A package of aid for growth equal to 1% of European GDP, around 130 billion euros. This is the concrete proposal, which will be made official by the European Council of 28-29 June, born today from the summit held in Rome between the Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the French President François Hollande and the Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. The four most important economies of the euro area have renewed their "common commitment to respect a sound discipline in the macroeconomic framework indispensable to ensure the stability of the system".
Frau Merkel melted away talking about growth and solidarity between member countries. “Growth and solid finance are the same side of the coin: solidarity and competition go hand in hand. Like guarantee and control”. "We want to send a strong message", continued the chancellor, "we do everything possible to keep the euro as our currency, we want to fight for the euro". And Prime Minister Mario Monti, recalling the report being drawn up by Van Rompuy, Barroso, Juncker and Draghi, said that "it is important to outline a longer-term common policy, involving European citizens more, e give markets a clear perspective on irreversibility of this great project, which has been very successful so far, which is called Euro".
The Italian premier has also declared his intention to increase the capital of the EIB to revive investments and employment and improve market competition. But above all, both Monti and Hollande reiterated, “We need to make the use of Community resources more effective in order to stabilize the markets and fight against speculation".
Prospects of agreement also with regard to the taxation of financial transactions. The president Hollande he wanted to reiterate that the four countries "are in agreement on a common vision of economic and monetary union" and that "I will continue to work for Tobin Tax”. Also the Merkel he said that “all four of them we support the introduction of a financial transaction tax".
Monti concluded the meeting by recalling that "the rules were not broken by Greece or Portugal but, ten years ago, by France and Germany with the connivance of the Italian presidency".
