European Politics Thread.

[Bordoy 0]

Ah, the most hated leader in Europe and a close friend of the US.

I hate Chirac more then him.

[EiZei 0]

Ah, the most hated leader in Europe and a close friend of the US.

I hate Chirac more then him.

Well, if you prefer a half-democratic media dictator asshole over a democratically elected plain asshole it's your choice.

No wonder he can afford to be politically uncorrect, he effectively controls 80-90% of Italy's national televisions. Maybe that is the reason why Sputnik here seems to like him so much. No pesky media ruining the agenda of the dear leader.

[Grim_Fandango 0]

I'm no big fan of Chirac, but Berlusconi is without a doubt one of the biggest idiots ever to be in power in Europe, and that's saying a lot.

During the EU summit in Copenhagen when the expansion was decided, he told the danish prime minister that he'd very much like to have group sex with him and his wife. It'd be funny if the guy was just another loony millionaire doing as he pleased, but pulling stuff like that internationally is a ticking bomb.

I honestly think that only in Italy could a guy like that get elected. I hate to be general about entire countries, but I truly think that the southern countries like Portugal, Italy, Greece and perhaps Spain could be a real liability to a more centralized EU, definetely more than the eastern countries. I'm pretty alarmed by the southern countries' history of deeply rooted fascism and very bad economic sense, which really doesn't correspond well to the rest of the European countries.

After all, the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary are slowly becoming a powerhouse in europe, and I think that if they keep up making as qualified and smart decisions as they are now, that they'll definetely be an example for every other former communist country in Europe. (of course poverty etc. is still a problem in those countries today, but I'm referring to the great ammount of progress they're doing).

[Necromancer- 0]

only few of Berlusconi's jokes are politically correct...

[Colossus 2]

How can a country be democratic when the leader owns the media, where he can say basicly whatever he wants?

Manipulation of the people is not very democratic at all, democracy is about saying and thinking whatever we want and not what the leader wants to hear.

I'd say EU should make a law that says that a learder can't own more then 10-20% of the media.

[Grim_Fandango 0]

How can a country be democratic when the leader owns the media, where he can say basicly whatever he wants?

Manipulation of the people is not very democratic at all, democracy is about saying and thinking whatever we want and not what the leader wants to hear.

I'd say EU should make a law that says that a learder can't own more then 10-20% of the media.

Great idea, I'd vote yes to that in a heartbeat

[Balschoiw 0]

Has anyone seen Blair´s statement at the EU yesterday ?

What a yerk...

Ok let´s get some reforms rolling by cutting the brit rebate, shall we ?

For a guy who blocked almost any major EU movement during the last years he has his mouth open pretty wide...

Edit:

He reminded me very much of the Blair we´ve seen on TV in the runup of Iraq war, with the 30 minute claim and the WMD proof

[Bordoy 0]

Has anyone seen Blair´s statement at the EU yesterday ?

What a yerk...

Ok let´s get some reforms rolling by cutting the brit rebate, shall we ?  

For a guy who blocked almost any major EU movement during the last years he has his mouth open pretty wide...  

Edit:

He reminded me very much of the Blair we´ve seen on TV in the runup of Iraq war, with the 30 minute claim and the WMD proof  

Finally Blair is doing very good on something, and sending us to war.

I've been talking to a few anti-Blair people, but they support him on this matter and I am guessing most of the country does.

Go Blair

[Balschoiw 0]

Quote[/b] ]Finally Blair is doing very good on something, and sending us to war.

So let me get that straight:

He runs the EU negotiations into the ground, screams about the cut of the brit - rebate which is long overdue, goes to war with the US opposing the rest of the EU and you think that´s good ?

I don´t think Blair has done any good for the matter of the EU lately.

This is no "We show the EU the Brit way" thingie. The EU does not need that embargo-style brit policy.

All his revolutionary words missed one thing: Content.

Apart from that he was at the table when all the EU decisions were taken he now opposes, so he´s a yerk who is fishing for public compliments with the UK, nothing else.

I stand by my word. Get rid of the Brits in the EU asap.

[Bordoy 0]

Quote[/b] ]Finally Blair is doing very good on something, and sending us to war.

