Ex-­Belgian PM calls for return to national currencies in Europe

If the European Union does not succeed in promoting further political integration, it would be better to drop the euro and return to the national currencies, ex­Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt told a Dutch TV Sunday.

Verhofstadt, who is the current leader of the Liberals in the European Parliament, expressed his disappointment about the lack of cohesion in the European decision­making.

"This is the kind of European policy making you would want to avoid. Night sessions to solve a problem, emergency meetings of the Finance Ministers ... This is wrong," he told the current affairs programme on NOS TV.

"What Europe needs, is a real federal government. Not less, but more Europe in fact. It would be wrong to continue as we are doing now. Either we evolve into a full­fledged European currency union, with a political union behind it, or we return to the national currencies," said Verhofstadt.

"I agree with those saying that 'if it can't work properly, than go back to the national money,'" he added.