PRESS RELEASE, 11.03.2019: UNTRR draws the attention, again, to the hypocrisy of the President of France, who advocates "For European renewal" in a letter addressed to the European citizens The motto „Freedom, Protection and Progress” is in contradiction to the policies promoted by President Macron
11.03.2019
Press release
UNTRR draws the attention, again, to the hypocrisy of the President of France, who advocates "For European renewal" in a letter addressed to the European citizens
The motto „Freedom, Protection and Progress” is in contradiction to the policies promoted by President Macron
The National Union of Road Hauliers from Romania (UNTRR) draws the attention, again, to the hypocrisy launched by the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, in a letter addressed to European citizens in 22 languages, including Romanian language - “For European renewal” (click here for the original text).
The President of France asks for the support of all European citizens in this huge project, including the Romanians, but so far, he has promoted policies against European unity and progress.
There has never been a greater discrepancy between words and deeds in the history of Europe. Romania along with the Eastern states has joined a Europe that has principles, but we are heading towards a Europe that only supports the interests of Western states. Eastern European countries have made sacrifices to repair historical gaps, made efforts to comply with the rules and principles set out in the Treaty of accession, and when they are able to reach a milestone, the petty interests of Western European countries are disturbed, and the distance between the two camps is growing more and more so that peripheral countries will never be in line with the rest of the states.
Emmanuel Macron recalls in his letter about the reform of the Schengen area and rigorous border control, an area where France has shown many weaknesses in recent years, in the migration crisis. What did the French President do for Romania to be accepted in the Schengen area? Perhaps Mr. Macron is misinformed and believes that Romania is already part of the Schengen area?
President Macron speaks about a common European defense, a joint army, but in the same time the Romanians, the Bulgarians and the Croats have restrictions in free movement? Given that Romania have paid billions of RON to ensure European requirements for border protection, and the money were paid to companies imposed by Western European countries.
The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, is the image of a divided Europe, to which he decisively contributed by the law that bears his name and which he promoted when he was the Minister of Economy.
President Macron asks for unity where he promoted disunity, demands protection where he promoted protectionism, calls for freedom where he closed transport markets for eastern carriers, demands economic progress where free competition is blocked.
President Macron faces massive protests in his own country, and he does not know how to handle them, but speaks about the European renewal. The truth that is known across Europe is that the Macron Law has led to the rising of the neoprotectionism current in Western countries against the Eastern European countries. Emmanuel Macron was the first European leader to introduce economic segregation between the West and the East, and the law that bears his name led to a two-speed Europe - the winners and the losers. Which is the Europe in which President Macron is calling us to join? The one in which if we respect the rules and succeed to sit at the table of winners, we are immediately downgraded by new rules invented overnight? The Romanians and Eastern countries will never be in that Europe. We want in the right Europe, where there is no difference between deeds and words.
President Macron has initiated, supported and continues to promote economic segregation policies alongside Western European countries to the detriment of Eastern European countries and economies, but hypocritically dresses Europe's fighter's coat for unity and economic progress.
Starting from 1st of July 2016, France requires foreign road transport companies to pay the drivers with the French minimum wage, a measure designed to increase the operating costs of Romanian and Eastern carriers in order to reduce their competitiveness to eventually eliminate them from the market. By Macron law, France protects its own carriers and employees, to the detriment of the EU single market.
President Macron wants protection only for France and its citizens or for all European citizens? The facts show that the French President calls for European protection measures only for French citizens.
UNTRR has asked the French Government since 2016 that the principle for equal pay for the same services in the same place should apply also to companies, by applying the French reference cost calculated by the French National Road Committee (cnr.fr) for foreign road hauliers, which performs operations to/from France or cabotage in France. The Romanian transport companies have to pay to its drivers the wages of France, but the tariff paid to the French companies is 1.5 euro/km, 50% higher than the one received by the Romanian companies, of only 1 euro/km.
Not only France applies the minimum wage laws to foreign hauliers, but also Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy or the Netherlands. UNTRR considers that by applying the obligation to pay a minimum wage in road transport without paying a tariff to cover the costs, the sovereignty of the other EU Member States is violated.
The French president's hypocrisy is even greater, as nine European countries - Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway and Sweden, through the Transport Ministers of these states - formed the Road Alliance, which is promoting their own neoprotectionist policies to the detriment of the Eastern Europe countries. How can the President of France speak in his letter about a Europe of freedom and progress, when eight EU countries and one non-EU state formed an alliance to destroy any trace of competitiveness in European road transport?!
Despite all the steps made by the Eastern European governments and the EU's road transport industry, the European institutions have not taken urgent steps to stop the neoprotectionism and defend the fundamental values of the European Union, remaining stuck in slow and endless bureaucratic procedures.
President Macron wants us, the Romanians, to protect French citizens for progressing, being stronger and admiring them behind the Schengen fence?! Apparently this is the wish of President Macron, which has proven abundantly in recent years, and East European road hauliers have felt it fully on their skin!
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National Union of Road Hauliers from Romania (UNTRR) is an organisation - professional and employers, non-governmental, independent, apolitical - founded in 1990 on democratic principles, promoting and defending the interests of road transport domestically and internationally, recording since its foundation to the present over 16,000 members - operators carrying out domestic and international freight transport and passengers.
