Open Europe: Budget increase is a ‘PR disaster’

Mats Persson, director of Open Europe, commented on the European Union’s proposed budget increase:
“The Commission is either completely misreading or wilfully ignoring the public mood around Europe. There’s very little appetite for a big increase to a budget that provides limited added value to citizens.
“Just like national governments, the EU has to adapt and find ways to re-shuffle and prioritise the funds available in the current economic climate. Almost everywhere you look there is fat that can be cut from the EU budget – from the 50 or so EU quangos; to the wasteful farm subsidies; to ‘cohesion’ subsidies to Europe’s richest regions.
“Perhaps the strangest thing about these running requests for more money is that the Commission – and MEPs – fail to realise what a PR disaster they are. This really is not the way to win the respect of citizens.”