Thursday, June 23, 2005
Blair, on Europe's future
Yesterday, Blair told the EU Parliament something it probably didn't want to hear:
The first comment, in terms of "relative index" is a wash. Other countries can raise their standards without harming Europe's. But the second, about science graduates should concern Europe and the US. Both have lived high in the "value chain," and without more careful nurturing of that pool, there could be problems.
Tony Blair, Prime Minister, has told the EU Parliament that Europe's social model needs to be modernised.
Blair said, “What type of social model is it that has 20 million unemployed in Europe, productivity rates falling behind those of the US, that is allowing more science graduates to be produced by India than by Europe, and that, on any relative index of a modern economy - skills, R&D, patents, IT, is going down not up?”
He added, “India will expand its biotechnology sector fivefold in the next five years. China has trebled its spending on R&D in the last five. Of the top 20 universities in the world today, only two are now in Europe.”
The first comment, in terms of "relative index" is a wash. Other countries can raise their standards without harming Europe's. But the second, about science graduates should concern Europe and the US. Both have lived high in the "value chain," and without more careful nurturing of that pool, there could be problems.
