
José Manuel Barroso has just released this statement: We need fairness in the redistribution of sacrifices through this period in which as we know, some countries are implementing very painful structural adjustment. The European Social Model and our social market economy are precisely about combining economic openness and dynamism with social fairness. And unemployment is the antithesis of social fairness. Reforms can take time to make their benefits felt, while our unemployed people need jobs now, as soon as possible. So we need to fine tune our policies so that, as we pursue structural reforms in the medium term, we also have some measures that can at least mitigate the impact of the adjustment, and also some measures that address specific concerns in the employment sector. Our common aim should be to give our young people a perspective. To give them hope. And be clear that we will not tolerate that, in some of our member states, a generation of young people is condemned to long-term unemployment.