So let me get that straight:

He runs the EU negotiations into the ground, screams about the cut of the brit - rebate which is long overdue, goes to war with the US opposing the rest of the EU and you think that´s good ?

I don´t think Blair has done any good for the matter of the EU lately.

This is no "We show the EU the Brit way" thingie. The EU does not need that embargo-style brit policy.

All his revolutionary words missed one thing: Content.

Apart from that he was at the table when all the EU decisions were taken he now opposes, so he´s a yerk who is fishing for public compliments with the UK, nothing else.

I stand by my word. Get rid of the Brits in the EU asap.

Michael Winner wants us to leave the EU.

But we joined a common market and not a federal europe. We don't want to lose national identity etc we just want to trade fairly with everyone but we can only do that within the EU and not with African countries. With the amount of countries joining, Europe is going to get bigger and bigger, while continents such as Asia and Africa are gonig to get smaller, lol.

[Postduifje 0]

People have to cut the 'loosing identity' crap. You have an identity in you country, maybe in your province, one in your town or city, and even one in your district and your street. Besides that you have an identity because of your school or work, your job function, your religion, sex and race. All these identities can live peacefully besides each other, none of them conflicting. If you think about it it's just plain bullshit. There is nothing keeping you from being an European as well as an inhabitant of your own country.

[Balschoiw 0]

Quote[/b] ]But we joined a common market and not a federal europe. We don't want to lose national identity etc we just want to trade fairly with everyone but we can only do that within the EU and not with African countries.

What nonsense is that ? You have to fire Blair immedeatly then as he said that the EU is NOT about a common market only

Yeah I know about your national identity complex already.

Noone will take your beloved national identity within the EU anyway. Or does the EU say such anywhere ? All that national identity crap is your problem, not the EU´s. Go out buy yourself a union jack T-Shirt if that helps you... but don´t try to blame your lack of national identity on the EU. That´s the most stupid thing I´ve ever heard.

You can and do trade with african countries, so what´s the big deal ? Every EU member country is free to trade with whomever it wants to. The EU only makes tradew within the EU easier and hepls building a position against other global traders.

So where is your point again ?

[Necromancer- 0]

The idea of national identity is so pre-WW2'ish...

Old farts.

[harley 3 1185 0]

Yeah, just 4 million Germans died for their national identity, 20 million Russians to preserve theirs and a million English-speakers fell in trying to halt the spread of the Fascist plague and all those who died in the occupied countries because of resistance, starvation and mistreatment, trying to keep a stiff upper lip.

Of course I'm not comparing the EU or the proposed idiotic document which has now gone down the chute. The European Union is never going to be anything which you can be amazingly proud of - maybe something to marvel at for a while should it gain more power, but then the aura will fade. For those of you whom Europe is more dear than your home country; good for you. There are many who would not be able to do that. I am not a fan of greater European integration - I think that the EU Commision and Parliament could be sorted out to meet the purposes of working and acting for a united Europe without the need to complicate things further as the Constitution debacle has shown.

The EU as a whole has a trade commissioner who in the next year or so will be taking on the might of, in effect, the American military industrial complex in this absurd debate over subsidies. Nobody elected this commissioner, and he's British, but he's determined to bring Boeing to its knees even if the case goes to the WTO. Isn't this the kind of office/person we need for Europe? Someone who will act at the behest of European business/political interests and defend them? A level of "government" like that is all we need. For foreign policy there are these things "Joint Statements" which do a remarkable job of conveying the mood of Europe in consensus. And if there is no consensus there's no point in having an EU foreign minister, as there are enough SUmmits and Committees in Brussels to make sure that all goes smoothly (except in the odd case of war with a Middle Eastern country).

If Peter Mandelson ends up winning the dispute between Airbus (Europe) and Boeing (America) the EU will have advanced alot farther than any scrap of illegal paper will have gotten it.

[Necromancer- 0]

Yeah, just 4 million Germans died for their national identity, 20 million Russians to preserve theirs and a million English-speakers fell in trying to halt the spread of the Fascist plague and all those who died in the occupied countries because of resistance, starvation and mistreatment, trying to keep a stiff upper lip.

YEah well.. ETA blows stuff up (including people), because they want a National Identity...

