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Europe mulls major step towards "fiscal union"
Reuters ^ | Mon Jun 4, 2012 1:30am EDT | Noah Barkin and Daniel Flynn

Posted on 06/11/2012 1:20:33 AM PDT by Olog-hai

When Jean-Claude Trichet called last June for the creation of a European finance ministry with power over national budgets, the idea seemed fanciful, a distant dream that would take years or even decades to realize, if it ever came to be.

One year later, with the eurozone's debt crisis threatening to tear the bloc apart, Germany is pushing its partners for precisely the kind of giant leap forward in fiscal integration that the now-departed European Central Bank president had in mind.

After falling short with her "fiscal compact" on budget discipline, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is pressing for much more ambitious measures, including a central authority to manage euro area finances, and major new powers for the European Commission, European Parliament and European Court of Justice.

She is also seeking a coordinated European approach to reforming labor markets, social security systems and tax policies, German officials say.

Until states agree to these steps and the unprecedented loss of sovereignty they involve, the officials say Berlin will refuse to consider other initiatives like joint eurozone bonds or a "banking union" with cross-border deposit guarantees—steps Berlin says could only come in a second wave.

The goal is for EU leaders to agree to develop a road map to "fiscal union" at a June 28-29 EU summit, where top European officials including European Council President Herman Van Rompuy will present a set of initial proposals.

European countries would then put the meat on the bones of the plan in the second half of 2012, several European sources have told Reuters, including a timetable for overhauling EU treaties, a step Berlin sees as vital for setting closer integration in stone. …

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Government
KEYWORDS: europeanunion; eussr; fiskalunion; totalitarianism
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1 posted on 06/11/2012 1:20:54 AM PDT by Olog-hai
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To: Olog-hai

They know the only way out of their mess is another World War.


2 posted on 06/11/2012 1:35:00 AM PDT by microgood
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To: Olog-hai
I once thought the Eurozone was going to collapse. Then I read a FReeper’s post where they explained socialists ALWAYS double down for more government when their programs fail. In fact, this “crisis” was probably part of the original plan all along, much like Obamacare was always intended as a step toward single payer, nationalized health care.

Utopian statists see government as the ultimate solution for every ill. They aren't going to just throw up their arms, admit their mistakes, and let people escape their grasp. That's not to say they won't ultimately fail, but I have no doubt they're going to try and create an all-powerful European nation state.

3 posted on 06/11/2012 1:41:55 AM PDT by CitizenUSA (Why celebrate evil? Evil is easy. Good is the goal worth striving for.)
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To: CitizenUSA
More of an empire than a nation-state. Of course, the ideologues in the USSR (which the EU is patterned after) saw themselves as the “nation state” of the fictitious “Soviet people”, and in the same way, the EU ideologues are trying to create a fictitious “European people” . . .
4 posted on 06/11/2012 2:02:33 AM PDT by Olog-hai
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Comment #5 Removed by Moderator

To: F15Eagle

They certainly have not abandoned that plan. There hasn’t been a single thing that they wanted that did not succeed in getting pushed through. So imagine yet another appointed leader, with far more power than the US president, along with Europol (described by Vladimir Bukovsky as potentially being like a KGB with immunity), a system of jurisprudence largely based on Code Napoleon (no habeas corpus or other similar legal privileges/rights), a Charter of Fundamental Rights that declares that any enumerated right can be legislated away at a whim . . . I think we already know what could come of that.


6 posted on 06/11/2012 2:27:57 AM PDT by Olog-hai
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To: Olog-hai

You’re right of course. The EU ideologues aren’t shy about showing their disdain for representative democracy. Just like our American leftists, they have no problem with people voting so long as the people vote FOR the leftists. Otherwise, the people’s opinion be damned.

Like I wrote, they have every intention of doubling down on their failed statist experiment with more statism. It’s what they do! I just can’t believe Americans fought and died to liberate Europe only to see the Europeans enslaved again. I just hope and pray it’s not too late for America, too.


