- il y a 5 jours
Entretien avec Varoufakis : les dirigeants de l'UE vont débattre des euro-obligations lors d'un sommet informel
A 8 heures du matin, heure de Bruxelles, retrouvez le nouveau programme phare de la matinée d'Euronews. En 20 minutes seulement, nous vous présentons les principales nouvelles de la journée.
LIRE L’ARTICLE : http://fr.euronews.com/2026/02/12/entretien-avec-varoufakis-les-dirigeants-de-lue-vont-debattre-des-euro-obligations-lors-du
Abonnez-vous à notre chaine. Euronews est disponible sur Dailymotion en 12 langues
A 8 heures du matin, heure de Bruxelles, retrouvez le nouveau programme phare de la matinée d'Euronews. En 20 minutes seulement, nous vous présentons les principales nouvelles de la journée.
LIRE L’ARTICLE : http://fr.euronews.com/2026/02/12/entretien-avec-varoufakis-les-dirigeants-de-lue-vont-debattre-des-euro-obligations-lors-du
Abonnez-vous à notre chaine. Euronews est disponible sur Dailymotion en 12 langues
Catégorie
🗞
NewsTranscription
00:00Sous-titrage Société Radio-Canada
00:30European heads of state and government are spending this Thursday in the middle of the Belgian countryside in a 16th
00:36century castle.
00:37Despite the beautiful backdrop, the ghosts of the past will haunt them.
00:42On the agenda, the same debate about euro bonds and a bi-European rule that's been going round in circles
00:47for years.
00:48Mario Draghi and Enrico Leto will also be on site offering their tips on how the EU can compete with
00:55the US and China.
00:56But the big debate remains over who should pay.
01:00For more on this informal summit, which in EU jargon means there will be no formal conclusions,
01:05we're joined here in the studio by our EU news editor, Maria Tadeo, before she makes her way to that
01:09very gathering.
01:10Good morning, Maria. Just a reminder of yours, what is at stake today?
01:14Well, Maeve, it is an informal summit, but to some extent there is very little informal about it.
01:19And it is very intentional because when we spoke with the president of the European Council, Antonio Costa,
01:25and he told us on Euronews, yes, this gathering will take place and Mario Draghi will be invited.
01:30Of course, Mario Draghi, just to give a background, some context to our viewers,
01:34this is a man who is highly influential in the European diplomatic circles.
01:39Everyone who's important to that extent or who's someone who would like to think I am someone in this space,
01:45in the capitals here in Brussels, but also just in the overall sphere of European policy making,
01:50reads every speech and every word that he says.
01:53So he will participate in this meeting.
01:55But going back to Antonio Costa, he told us clearly, we need to come out of this with new impetus.
02:00We need clear political guidance from the capitals and the member states.
02:04Last year, we focused a lot on security.
02:07This year, we need to focus on the European economy, on competitiveness,
02:10and really bolster the single market.
02:12And that has to be intentional.
02:14So in a way, the value of this informal gathering today is the sequence that it could kickstart to reorient
02:19the European economy.
02:22We're starting to see, of course, the different groups that are emerging.
02:25Emmanuel Macron, obviously, yes, he is much weaker at home,
02:28and he's seen better times in domestic policies,
02:31but he still knows how to make a headline, how to make news, but also how to kickstart debates.
02:36He gave an interview to the European press at the start of the week saying,
02:39we need now this capability, this capacity to borrow collectively.
02:43Obviously, that means Eurobonds.
02:45He's putting on the table more Europe, a Europe that is able to protect.
02:48He joked yesterday, whenever you hear a French guy say protection, you go,
02:52oh, protectionism, but trust me, it's not the case.
02:55But of course, for others, it sounds a lot like my companies and Europe, and that's very much it.
03:00The other side to the story is Germany, the Belgians, also Italy on this camp,
03:07who argue, look, ultimately, these are very intellectual debates.
03:10We cannot do everything at once all the time.
03:12The way to fix the European economy is to really channel through the industry.
03:16And that means more leniency when it comes to targets, a pragmatic approach to climate,
03:21and let's just throw everything at the European industry and provide the tools they need,
03:25including lowering energy prices.
03:27So, a lot more pragmatic.
03:28Indeed.
03:29So, we should expect a big battle today, just briefly.
03:31Look, we should expect a big battle.
03:33Obviously, the question of the Eurobonds, however, it's not shocking to me,
03:37because ultimately, the point of this meeting is to talk about the report,
03:40largely, that Mario Draghi put out.
