Europe's largest trade union organisation has vehemently condemned "irresponsible" recent comments by Belgian former top EU official Pierre Régibeau, who suggested that the continent's deindustrialisation should be welcomed even if it leads to significant job losses.
In an open letter to EU Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) expressed its "deep concern" over Régibeau's remarks, and sought "clarification" from the Commission over its "commitment to the future of European foundation industries and their highly-skilled workforce."
The ETUC also alleged that the Belgian's comments "reflect the consistent failure of the EU's competition authorities to consider the interests of workers."
In an interview with l'Echo published last week, Régibeau – who recently retired from his role as Verstager's right-hand man at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Competition – claimed that Europe should "thank" other countries for the "gift" of cheap manufactured goods.
Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission. Credit: European Parliament
"If [heavy industry] disappears, so be it," he said. "It has to. What is the point of producing basic steel here if we can buy it three times cheaper in Indonesia?... If the imports are even cheaper, I don't see what the problem is."
When it was suggested that the erosion of Europe's industry could lead to significant job losses, Régibeau responded: "If we followed this reasoning, we would still have 40,000 miners in Liège. Let's not delude ourselves. Economies are flexible, they evolve. The shocks are absorbed."
'Failed neoliberal policies'
In the letter, the ETUC contended that Régibeau was wrong to claim that implementing protectionist measures to safeguard Europe's industrial base would be "stupid". Instead, the organisation exhorted EU leaders to "urgently put in place an action plan to safeguard [industries'] future in Europe".
The ETUC also claimed that Régibeau's remarks about the dangers of protectionism were "incoherent" insofar as the EU already has quotas and tariffs in place protecting Europe's steel industry.
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"We hope that the departure of Mr Régibeau will help bring about a break with the failed neoliberal policies of the past and ensure the Commission pursues an active industrial policy which protects and creates high-quality jobs in our industries," the confederation concluded.
Although Vestager has not yet commented on the matter, some EU officials have already attempted to distance themselves from Régibeau's remarks.
On Monday, Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas linked to the l'Echo interview on Twitter (recently renamed to X) and wrote: "Such views may make for good August headlines, but under no circumstances represent EU Commission policy. It took a pandemic and now a war to realise that Europe needs a solid industrial capacity and strategic autonomy."
