Posted on 06/09/2012 11:22:02 PM PDT by Olog-hai
In a television interview, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the eurozone was moving inevitably towards a "political union" requiring nations to cede more sovereignty, and that would lead to more of a multi-speed Europe with non-euro states in the slow lane.
“We need more Europe, we need not only a monetary union, but we also need a so-called fiscal union, in other words more joint budget policy,” Merkel told ARD on Thursday (7 June).
“And we need most of all a political union—that means we need to gradually give competencies to Europe and give Europe control,” she added.
European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, who chairs EU summits, said he would only present "building blocks" on closer eurozone fiscal and banking union at a meeting of EU heads of state on 28 June.
But the German Chancellor doused expectations that the June summit will produce a breakthrough, saying progress towards a fiscal and banking union would take substantially longer.
"I don't believe that there will be one single summit that will decide on a big bang," Merkel told ARD. "But what we have been doing for some time, and on which a working plan will certainly be presented in June, is to say we need more Europe," she said, adding: "Whoever is in a currency union will have to move closer together."
The German Chancellor also admitted that this would require different paces of integration, as some EU countries like Britain will refuse to participate.
"We have to be open to make it possible for everyone to participate. But we cannot stand still because some do not want to go with us," Merkel said. …
(Excerpt) Read more at euractiv.com ...
Yes, because the people of Finland/Norway want nothing more than to support Greece eternally. Their cultures and work ethic are practically identical. And of course Poland and Spain are obviously of a shared mindset.
It just makes so much sense to make it official. “Europe” has always been one homogenous people with identical worldviews....
Consider who wants this. It’s never been the people.
It is always amazing to me how out of touch with reality politicians in high places are with the lives of everyday people.
Europe cannot get its common market operating smoothly, much less be a united political body.
Canadians, Mexicans, and U.S. citizens do not want a Federation of North America, but for some stubborn reason both Republicans and Democrats think is a great idea! What a bunch of idiots.
Angela Merkel seems to have caught that bizarre virus.
Thatcher was right: the EU is unworkable. Different countries, economies, politics, agendas, needs..
There’s no real ‘union’ possible - unless it’s forced.
This is a German “Empire” by a different name. Besides, politicians always want more power right?
It fascinates me that the Euro pols, in supposedly doing everything possible to bring ‘unity’ to Europe, are doing the very things that guarantee that ‘unity’ will be the last thing that might happen. Unless of course, they WANT wars, mass casualties and the rest. Which seems to be the case.
The only other possibility is that they are so brainwashed by lib dogma/philosophy, that they actually believe the crap they spew. That’s scarier/more harmful than if they were just Hitlerian in their goals. Because ultimately there will be more death, more disease/poverty et all than Adolf ever envisioned.
I said on another thread tonight that people were fat, happy and don’t want to make waves. Well, they will. It’s just a matter of how much hurt it takes to them personally before they do. By then of course, it will probably be too late, but they’ll get around to it regardless.
You can take the girl out of East Germany, but you can’t take the East Germany out of the girl.
They’re not idiots. They realize the opportunities for raw power and stolen wealth inherrent in such supernational structures. The model is the US federal government. Look at the billion$ of corrupt rent seeking going on there as opposed to at the state level. Even the most corrupt states can’t hold a candle to that bonfire. And some states aren’t (very) corrupt, allowing people to flee the corruption.
My only surprise is that Merkel is pushing this. Thought better of her. Was clearly wrong there...
Can’t really blame Merkel here. Right now Germany is basically a gigantic joint checking account for the Greeks and the Spanish. I would want some budget control too if I were her.
Of course the Greeks will riot again once they hear this.
What we need is more cowbell!
Translation: Deutschland Uber Alas!
This is scary. Rise of the Holy Roman Empire?