03:42The big question that he stated in this report was,
03:45if we talk about an independent Europe, what does that mean?
03:47It means it's a Europe that can protect itself with a strong economy and can set out its own policy.
03:52To do that, he said there is an investment gap of around €800 billion a year.
03:57The question is, how do you pay it?
03:59He talked about private and public money.
04:01But the question of the funding and the financing, to that extent, is inevitable.
04:05The value of this meeting is a sequence that it will kickstart.
04:07It will go into March, I'm pretty sure.
04:09And by the summer, something's got to give.
04:12Indeed.
04:12Maria Tseo, thank you so much for that.
04:14And, of course, for more on that retreat, we'll have a live blog running all day on Euronews.
04:19Maria will be there on location with a number of other Euronews reporters.
04:23But now, while everyone here in Brussels may have heard of Mario Draghi,
04:26and he may be highly respected and regarded here,
04:29not everyone remembers exactly why he's so famous.
04:32Here's Jakob Janis with a quick refresher.
04:36Meet Super Mario, a former Italian prime minister, ex-head of the European Central Bank,
04:43and a man currently spinning the threads of Europe's fate.
04:47You don't believe me?
04:48Just listen to that.
04:49We remain merely a large market, subject to the priorities of others,
04:55or do we take the steps necessary to become one power?
04:59So why is this retired banker suddenly the most important man in Europe?
05:04Level one.
05:06During the 2012 financial crisis,
05:08he famously promised to do whatever it takes to save the euro.
05:12And his policies save the currency you're using now every day.
05:16But the price was high.
05:18He was the face of austerity.
05:21And if you are from southern Europe,
05:23you know exactly the meaning behind cuts,
05:26unemployment,
05:27and a legendary battle with his nemesis,
05:29Greek minister Janis Varoufakis.
05:32And Varoufakis wanted to end the belt tightening measures.
05:36But our Mario simply pulled the plug on Greek banks to force a deal.
05:41Level two.
05:43Fast forward to 2026.
05:45The EU is losing the competitiveness game against the US and China.
05:49But Mario's new power-up is called
05:52Pragmatic Federalism?
05:54Or, in translation,
05:56Two-Speed Europe.
05:57So, if 27 EU members cannot agree,
06:00the willing ones should run ahead,
06:03united by common borrowing to fund defense and tech.
06:07And just like in a video game,
06:09our Mario is arriving today at a real castle,
06:13Alden Basin, in Belgium.
06:14And he is on a mission to convince 27 leaders
06:18to share the credit card bill.
06:21But here is the glitch.
06:23Our Mario can write the cheat codes,
06:25but he's not the one holding the controller.
06:28The European leaders are...
06:30And remember,
06:31in a video game,
06:33if you lose,
06:33you just press restart.
06:35But in the real economy,
06:37there is no such a button.
06:38So will he do whatever it takes
06:41to save the princess?
06:42We are about to find out.
06:49Jakob Yanis there
06:50on how Mario Draghi may be a superhero to some,
06:53but to others,
06:53he is a man of the banks and a technocrat.
06:55For another view coming up,
06:57we will be joined by The Economist and author
06:59Yanis Varoufakis,
07:00Greece's former finance minister,
07:02who had many moments with Mario Draghi
07:04while he was in office 10 years ago.
07:06Today, Yanis Varoufakis leads
07:08a left-wing pan-European political party
07:11that he co-founded back in 2016
07:13called Democracy in Europe Movement.
07:15Good morning, Mr. Varoufakis.
07:17Thank you so much for joining us.
07:19Look, this retreat is happening today
07:21and the European Union needs new momentum
07:23to bolster competitiveness.
07:25How?
07:29Exactly in the opposite direction
07:31of the one that they are travelling along.
07:34I'm afraid that yet again,
07:36we have a summit
07:37where our great and good European leaders
07:39spectacularly fail to talk about
07:42the one thing they should be talking about.
07:43You heard all this discussion about euro bonds.
07:46It's another word for Europe borrowing money,
07:49which is something that I have been advocating
07:51now for decades.
07:52But when reasonable people
07:55have a discussion about issuing debt,
07:58shouldn't the first question be
08:00who on earth is going to be issuing the debt?
08:02Because, you know,
08:03we don't have a federal government in Europe.
08:05We have federal money.
08:06And this is our tragedy.
08:08We have a great central bank,
08:10a monolith of a central bank.
08:12And we have, you know,
08:1320 treasuries that can't really rely on it.