[denoir 0]

I´m not too worried about Blair - he is still fairly pro-European. I´m more worried about his successor - Gordon Brown. Last week he said something to the effect that it is obvious now that nation states were the future of Europe, and not a European political union...

Unfortunately I think Blair is as good as it gets from Britain.

[Bordoy 0]

Yeah, just 4 million Germans died for their national identity, 20 million Russians to preserve theirs and a million English-speakers fell in trying to halt the spread of the Fascist plague and all those who died in the occupied countries because of resistance, starvation and mistreatment, trying to keep a stiff upper lip.

YEah well.. ETA blows stuff up (including people), because they want a National Identity...

ETA are a terrorist group just like the IRA. Mohatma Gandi didn't blow anybody up did he now.

Plaid Cymru and the SNP want to leave The Union but they aren't blowing anybody up.

[harley 3 1185 0]

ETA is the militant front of a desire for Basque seperatism which has been going on for centuries - it can be argued that there are many Basques who want an independent nation.  Spain would never be able to allow such an occurance because France would probably have to give independence to the Basque minority in the South-West of that country.

Nevertheless, ETA's actions are utterly despicable and none of its acts can ever be condoned - such is the way with all acts of terrorism.

Btw, Bordoy.  Gandhi may never have blown anything up but he ordered everyone else to do it.  A very clever little s*** was Gandhi-managed to manipulate the media of the day into believing he was non-violent whilst he ordered his followers to rise against the British (1942-3, almost lost us the war in the Far East).

He always made himself out to be the saviour of India - but whereas the British had always been able to reconcile Muslim with Hindu - Gandhi supported only the Hindus in his long campaign for independence.  The number of deaths attributable to him are incalculable.

And Plaid Cymru and the SNP?  Those dozy swine haven't a leg to stand on.  All Scotland does is farm poor land and isn't heavily industrialised.  All Wales does is bitch in Welsh and not much else.  Seeing as nothing but disaster would ever come of a dissolution of the Act of Union of 1801, all the SNP and Plaid Cymru are doing is industrial BSing and time-wasting.

Yes, we really put the Scots down didn't we. The Scots made Glasgow the center of the industrial world, built half the Empire and financed the rest. Then some dozy Welshman helped destroy it all...

[denoir 0]

Hmm. I think I know why the English are so against the EU. You are afraid Europe will treat you like you treated the Scots, Welsh and the Irish. You are worried that you will become France´s bitch, just like Scotland is yours in your little own union. You are worried that you´ll be forced to adopt a "European" national identity, just like you forced the Scots to adopt a "British" one.

Well, it won´t work quite like that, but you still have to love the hypocrisy.

[Bordoy 0]

Hmm. I think I know why the English are so against the EU. You are afraid Europe will treat you like you treated the Scots, Welsh and the Irish. You are worried that you  will become France´s bitch, just like Scotland is yours in your little own union. You are worried that you´ll be forced to adopt  a "European" national identity, just like you forced the Scots to adopt a "British" one.

Well, it won´t work quite like that, but you still have to love the hypocrisy.

They signed the Union Act

But anyway there is a Welsh, Scottish and Irish Assembly but not an English one. Yet the Welsh and #scottish are the one's having the fits. The assemblies are getting more and more power away from central goverment at Westminster.

[denoir 0]

Hmm. I think I know why the English are so against the EU. You are afraid Europe will treat you like you treated the Scots, Welsh and the Irish. You are worried that you  will become France´s bitch, just like Scotland is yours in your little own union. You are worried that you´ll be forced to adopt  a "European" national identity, just like you forced the Scots to adopt a "British" one.

Well, it won´t work quite like that, but you still have to love the hypocrisy.

They signed the Union Act  

So did you, it´s called the Maastricht treaty   (The difference of course being that you did it by your own free will, rather than military cohesion)

Well, I´d love to stay and chat, but I´m off to take a swim. It´s my last day of vacation here in Dubrovnik, Croatia. To make this on-topic, I´m sure you know Croatia is a candidate for EU membership and will probably join in three or four years. The people here are about as hostile to the EU as the British and are really not too happy to join. Hopefully they´ll change their mind when the time for joining comes. It´s really a nice place and in my opinion would be a lovely addition to the Union.

