PROF. RYSZARD LEGUTKO: This is Europe. Debate with Olaf Scholz

ECR Group Co-Chairman Prof Ryszard Legutko, “The EU’s big guys do what they want, never bother to consult anyone and call it leadership.“ In Strasbourg today, ECR Co-Chairman Prof Ryszard Legutko strongly rejected Olaf Scholz’s ideas about an even closer European Union and especially his calls for a majority vote in the Council on foreign and fiscal policy. Reacting to Scholz’s ’this is Europe speech“ in which the German Chancellor explained that the Ukraine crisis and geostrategic challenges had shown that the EU needed to unite further towards centralisation, Legutko responded that Germany, as a large country, does not need to act as a pioneer of supposedly forward-looking ideas. EU policy was already too dominated by large countries, Legutko said. EU policy towards Russia and in the area of migration both much influenced by Germany, however, had failed. Germany should shift down a gear and join the ranks of the other member states. “The Russian policy was the most