08:17And at the same time,
08:18we don't have a treasury
08:19at the federal level
08:21looking after or supporting
08:23the role of the central bank.
08:25It is such a terrible design.
08:27And nobody is discussing
08:28the basic question
08:31that oozes out of Mario Draghi's report
08:33and out of what some of us
08:34have been saying now for decades.
08:36And it is this.
08:36Have you read the Mario Draghi report?
08:38Are we going to federate or not?
08:39Are we going to federate or not?
08:40That is the question.
08:41Because if they do not federate,
08:44they can't really seriously
08:45talk about euro bonds,
08:46which is, you know, federal debt.
08:49And have you read the Mario Draghi report,
08:50the 400 pages?
08:52Of course.
08:53And which camp are you in?
08:55You're clearly in the camp then
08:56who wants more Europe
08:57and not those who want to ditch the rules.
09:00Look, I'm putting it very, very simply
09:03to my fellow Europeans.
09:05It was a mistake to create federal money
09:07without a federation.
09:08The result has been
09:10the spectacular drop in investment,
09:13the stagnation,
09:14which is causing the lack of competitiveness.
09:17So we have two choices.
09:19We are at a fork on the road.
09:21We can move in the direction of federation
09:23or we can disband the euro.
09:26Unfortunately, the third choice
09:28is the one that our leaders are making
09:30that is neither, nor.
09:33And when you choose neither, nor,
09:35you end up falling in between two stools.
09:37So are you not in favour then
09:39of this idea of the multi-speed Europe
09:40that von der Leyen has been floating?
09:43Could it be the end of the 27 as we know it?
09:46Mrs. von der Leyen is proving very adept
09:48at coming up with phrases
09:54that sound like a solution
09:56when they are simply
09:59a manifestation of a failure.
10:02But she's teasing another round of deregulation.
10:04The Polish are saying the same.
10:05That is the way the EU is heading inevitably.
10:08What is your view on that?
10:10It's great.
10:11It's like rearranging deck chairs in the Titanic.
10:14You know, maybe they were not arranged properly.
10:16Maybe we need deregulation.
10:18But the reason why Europe is stagnating,
10:20the reason why Germany is de-industrialising,
10:24the reason why Europe is fragmenting
10:27in front of, on the one hand,
10:30the United States
10:31and, on the other hand, China,
10:32is because we haven't had any investment
10:34for 20 years.
10:35And we haven't had any investment
10:36because we have created
10:38the monetary system, the euro,
10:40which is federal in its monetary structure,
10:43but it doesn't have a fiscal
10:44and an investment dimension,
10:47pillar, to support it.
10:48So it's a very bad design.
10:50And unfortunately,
10:51our great leaders
10:52are going into a retreat
10:54in a castle with a moat
10:56and the only one thing
10:58they will discuss is the...
11:00Actually, the only one thing
11:01that they will not discuss
11:02is the thing that they should discuss.
11:04do they want to create
11:05a federal treasury
11:07and to change the structure
11:09of the European Union
11:10from a confederacy
11:11that is not working
11:12and failing Europe
11:13to a federation?
11:14That is the question.
11:15Well, that is the big question.
11:17That is the big question
11:18they're reflecting over today
11:19in the Belgian countryside.
11:20But you're clearly not a fan
11:21of EU leadership today.
11:23But just when it comes
11:23to your leadership,
11:24when you were in office,
11:25we had an interesting question
11:26on social media from a viewer,
11:28which is quite reflective
11:29on your time and power,
11:30reflecting on the book
11:31that Alexis Tsipras wrote,
11:32saying that your proposals
11:34were often, quote,
11:34unrealistic or delusional.
11:37How do you respond,
11:38Mr Varoufakis,
11:38to these criticisms today
11:40and how do you assess
11:40your own responsibility
11:41for the outcomes
11:42of that period?
11:45Ten years ago,
11:46I put to Mario Draghi,
11:48to Christine Lagarde,
11:49to Wolfgang Schäuble,
11:50to the European leadership
11:51at the time,
11:52a very simple proposition
11:54that either we could continue
11:56with socialism for the bankers,
11:57that is printing money
11:58for big business,
12:00and austerity for the many,
12:01which would cause
12:02a deindustrialization
12:03in the end even of Germany,
12:06or we would have
12:07to move in a direction
12:11that even Mario Draghi
12:13is now advocating now,
12:15not ten years ago.
12:17And they made their own choice.
12:19Okay.
