See links below for further statements from the EP groups.
Taking the floor to open the debate, Commissioner Olli Rehn said that the Commission would have preferred a more gradual adjustment for Cyprus but since Member States were only committing €10 billion this was not possible. He went on to say that it was time to stop the blame game.
Jean-Paul Gauzes (EPP, FR) said that the Eurogroup's appalling communication was central to the fiasco. He also blamed the EU institutions for not being vigilant enough and Cypriot banks for having built up too much risk.
Hannes Swoboda (S&D, AT) criticised the Council and more particularly Germany for behaving in a "near colonial way". He also called on the Commission to disband the Troika.
Guy Verhofstadt (ALDE, BE) said that it was essential to find out exactly what went wrong, adding that the ECB, the Troika and the Eurogroup president, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, had difficult questions to answer. If these answers were not forthcoming then the EP should set up a committee of inquiry he said.
Daniel Cohn-Bendit (Greens/EFA, FR) said that the real solution for Cyprus was to reunite the island in order to unleash growth potential and investment.
Jan Zahradil (ECR, CZ) said the real problem was much wider than what was happening in Cyprus. Cyprus was being used as an excuse to attack national fiscal sovereignty he said.
Nigel Farage (EFD, UK) accused the Commission of criminal behaviour, robbing people to prop up the euro project. No one has confidence in the euro, he concluded.
Takis Hadjigeorgiou (GUE/NGL, CY) accused the EPP political family of using double standards, with support for the Cypriot cause given within the EP but not within the Eurogroup. He also criticised the Council for imposing measures on Cyprus which it would never apply to larger countries.
Laurence Stassen (NI, NL) said that the only solution for Cyprus was for it to leave the eurozone, adding that the Netherlands should not be paying out further for the country.
Press release
See also:
ALDE/Verhofstadt: Main lesson from Cyprus is our need for a definitive EU bank resolution fund
EPP/Gauzès: Cypriot crisis: we need a more integrated Europe with more solidarity and control
S&D/Swoboda: "We have to end the neo-colonial behaviour of the Council and the Troika in Cyprus"
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