The Soviet Union used to be a state run by ideology. Today’s ideology of the European Union is social-democratic, statist, and a big part of it is also political correctness. I watch very carefully how political correctness spreads and becomes an oppressive ideology, not to mention the fact that they forbid smoking almost everywhere now. Look at this persecution of people like the Swedish pastor who was persecuted for several months because he said that the Bible does not approve homosexuality. France passed the same law of hate speech concerning gays. Britain is passing hate speech laws concerning race relations and now religious speech, and so on and so forth. What you observe, taken into perspective, is a systematic introduction of ideology which could later be enforced with oppressive measures. Apparently that is the whole purpose of Europol. Otherwise why do we need it? To me Europol looks very suspicious. I watch very carefully who is persecuted for what and what is happening, because that is one field in which I am an expert. I know how Gulags spring up. …Very grim viewpoint of the EU by a famous Soviet dissident. Even worse to say, essentially, that the world is “losing” (or not even fighting) the statist bent of this (as Jose Manuel Barroso called it) empire.
Today’s situation is really grim. Major political parties have been completely taken in by the new EU project. None of them really opposes it. They have become very corrupt. Who is going to defend our freedoms? … We are losing time. We have to defeat them. We have to sit and think, work out a strategy in the shortest possible way to achieve maximum effect. Otherwise it will be too late. So what should I say? My conclusion is not optimistic. So far, despite the fact that we do have some anti-EU forces in almost every country, it is not enough. We are losing and we are wasting time.
That’s what Otto von Habsburg called it back in 1986.
Panzers. It always comes down to panzers.
Victor Davis Hanson has written about this.
Ein Folk! Ein Reich! Ein Euro!
Well, we will inevitably see Europe at war in the next few years, so everyone will get to see how high this one rates on the death scale.
This is a German “Empire” by a different name.
Yep - Germany knew the Euro deal was to weaken the U.S.A. and elevate Europe to past glories. It saw the chance to be the top dog of the top dog and will do all it can to preserve the Euro/EU.
How long are German voters going to continue supporting other nations in Europe who will not take steps to control their own finances?
Germans are crazy to keep on doing this for the PIIGS.
I suspect that some Sunday morning we’ll wake up and find that Europe’s national borders have been completely dissolved and that their parliaments now answered directly to Brussels, in what is now a single country, no different than the United States. It will be by secret negotiations and simply shoved down everyone’s throat.
It’s either that, or Europe will again be a bunch of independent countries, and there’s even no assurance that the borders will stay as they are (i.e., North Italy has about had it with the freeloaders in the South).
There is no middle ground, since there is no way to prevent lazy countries from taking advantage of the industrious ones. Germans are not ready to work until age 80, so that Geeks can retire at age 50 - and the Geeks don’t feel like raising their retirement age...so the only way to stop it is for Brussels (or some capitol) to simply tell what was Greece (and everyone else), what Europe’s new retirement age is. That simple.
Liberal politicians a good at two things:
1) Procrastinate any major decision
2) Grab as much power as possible
A single, financial EU delays the confrontation with spending too much and consolidates power into the hands of a chosen few.
Yes! Because, after all, a socialist European union worked so well the first time...
The Soviet Empire probably would not have extended beyond Russia's own borders either - if communism would even stand a chance next door to an ardent anti-communist like Otto. Europe would have been better off under Bismarck.
American taxpayers need to stop funding the IMF and let European socialism die the death it so richly - or poorly now - deserves.
“No different from the United States” . . . ? Like Bukovsky said, the EU was patterned after the Soviet Union; the myriad of regulations and the structure of the “constitution” (currently the Treaty of Lisbon) mirror that quite a bit. The USA has never abolished a state government or ruled any state directly from DC.
You got it backwards. The loans are direct interference in these countries; every country that wanted to refuse them experienced a sudden change in government to politicians that were receptive to them. The very fact that the head of Germany’s government is calling for these nations to give up their sovereignty ought to reveal a lot. And back in the early 2000s, Germany certainly did not look like a country that could “control (its) own finances”—they were nicknamed the Sick Man of Europe. Their turnaround can’t be explained by a sudden change in fiscal philosophy, because no such change occurred other than token concessions by the unions . . .
I defer - well said!
tick, tick, tick ...
Very well could be. It must occur at some point.
When the Jews return to Zion
And a comet rips the sky
And the Holy Roman Empire rises,
Then you and I must die.
From the eternal sea he rises,
Creating armies on either shore,
Turning man against his brother
'Til man exists no more.
Wow, is this from The Omen? I had to look it up.
I’ll have to watch that again!
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