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There are many conflicting interests in Europe.

So Europe needs to be competitive and we also need to be competitive if we wish to remain an interesting economic partner for the United States. This has to be done on the basis of strength, of competitiveness.

Europe should stick to an open economy, to competition and we should refuse protectionism. It will not save one single job in the long run to protect non-competitive industries.

Europe has a lot of strength. We need to pool that strength, and I am very much in favour of that - more of a deeper political union.

The euro must be defended, or uncertainty about the European Union will be widespread.

Europe has the technology, the strategic and economic might to defend itself.

I think it is one of the fundamentals, not only of the European Union but also of free trade, that competition is fair.

For years, we have heard warnings that Europe needs to contribute more to NATO's capability.

So yes, European decision making is not pretty. But it does work.

I do not have the slightest bit of confidence in the European Union to protect the borders of the European Union.