The French government's plan to heavily support their car manufacturers underlines the French interventionist and protectionist reflexes. The Czechs were rightly outraged by suggestions made by President Sarkozy last week that French car companies should relocate foreign production plants to France. Protectionism is a zero sum game that will neither save the French worker's job nor the Czech one's. "According to the rules of the internal market and competition laws protectionism within the European Union is simply prohibited. The European Liberals are proud that the liberal European Commissioner for Competition, Neelie Kroes, will look very closely at such plans", says ELDR Party President Annemie Neyts.

"What solutions to the fierce crisis will the European People's Party present to the European citizens in their election campaign if not even their own party members (Sarkozy's conservatives and Czech Prime Minister Topolanek' party) can agree on fundamental policies", Annemie Neyts wonders.

"The Liberals were the first European Party to publish their political platform for the European elections and long before the Socialists and Conservatives we have made clear that we need coordinated efforts on the international stage to better regulate the financial sector while ensuring a competitive business environment," Annemie Neyts added. "Unlike the Socialists' belief it is the business sector creating jobs not the state."