Letters • February 8 2004

EU law not fair with the weakest

Karoly Lorant
Economist
European Parliament
Brussels

Reference is made to the interview of Mr Joseph Muscat, MEP candidate for the Malta Labour Party (MaltaToday, 1 February 2004), wherein, referring to "the breach in the euro stability pact by France and Germany" he states: "For Malta this is good news because we can use this as a precedent to demand more flexibility when the need arises in other areas where EU-wide regulations could harm our small economy. If flexibility becomes an accepted norm in the EU we should do all we can to take full advantage of this."
I think everybody would be glad if flexibility becomes on accepted norm in the EU and from this point of view I would agree with Mr. Muscat. Unfortunately, Mr. Muscat misread the message concerning the breaching of the Stability and Growth Pact by France and Germany. It does not mean that what is possible for the strongest is also possible for the weakest. On the contrary, it has nothing to do with flexibility, but is about the right of the strongest to breach the law, which is not possible for the weakest.
You should never forget the ancient Roman warning: "Quod licet Jovi non licet bovi" (What Jupiter [supreme God] is allowed to do, cattle [people] are not). The task for Germany and France should not be to breach the law for their own interest, but to change the wrong system for everybody's interest.