12:19I think I was right
12:20in what I was advocating
12:21back then.
12:21Okay.
12:22Mr Varoufakis,
12:23thank you so much
12:24for joining us this morning
12:25on Europe Today.
12:26See you very soon.
12:28Well now,
12:28EU leaders are locking heads
12:29of course on fixing
12:30the EU economy,
12:31but they're also nervous
12:32about the never-ending war
12:33in Ukraine.
12:34February 24th will mark
12:35four years since
12:37the full-scale invasion
12:38of Ukraine by Russia,
12:39a date that was rumoured
12:40in the media
12:41as the day President Zelensky
12:42would announce
12:43fresh elections,
12:44something he has clarified
12:45and rejected.
12:46For more,
12:47Sasha Vakilina,
12:48our Ukraine correspondent,
12:50joins me here on set.
12:52So Sasha,
12:52President Zelensky said
12:53no elections are on the table.
12:54Tell us very sharply.
12:56He said there's no intention
12:57to announce any elections
12:58or in fact anything political
12:59on the 24th.
13:00He also said that
13:01this is the first time
13:02he heard about it
13:03was from the media reports.
13:04He did confirm
13:05that this issue
13:06has been raised numerous times
13:07by Ukraine's partners,
13:08specifically by the United States,
13:10but he said
13:11this is not something
13:12that is floated in Ukraine.
13:14Let's take a look
13:14at what he said
13:16regarding Ukraine's intentions.
13:18He said we are ready
13:19for elections.
13:19I said it is very simple to do.
13:22We'll do it
13:22when all the relevant
13:23security guarantees
13:24are in place.
13:25Make a ceasefire,
13:26there will be elections.
13:27That's it.
13:28It's a matter of security.
13:30He also added
13:31that there is no link
13:33between the US security guarantees
13:34and the elections.
13:35Because this is another speculation
13:36that we saw
13:37in the media reports.
13:38He said no,
13:38the United States
13:39is not threatening
13:40to withdraw
13:41or withhold
13:41any security guarantees
13:43in exchange for the election.
13:44And he also said
13:45it's going to be very foolish
13:47to use the date
13:48of the 24th
13:49to make any
13:50political statements made.
13:52And what about
13:52the peace talks, Sasha?
13:53Any update on the talks?
13:55Well, they are continuing
13:56and that's probably
13:57the best news
13:58and the best result
13:59of those peace talks.
14:00The next round
14:00is expected to be
14:02next week.
14:03The format is still
14:04to be clarified.
14:05We saw the trilateral talks
14:07Ukraine, Russia
14:08and the United States.
14:09So this is expected
14:10to be the next format
14:11as well.
14:12But there's not much hope
14:13regarding the result.
14:15Now,
14:15Euronews sources
14:16at NATO in Brussels
14:18said, for example,
14:19that one of the main topics
14:20at the meetings
14:21this week at NATO
14:22including the defence
14:23minister's meeting
14:24on Thursday today
14:25is to have the better
14:26visibility regarding
14:27Ukraine's Pearl programme
14:29and to have the visibility
14:30from six months
14:31to up to one year.
14:32That's your answer
14:33about the expectations
14:34on the peace talks
14:34and the results.
14:35Okay, Sasha,
14:36Vakilina,
14:37thank you so much
14:37as always
14:37for all those updates
14:39and as the clock
14:40ticks down
14:40to all those deadlines
14:41the clock is also ticking
14:42to a very important date
14:44in the EU agenda.
14:45That's the Hungarian elections
14:46just two months to go
14:48until Hungary's
14:49April election
14:50where incumbent Prime Minister
14:52Viktor Orban
14:53is running again.
14:54Viktor Orban
14:55has repeatedly clashed
14:56with EU counterparts
14:57on migration
14:58and the war
14:58in Ukraine
14:59and this campaign
15:00is no different.
15:01Viktor Orban
15:02is planning a visit
15:03to see Mr. Trump,
15:04President Trump
15:05next week
15:05for the Board of Peace event
15:07but meanwhile back home
15:08the campaign
15:09is getting heated.
15:10For more on this election
15:11and who else is running?
15:13We're joined now
15:13by Sándor Giroz
15:14our Hungarian correspondent.
15:16Good morning!
15:17So this election
15:18is getting quite heated.
15:19Tell us more
15:20and who's running?
