Socialism does not "stimulate growth of create jobs." Europe's economic goals fail
International Herald Tribune ^ | Nov. 4, 2004 | Europe's economic goals fail

Europe's efforts to become the world's most competitive economy have failed, and the European social model faces collapse unless the Continent's governments stimulate growth and create more jobs, according to a report published Wednesday. The initiative, drawn up by Wim Kok, former Dutch prime minister, measures progress on the so-called Lisbon Agenda, which European Union countries introduced in 2000 with a goal of making Europe the world's most dynamic and competitive knowledge-based economy by 2010. But since then "the growth gap with North America and Asia has widened," the report says. The gloomy assessment blames national governments for the failure, and it calls on each of the 25 EU countries to publish new national targets for reform, and a timetable for meeting them. The European Commission would be given the role of naming and shaming countries that failed to meet the targets. "If we don't focus strongly on growth, productivity and employment, we will not provide the means to keep the social model," Kok said in an interview following the publication of the report.

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