Unity ‘fading’

Press, 14 June 1983, Page 9

Unity ‘fading’

NZPA-Reuter Bonn The European Economic Community’s summit meeting in Stuttgart this weekend was burdened in advance with too many hopes and fears, the West German Chancellor, Dr Helmut Kohl; said in a television interview yesterday. He also said that the idea of European unity appeared to be fading, emphasised the importance of Spanish and Portuguese membership of the Community, and implicitly admonished States which he said were seeking dividends from their budgetary contributions. Dr Kohl agreed with the West German television interviewer that ahead of the meeting of heads of State and Government “both the expectations and fears are too great.” He said that the meeting was being held at a very critical time from the viewpoint of the over-all economic crisis but the most important point was that the Community was losing sight of the idea of European unity' fostered by its founders.

The founders “had the vision of the creation of a United States of Europe” of which the economy was a part, he said. “But at the moment the danger exists that some in Europe consider the whole (Community) ... as a kind of branch bank to which they bring capital and hope as a result of various factors to get back more than they paid in.”