(I´ll post some pictures in the photo thread when I get home)

[Bordoy 0]

Hmm. I think I know why the English are so against the EU. You are afraid Europe will treat you like you treated the Scots, Welsh and the Irish. You are worried that you  will become France´s bitch, just like Scotland is yours in your little own union. You are worried that you´ll be forced to adopt  a "European" national identity, just like you forced the Scots to adopt a "British" one.

Well, it won´t work quite like that, but you still have to love the hypocrisy.

They signed the Union Act  

So did you, it´s called the Maastricht treaty   (The difference of course being that you did it by your own free will, rather than military cohesion)

Yer, but i don't want to leave the EU. Some of you want us to leave. And we aint signed the New EU Constitution yet.

Enjoy your day anyay mate.

[walker 0]

Hi all

I think it is time for the UK to join the euro.

My reasons for this are purely pragmatic in terms of the value of the cash in my pocket.

Simply put it is to do with the emergence of the Euro as the worlds reserve currency.

Already several major oil producers are positioning them selves for the switch from the US Dollar to the more stable Euro and the Rusian State bank has already started to switch to the euro.

Gordon Brown rather sensibly has been moving to Euro as the UKs primary reserve currency over the last year or so. This has been said to have saved every UK tax payer around 3% in income tax increases we would have had to pay if we had stuck with the dollar.

The estimated total value in terms of GDP of the US Dollar is 6 % to every American. Shifting that 6% to the Euro would give that same benefit to every single european.

As somone who lives in Europe I would much rather we had that cash.

Kind Regards walker

[Bordoy 0]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4649007.stm

Quote[/b] ]Chirac jokes about British food

French President Jacques Chirac is reported to have cracked jokes about British food at a meeting with the German and Russian leaders.

French newspaper Liberation says Gerhard Schroeder and Vladimir Putin laughed and joined in the banter.

"One cannot trust people whose cuisine is so bad," it quotes Mr Chirac saying.

A spokesman for Mr Chirac said the report did not reflect "the tone or the content" of the meeting, but stopped short of issuing a categorical denial.

The comments, made within earshot of reporters, come in the run-up to the G8 summit in Scotland later this week.

The three leaders met on Sunday for celebrations to mark the 750th anniversary of the founding of Kaliningrad, formerly known as Koenigsberg, an exclave of Russia surrounded by Poland and Lithuania.

"The only thing they have ever done for European agriculture is mad cow disease," Mr Chirac said, according to the newspaper's report.

"After Finland, it is the country with the worst food."

A UK spokesman said: "There are some things that it is better not to comment on."

Mr Chirac is also reported to have reminisced about an occasion when former Nato secretary general Lord George Robertson - who is Scottish - had made him try a local dish.

"That is where our difficulties with Nato come from," he said, apparently speaking before the meeting was properly underway.

The comments come as France and the UK compete to hold the Olympic games in 2012, and are at loggerheads over the EU budget.

UK food critic Egon Ronay accused the French president of being "ill-informed" for his attacks on British cuisine.

"A man full of bile is not fit to pronounce on food," Mr Ronay added.

A spokesman for Mr Chirac dismissed Liberation's report as misrepresenting the focus of the meeting.

"The quotes attributed to the president of the republic in no way correspond to the tone or content of the discussions at the Kalingrad meeting," he said.

On Wednesday Mr Chirac will be flying to Gleneagles for a dinner hosted by Queen Elizabeth II to open the G8 summit.

The menu has not been published, but most of the food, provided by the Gleneagles hotel, will be locally sourced.

"The Taste of Scotland is always to be enjoyed at the Gleneagles Hotel, from morning kippers or a fresh egg from a nearby farmhouse... to Angus beef, Scottish salmon, venison or Highland grouse for dinner," the hotel's website says.

[sarcasm]Thats one way to improve international relations[/sarcasm] NOT.

Don't think he's ever tried proper British food, and if you are thinking "what, fish and chips etc". But we don't all eat that, try going to a resturant and eating proper food. Don't think he'll be saying that after the G8 summit. Anyway i'd rahter eat salad, steak etc rather then frogs legs, snails and horse meat.

[NurEinMensch 0]

Don't mention the food!

While this isn't exactly very diplomatic it's now blown out of proportion. Come on, it's a joke.