15:21Well, surprisingly
15:22the opposition party
15:24TISA
15:24which is led by
15:25Peter Magyar
15:26is leading in the polls
15:27with 7-10%
15:29ahead of Viktor Orban's
15:31Fidesz party
15:32and this is unprecedented
15:33because Viktor Orban
15:35was in power
15:35since 15 years
15:37and his winning elections
15:38was never in question
15:40but now we have
15:40a very, very strong
15:41and very aggressive
15:43opposition party.
15:44Nevertheless,
15:45that doesn't mean
15:46that the race is done.
15:48Fidesz can win,
15:49TISA can win,
15:50there is a large amount
15:51of undecided voters
15:52and, you know,
15:53the campaign
15:54is heating up.
15:55TISA party
15:55released its election manifesto
15:57which is full of promises
15:59related to the cost
16:00of the living crisis
16:01and inflation.
16:02They promised tax cuts,
16:03they promised family benefits,
16:05pension rights
16:06and also
16:07Viktor Orban
16:09continues to highlight
16:11his foreign policy agenda
16:12namely targeting Ukraine
16:15and he went on
16:17with a very aggressive wording
16:18over the weekend.
16:19Let's maybe take a look
16:20that he said.
16:22Ukraine is damaging
16:23our elementary interest
16:25by constantly demanding
16:26and inciting Brussels
16:28to do so,
16:28that Hungary
16:29be cut off
16:30from cheap Russian energy.
16:32Anyone who does this
16:33is not an opponent
16:34of Hungary
16:34but an enemy.
16:36Viktor Orban there
16:37and Peter Meyer
16:38who's leading the polls
16:39has said,
16:39the governing party
16:40Fidesz could release
16:41a compromising video
16:42to discredit
16:43Viktor Orban
16:44or to discredit him.
16:45What exactly does that mean
16:47Chandler
16:48and what does it say
16:48about the campaign?
16:50Well, Peter Madjar
16:50said that there is
16:51a secretly recorded
16:52sex tape
16:53with him
16:54and his former girlfriend
16:56that the government forces
16:59are using
16:59to blackmail him
17:01and here I have to quote
17:02Peter Madjar
17:03because he said that
17:03I suspect that
17:05they are planning
17:06to release
17:06a secret service
17:07recorded
17:08and possibly doctored
17:10recording of me
17:11and my then girlfriend
17:12having an intimate
17:14encorter.
17:15There is also
17:16a picture circulating
17:17online showing
17:18an empty room
17:19with a bed.
17:20This might be
17:21possibly related
17:22to this sex tape
17:23but we don't know
17:24anything about
17:24this sex tape.
17:25This has not been released
17:27we just see this picture.
17:29We don't know
17:30if this is a media hack
17:31or not
17:32but this tells
17:33one thing
17:33that this Hungarian
17:35electoral campaign
17:36is so special
17:37it's so aggressive
17:39it's going to be
17:39full of personal attacks
17:41it's going to be
17:42full of
17:43you know
17:44full of hate
17:45and videos
17:47and
17:48in the coming months
17:50we have
17:50we will see
17:51more and more
17:52of this.
17:53And then
17:53Prime Minister
17:54Viktor Orbán
17:55also said that
17:56in the last phase
17:57of the election
17:58in the last days
17:59of the electoral campaigns
18:01they will have
18:02released
18:03finger on the opposition
18:04so they will have
18:05some munition
18:06against the opposition
18:07that they are
18:08willing to use.
18:09Okay, Sándor Giros
18:10so we should expect
18:11a lot of dirty laundry
18:12to surface
18:13in the next couple of weeks
18:14and months
18:14into that election.
18:15Thank you so much
18:16for that update.
18:17Sándor Giros there
18:18our Hungarian correspondent.
18:19and of course
18:21for more on the EU leaders
18:22retreat taking place
18:23today you can follow
18:24our live blog
18:25on Euro use
18:26and by the way
18:27if you're interested
18:28in the topic
18:28of managing migration
18:30you can watch
18:31a very fiery debate
18:32from Strasbourg
18:33on the ring
18:34but that does bring
18:35this edition of
18:36Europe Today
18:36to an end.
18:37thank you so much
18:38as always
18:38for your company
18:39any comments
18:40points for us
18:41do reach out to us
18:41either on social media
18:43or you can drop us
18:44an email
18:44europetoday
18:45at euronews.com
18:46that is our email address
18:47take care though
18:48and see you very soon
18:48right here
18:49on Euro News.
18:50do reach out to us
19:20do reach out to us
19:50do reach out to us
19:53do reach out to us
19:55do reach out to us
Commentaires