On January 1 , 2010 ,Spain took over the six-month rotating presidency of the EU. Spain’s biggest ambition for its turn is the launch of a “2020 strategy” for Europe. This is a ten-year plan for boosting competitiveness and growth to help pay for Europe’s generous welfare systems. It follows another ten-year plan, the old “Lisbon strategy”, which failed in its aim of making the EU “the world’s most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy” by 2010.

But EU members reaction has been unenthusiastic. Spanish unemployment is heading close to 20% (double the average among euro-zone countries), following the popping of a huge housing bubble,  worsened by a two-tier labour market in which a hard core of permanent workers is almost impossible to sack, passing the pain onto those on temporary contracts, all too often meaning the young and immigrants.

So please give us a break !!! Let´s start by applying to ourselves what we want for the rest of EUROPE.