Even when governments take the right steps to reform, these can be negatively impacted by events outside their control.
By the way, the European Union Member States together – even the euro area Member States together – are by far the biggest contributors to the IMF.
I say to my friends, ‘Don’t just listen to the vuvuzelas; look at who scores the goals.’ And this is the important thing.
Let us not forget that the European Community started as a project for peace after the terrible Second World War. And today people take for granted the freedom to travel, to study, to work abroad. And the citizens of one country have almost exactly the same rights as another country.
Governments are not always right.
I am a very committed European.
The Eurogroup decisions are always taken unanimously.
The euro area must not be treated as an ‘opt out’ from the European Union.
I have full confidence in the IMF. It is a very strong international institution.
I don’t know why my son was born conservative.
I believe that Europe without Britain at the heart will be less reform-driven, less open, less international Europe.
If we say leaders are incompetent, we are going to fuel extremist, populist, xenophobic and ultra-nationalist parties.
I’ll put it frankly – Britain has more influence in China than Norway or Switzerland, with all respect for the other countries.
At least in Europe, we consider the right to privacy a fundamental right, and it is a very serious matter.
I think diversity can also be a resource, an asset, especially in a world that is becoming globalized, to deal with difference, to deal with variety, to deal with complexity.
Smart, sustainable, inclusive growth is the key to job-creation and the future prosperity of Europe.
Internal protectionism in Europe would be deadly, really a disaster for European economies.
In the age of globalisation, pooled sovereignty means more power, not less.
Financial transaction tax raises problems of competition.
Growth based on debt is unsustainable, artificial.