DIFFERENT VOICES

Date: 05/03/1998

“It would be dangerous if the political classes and public opinion were overcome by a syndrome of relief. No one can think about abandoning monetary rigour.” Italian Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini warning against complacency after his government published figures showing that Italy's budget deficit had dipped below the magic 3&percent;-of-gross-domestic-product line as required to qualify for the single currency.

“Every true European must feel a little bit frustrated today when looking at what happened in Iraq. One heard so much about what Iraq was expected to do, what the UK was doing, what Russia was doing ... while we heard so little about what the EU was doing.” Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres claiming the Iraqi crisis had exposed the Union's inability to influence world affairs.

“European Union membership cannot be treated as a race.” European Parliament President Jose Maria Gil-Robles warning some countries against what he described as a foolish obsession with rapid EU expansion and calling for a more measured approach.

“We have already told Fischler we are waiting for him resolutely.”

Christiane Lambert, head of the CNJA French farmers' union, warning that its members are planning to voice their opposition to the EU's plans for reform of the Common Agricultural Policy when Farm Commissioner Franz Fischler attends a Paris show later this week.

“We must create a social consensus in the battle against mass unemployment.

It has to be anchored in the middle.” Gerhard Schroeder speaking after his victory in the Lower Saxony elections last weekend which earned him the German Social Democrats' nomination to run against Chancellor Helmut Kohl in this autumn's general election.

“At this stage, I'm kind of reserving judgement because I don't think that the big countries ought to come in and just control the world as it relates to agriculture.” US Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman talking about what could be achieved at this week's meeting of farm ministers from the so-called 'Quint' countries: the EU, US, Japan, Australia and Canada.