Durão Barroso: “In Europe, there is a negative attitude towards the United States of America”
The former European Commission president considers the controversy around his new position as non-executive chairman at Goldman Sachs arises from a “negative attitude” towards the USA.
The former European Commission president considers the controversy around his new position as non-executive chairman at the North-American investment bank Goldman Sachs comes from a “negative attitude” Europe has towards the United States of America.
“In Europe, in some sectors, there is a negative attitude towards the United States, towards anything that comes from the US. It is a mistake, because there are differences between the US and Europe, but the bottom line is we need a common market. Growth and job opportunities are enormous”, states Durão Barroso in the Web Summit, Lisbon.
“That attitude is a mistake because, in this world of digital transformations, we need an innovative contribution to the financial sector. Many startups who were a success in the United States have prospered because they had venture capital”, Barroso stated, adding the United States “have invested 20 times more [in this sector] than in Europe”.
Only now is Europe “building that financial capacity, to support startups in an investment friendly environment”, said Durão Barroso.
