Franceâ„¢s minister of industrial renewal has blamed the European Union (EU) for fuelling the far-right National Front party by putting too much pressure on elected governments.
Arnaud Montebourg made the remark on Sunday and accused European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and other EU officials of having created an institution that is against the people of Europe.
Å“I think the main cause of the rise of the Front National is related to the way in which the EU today exerts considerable pressure on democratically elected governments,” Montebourg stated.
He continued by saying, Å“The European Union is paralyzed. It does not respond to any of peopleâ„¢s aspirations in the industrial, economic or budgetary fields and in the end it provides a cause to all the anti-European parties.”
On June 18, the European Commission president described states such as France as Å“culturally extremely reactionary.” Barroso made the comment on the day when talks between the 27 EU trade ministers were held to determine the terms of negotiating an EU-US free trade deal.
France insisted on excluding audiovisual sector from the negotiations to protect Europeâ„¢s film and cultural industries.
Montebourg also commented on Barossoâ„¢s accusation by saying, Å“You have the president of the European Commission who says Ëœall those who are anti-globalization, theyâ„¢re reactionariesâ„¢. These are the same people who have today turned the European Union into an institution that is anti the people of Europe.”
Negotiations on EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) began on June 17 during the recent G8 meeting. If a deal is made it would create the worldâ„¢s largest Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
The European Union says an FTA would add some 119 billion euros every year to the EU economy, and 95 billion euros to the US economy.
CAH/HSN
This article originally appeared on: Press TV