I found this blog post and couldn't let it go by. It was posted by Matt Persson, a regular contributor with his own blog at euobserver.com. I am posting it here for fear that it may be erazed in the future. It is a transcript from a homonimous article of Le Monde. If, as according to the article it is a reliable account of what went on, then one should be really concerned... On the other hand, Berlusconi's contributions are as ridiculous at the EU level as anywhere else!
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European Council President Herman Van Rompuy: “Nicolas [Sarkozy] has asked me to give him the possibility to make some remarks on a current issue. Indeed, I leave him the floor”.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy: “I have the highest respect for the [European] Commission. I have done a lot for it. I have done a lot for the Commission and to bring France back to the heart of Europe [...] It’s normal for the Commission to investigate. But before any investigation, one of the Commission’s Vice-Presidents [Sarko obviously referring here to Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding] has used expressions like ‘disgusting’, ‘disgrace’, ‘Second World War’. These are words I can’t accept. I don’t say that the Commission is disgusting [...] I’ve come here only because she [Ms. Reding] has apologised. I had told [Commission President] Barroso that I would not come if she didn’t apologise”.
Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso: “The substance and the form [of Reding's declarations] are two separate issues. We have rules against discrimination, and it’s the role of the Commission to defend them [...] The Commission has distanced itself from Viviane’s statement. She has said that she regrets the interpretation which has been made of her declarations”.
Sarkozy (interrupting Barroso): “The interpretation?! It’s not for this that she had to apologise, but for saying that [France's Roma policy] is ‘disgusting’”.
Barroso (keeping his cool): “I understand Mr. Sarkozy’s emotion [...] Ms. Reding has said that she regretted her statement. I note that the French Secretary of State for European affairs has not done the same”.
A quick footnote: French Europe Minister Pierre Lellouche had responded to Viviane Reding’s remarks claiming that the French people, not the European Commission, were the real guardian of the EU Treaties.Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi: “We need to withdraw speaking rights for Commissioners and their staff. Only Barroso must be allowed to speak [in public]“.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel: “We need to convey an image of serenity at the end of the summit. We need to avoid using certain expressions”.
Iron Angie’s words of wisdom fail to cool tempers however. Instead, Sarko insists that the school kids EU leaders adopt a common position on the Roma issue, specifying that the Commission has the right to ensure the respect of EU law, but member states still have the final word.
At this point, Barroso loses his patience:Barroso: “These pressures must stop [...] The Commission must be allowed to do its job. Otherwise, we will not have the kind of Europe we want. The European Court of Justice will have the final word”.
Sarkozy: “We can’t say that the Commission will refer the matter to the Court. There has to be an investigation before. By the way, I have to pay tribute to Jean-Claude Juncker [Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Ms. Reding's home country], who has urged this lady to apologise”.
Sarko avoids calling Ms. Reding by name…Luxembourgish Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker (trying to mediate): “Ms. Reding should not have talked the way she did. Nicolas should not exaggerate, though. It’s only by chance that she was born in Luxembourg”.
Barroso (interrupting Juncker): “But it was you who appointed her [as EU Commissioner representing Luxembourg]. Three times!”
Juncker: “Yes, but at your request…”
Sarkozy: “Let Van Rompuy speak”.
Van Rompuy reminds the EU leaders that journalists from all over Europe are waiting outside and proposes to draft some conclusions to settle the matter, at least for the moment. Barroso tries to spell out his own conditions.Barroso: “We will not target a specific Commissioner. Otherwise, we will also refer to other people”.
French Europe Minister Pierre Lellouche springs to mind…
Sarkozy: “Barroso can’t tell us what to say!”Barroso: “I’ve the right to express my opinion, because I’m a member of the European Council myself. And I even have a special statute [...] We have done everything to help you with the European Parliament, which is furious on this issue. Let’s not turn all this into an institutional quarrel. That would be excessive”. Berlusconi: “We need to silence the Commissioners!”
And the row reportedly terminates here, with Chancellor Merkel suggesting they move on to a different topic.
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Open Europe in Press Summary for December 24, 2010 relates that in NRC Handelsblad article: ‘Van Rompuy: Eurozone Wordt Politieke Unie’, EU President Herman Van Rompuy stated: “the eurozone will become a political union”.
ReplyDeleteA catastrophe is coming out of rising sovereign debt interest rates, as well out of further global competitive currency devaluations at the hands of the currency traders, resulting in a financial market place implosion. The European Financial Institutions, EUFN, will fall quickly falling in value, taking the entire global financial system down, resulting in Götterdämmerung, an investment flame out, bringing forth a new age.
The Apostle John writing in the Book of Revelation presents a vision of today’s events: a Chancellor, that is a Sovereign, will rise to rule, Revelation 13:5-10. It might be Angela Merkel or John Redwood or Tony Blair, who will come to govern. It might even be the philosopher Herman van Rompuy who will rise to be the Federal Leader.
And Revelation, 13:11-17, foretells a Banker, that is a Seignior, will rise to provide credit. It might be Wolfgang Schäuble or Olli Rehn or Jean-Claude Trichet or Gordon Brown or Jose Manuel Barroso. The Seignior will have fiscal sovereignty to control deficit spending, enforce internal country devaluations, provide a common EU Treasury for both taxation and transfer payments, assure mutual guarantees of the EU debt, and as Timothy Geithner called for, implement unified regulation of banking globally. All seigniorage, both credit and fiscal will come and go through the Seignior, who will make decisions on where money is spent. The Seignior will coordinate all aspects of economic policy, includes taxes, wages.
I foresee national sovereignty passing away throughout the world, as Leaders’ Framework Agreements establish ten regions of global governance as called for by the Club of Rome in 1974; hence people will no longer be citizens of sovereign nation states, rather residents living in a region of global government.