I’ve just listened to a speech by CDU member of the Bundestag Eckart von Klaeden about the EU’s role in the world and how important it is to open up our markets. He stated over and over again that there were almost uniquely benefits to Germany to being open to the world and not having any systems in place for state influence of the economy – in terms of trade in goods and services.

Furthermore, he spoke from a very free market perspective about how free trade was uniquely beneficial to developing countries – as now half the number of people were earning 1 dollar a day than there were in 1980. Wow! I’m sure 1 dollar goes a lot less far now than it did then.

Plus he spoke about the EU and trade and made not a single mention of CAP and EU agricultural policies and the problems that brings for world trade during that time. Give a free market in that field and that’s really how developing countries could benefit.

Seen from Hildesheim, his constituency, maybe the neo-liberal trade approach is OK. But I’m not sure all of the farmers in Bayern and Baden Württemberg that so strongly support the CDU/CSU would take the same view when it comes to reform of the CAP, something that he of course neglected to mention throughout his whole speech. I don’t think the audience was fooled; I rather felt that his approach was somewhat patronising.