Parliament sees right-left split over economic recovery

摘要

MEPs, meeting in plenary in Strasbourg on 11 March, adopted a report on the European economic recovery plan calling for coordinated national action and for the European Commission to speed up its contribution to stimulating the economy. However, the heated debate preceding the vote showed deep divisions among deputies, who split along party lines.rnThe report, written by Portuguese Socialist MEP Elisa Ferreira, caused a fiery exchange between EPP-ED deputy Gunnar Hokmark and Socialist group leader Martin Schulz, with Hokmark exclaiming, "The Socialists have called for lower interest rates at the peak of the economy. Mr Schulz, you should feel thankful that Europe and the ECB didn't listen to you. If they had, the European economy would have been much worse off now". Schulz interpreted the passing of the report, which included provisions on eliminating tax havens, as a shift tornthe left in European politics.