, continued the new president of the European employers’ organisation. Specifically, he spoke of three or four years because, otherwise, “if we are unable to restore optimism among companies and citizens, they will lose hope and vote for parties that advocate closing the single market”.
Before his speech, the Director-General of BusinessEurope, Marcus Beyrer, highlighted de Witucki’s extensive experience within the Polish employers’ organisation, as well as in sectors such as banking and telecommunications. He therefore expressed his confidence in de Witucki’s ability to champion the needs of European business at a “crucial moment”. “He has what it takes to steer the ship”, he concluded.
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