European Reform Quotes

A desire to see significant reform and change is perfectly compatible with our belief that membership of the E.U. is in our national interest.

I speak on due consideration because Britain, France, and Mexico, have abolished slavery, and all other European states are preparing to abolish it as speedily as they can.

Of course, no-one thinks the EU is perfect. In recent years, the pace of social reform has slowed. But staying in offers the chance to rebuild a vision of Europe for workers, regardless of the passport they hold.

Europe is not a choice, it is a necessity, but it needs to be rethought, refounded.

As Tony Blair has made clear, our fundamental challenge is how to make Europe work better.

In the present great area of era of reform, where unjust governments are falling in every quarter of Europe … when all government is acknowledged to originate from the people … we think it is our duty, as Irishmen, to come forward and state what we feel to be our heavy grievance, and what we know to be its effectual remedy. WE HAVE NO NATIONAL GOVERNMENT—We are ruled by Englishmen and the Servants of Englishmen …. [We seek] AN EQUAL REPRESENTATION OF ALL THE PEOPLE IN PARLIAMENT… No reform is practicable, efficacious, or just which does not include Irishman of every religious persuasion.

France is ready for a European revolution and it is Germany that is pulling the brakes. For a long time, it was the other way around. You don't have to agree with the details of every single one of Emmanuel Macron's suggestions, but he's right about the idea of a new foundation of Europe. Europe's Social Democrats have long demanded this. If we really want to, we can create a different, better Europe in the coming years.

Emmanuel Macron wants to see changes in France and we support him in that. Macron has proven his courage by leading an election campaign friendly to Europe and reform against the majority opinion of the Socialist Party.

What we have to do is reinvent the idea of Europe.

I believe that Europe without Britain at the heart will be less reform-driven, less open, less international Europe.

Imagine what we could achieve if we had more Conservative MEPs in the European Parliament in terms of getting a better deal for Britain and negotiating fundamental reform and putting that in a referendum to the British people.

Changing Europe is a big goal. But I think it is at our fingertips.

I think that Europe has to get its act together very quickly. The Belgian guy who's leading the negotiations against Brexit, he sees it as a whole chance to reboot Europe and reclaim the kind of social mission of Europe from all this corporate, bureaucratic, globalist stuff that has got into, building Europe for the people rather than the banks, again.

What I am proposing is to start a new chapter in Europe. To begin this adventure anew, and differently, if you'd like. The institutions as such aren't particularly important to me - and I think most people feel the same.

Labour accepts that the European Court of Human Rights needs reform.

It is not more Europe or less Europe that we need. We need a better Europe.