7 posted on 06/11/2012 2:33:22 AM PDT by CitizenUSA (Why celebrate evil? Evil is easy. Good is the goal worth striving for.)
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To: F15Eagle

European Emperor Herman Van Rompuy? I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Couldn’t they pick someone a bit more charismatic than than Von Rumproy? If looks are any indication, the guy is a nasty little weasel.


8 posted on 06/11/2012 2:41:25 AM PDT by CitizenUSA (Why celebrate evil? Evil is easy. Good is the goal worth striving for.)
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To: CitizenUSA

That’s what the whole “Super-president” idea is all about. It certainly isn’t going to be van Rompuy. (Remember all the rumors to the effect of Tony Blair as President of the European Council? They’re great at deflective propaganda.) They most likely have someone else in mind . . .


9 posted on 06/11/2012 2:46:32 AM PDT by Olog-hai
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To: microgood
another World War

Old Europe would be better off today if the Germans had won the last one.

10 posted on 06/11/2012 2:59:58 AM PDT by Reeses
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To: Olog-hai

Care to hazard a guess at who they have in mind?


11 posted on 06/11/2012 3:04:57 AM PDT by CitizenUSA (Why celebrate evil? Evil is easy. Good is the goal worth striving for.)
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To: Reeses

Reeses: “Old Europe would be better off today if the Germans had won the last one.”

I can’t support that. While Europe might be on the path to a Fourth Reich, no way would it be better off had Hitler won. The Nazis were evil bastards who deserved everything they got and worst.


12 posted on 06/11/2012 3:15:45 AM PDT by CitizenUSA (Why celebrate evil? Evil is easy. Good is the goal worth striving for.)
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To: Reeses

This is written sarcastically, I hope? The Nazis were close to having nukes, and if they had won in Europe, they wouldn’t have stopped, and they would have used the nukes, effectively causing the Great Tribulation even sooner.


13 posted on 06/11/2012 3:21:49 AM PDT by Olog-hai
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Comment #14 Removed by Moderator

To: CitizenUSA

“That’s not to say they won’t ultimately fail, but I have no doubt they’re going to try and create an all-powerful European nation state. “

The elites there want it so bad, you can read it right between the lines. They either have to dissolve into separate countries (or even city-states, in some cases), or they have to unify at least to the level of the United States - which means what were their ‘nations’ become subservient to Brussels for just about everything. They may even be forced to settle on a single language (I’d love to be a fly on the wall during that debate).

As the article says, everything else, budgets, retirement age, defense, etc. would simply be flowed down to them from Brussels. Yes, Paris would still exist, as an administrative zone.


15 posted on 06/11/2012 4:23:49 AM PDT by BobL
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To: CitizenUSA

oh yea...almost forgot.

It won’t be 5 to 10 years, as the article states - it will be one weekend (maybe a holiday weekend). There will be an agreement with the leaders and that will be that.


16 posted on 06/11/2012 4:27:11 AM PDT by BobL
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To: BobL

Hmmm. Maybe they’ll get ten nations to join their new European empire. You never know, but it pays to keep watch.

Note: Just because Christ hasn’t yet returned doesn’t mean He won’t.


17 posted on 06/11/2012 4:44:12 AM PDT by CitizenUSA (Why celebrate evil? Evil is easy. Good is the goal worth striving for.)
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To: CitizenUSA

The “Berlin Club” does have ten members.


18 posted on 06/11/2012 4:47:47 AM PDT by Olog-hai
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To: F15Eagle
>i> Now they just need to create their “super-president” along with it .....

I've got someone in mind. He'll be available January 20 of next year.

19 posted on 06/11/2012 6:28:55 AM PDT by OldPossum
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To: Olog-hai

Isn’t this another ‘Kyoto Protocol’, and just as futile?

Every past attempt at self-austerity failed (except in Germany, but it’ll only last till the next election).


20 posted on 06/11/2012 6:29:52 AM PDT by Sir Napsalot (Pravda + Useful Idiots = CCCP; JournOList + Useful Idiots = DopeyChangey!)
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