Live on Euronews, Schulz said “I want to be the first Commission President who is the result of a democratic vote”.
Debating the conservative, liberal and green party candidates in front of an audience of 700 students, plus millions on live TV, Schulz repeatedly showed his programme will give a clear change of direction:
“It is time for Europe to change. People are frustrated by the policies of the past five years. We have talked for 5 years about billion euro bailouts and million euro mechanisms. But want to change the lives of ordinary people who are worried about their next 1000 euros”, said Schulz.
Schulz gave a tough verdict on the legacy of the conservative decisions of the last 5 years and the austerity policies overseen by Jean-Claude Juncker as Chair of the Eurogroup:
“We don’t need a democracy that adapts to a market as Ms. Merkel wants but rather a market that serves democracy”, said Schulz.
He stated that the real solution to youth unemployment was helping small business owners start and grow business that would provide new jobs.
The online reaction to Schulz’s declarations was remarkable, with grassroots supporters and party activists from all over Europe offering praise and quoting Schulz throughout the debate in a wealth of European languages. Hashtags such as #NowSchulz and #knockthevote were clearly in the frontline alongside the official #EUdebate2014 hashtag promoted by the conference organisers.
