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EU deeper in crisis after summit budget failure
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| June 18, 2005
| Mark John
Posted on 06/18/2005 4:56:56 AM PDT by RobFromGa
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1
posted on
06/18/2005 4:56:56 AM PDT
by
RobFromGa
To: knighthawk
2
posted on
06/18/2005 4:59:07 AM PDT
by
RobFromGa
(Send Bolton to the UN!)
To: RobFromGa
"Europe is in a deep crisis," French President Jacques Chirac told a midnight news conference, blaming "the selfishness of two or three rich countries" for the failure.It's always someone else's fault.
3
posted on
06/18/2005 5:00:05 AM PDT
by
RobFromGa
(Send Bolton to the UN!)
To: MadIvan
Good to see Tony Blair stick up for Britain.
4
posted on
06/18/2005 5:02:57 AM PDT
by
RobFromGa
(Send Bolton to the UN!)
To: RobFromGa
Gee those poor Eurocrats just might have to get a normal job. You never hear much about the average working man of the European countries. But it seems like they are voting against the Euro elites malevolent machinations in full force now.
To: RobFromGa
This isn't a "crisis for Europe."
This is a crisis for EuroCRATS.
It's a crisis to those who would destroy any semblance of nationalism and soverignty, and those unelected who wish to subjugate populations.
6
posted on
06/18/2005 5:07:03 AM PDT
by
Guillermo
(George Allen '08)
To: Red Sea Swimmer
Budget wrangling adds to disharmony among EU nations
Published June 18, 2005
BRUSSELS -- The leaders of 25 European countries on Friday failed to agree on how to spend billions of dollars in their annual budget, dealing a final blow to a troubled summit and casting the continental alliance into a murky future.
The summit deadlocked in bitter dispute over subsidies, rebates and financial aid. An afternoon of arm-twisting by senior European Union officials did little to persuade countries, in the words of German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, to make a sacrifice and forge a compromise.
"Europe is not in a state of crisis, it is in a state of profound crisis,"
said Jean-Claude Juncker, the prime minister of Luxembourg, whose country, as rotating president of the EU, headed the summit.
At a news conference early Saturday, Juncker described a negotiation "in millimeters." Seemingly every country raised objections to the 2007-13 budget, divided over whether the alliance should be an integrated political entity or simply a free-trade zone.
"I'm sad and ashamed, to a certain extent," Juncker said, condemning countries for their lack of political will and lamenting that poorer countries seemed more willing to make sacrifices than their richer partners. "In a way, we go back to square one."
Reaching agreement on the budget, worth $120 billion a year, was seen as an important test of the ability of the European Union to show that its members still can work together after major political setbacks in recent weeks.
Voters in France and the Netherlands soundly rejected the union's vaunted constitution, an elaborate document meant to streamline the EU's decision-making system and consolidate its influence on the world stage. Instead, the leaders found themselves forced on the first day of their summit to abandon the goal of continent-wide approval of the document by 2006.
The most acrimonious point involved Britain and France.
All the other countries represented opposed British Prime Minister Tony Blair's insistence on clinging to the rebate his country receives. Under an agreement reached two decades ago, when Britain was a poorer partner, the EU refunds to London an amount now worth nearly $6 billion a year.
Blair said he would consider reducing the rebate only if agricultural subsidies, which account for nearly half the EU budget and which benefit France disproportionately, were overhauled.
French Prime Minister Jacques Chirac refused to consider the suggestion, and on this point the talks collapsed.
But that wasn't the only battle.
Spain and Italy objected to proposals by the EU executive committee to take away funds designated for their impoverished southern regions, redirecting that money to poor, mostly eastern bloc countries that joined the EU last year.
Sweden and the Netherlands, the highest per-capita contributor to the EU budget, demanded their tithes be reduced. Other countries disagreed on the sizes of caps that should be put on EU spending.
7
posted on
06/18/2005 5:07:28 AM PDT
by
RobFromGa
(Send Bolton to the UN!)
To: RobFromGa
"German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder blamed British and Dutch obduracy for what he called "one of the worst crises Europe has known."
ROFLMAO
Aufwiedersehen, mien lieber Herr!
8
posted on
06/18/2005 5:07:48 AM PDT
by
Chgogal
(Where Muslims are in a majority......Non-muslims die.)
To: Guillermo
This isn't a "crisis for Europe." ... This is a crisis for EuroCRATS. Agreed. This is actually the best thing that could happen for a Free Europe.
9
posted on
06/18/2005 5:09:37 AM PDT
by
RobFromGa
(Send Bolton to the UN!)
To: RobFromGa
Some things have to be destroyed for other things to take their place.
To: RobFromGa
Chirac has soiled his bed and now he gets to sleep between the sheets.
Britain doesn't want anything further to do with subsidizing French romanticist concepts of a 35 hour work week and time spent sipping coffee along the Seine while their economy implodes due to superior countries outperforming them.
It's bad enough the Britain already pays 2.5 times as much as France does into the EU fund. Now France want them to pay 15 times as much to pay for farming/vineyard subsidies because no one in the West wants to drink their pathetic "Frog Water" anymore.
Blair has been a true friend to us in our need. I'm further impressed that he has resisted embracing further socialist EU policy by rejecting the disgusting mewling of the gauls to pay even more for their failures as a country and as a people.
I hope these times serve to reignite a surge of common sense in continental Europe. The EU is a socialist disaster of French proportions. They all need to wake up before it's too late. It may be already....
11
posted on
06/18/2005 5:13:32 AM PDT
by
Caipirabob
(Democrats.. Socialists..Commies..Traitors...Who can tell the difference?)
To: Red Sea Swimmer
12
posted on
06/18/2005 5:14:51 AM PDT
by
RobFromGa
(Send Bolton to the UN!)
To: RobFromGa
Good graph. The whole thing about European integration being necessary to increase the general welfare of the various nations population is a fraud. Norway does very well by itself. The other nations, (excluding the micro-states of Luxembourg, Lichtenstein, Andorra, San Marino and Monaco) could do well if they were managed properly.
There seems to be almost an induced fear in the populations, especially of continental Europe, to assert their national identity and to be proud of their nation. Whether this has been a planned thing by various malevolent forces, or it is self-imposed, I'm not sure.
How boring the world would be if we were all the same. By that I mean, we can share similar basic values, but to erode the culture of a nation is terribly wrong and counter-productive.
To: Caipirabob
EU Reactions: Disappointment, Frustration, Blame
Recriminations flew fast and furious following the EU budget meltdown Friday, with the harshest words reserved for British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Read what EU leaders had to say about the crisis.
EU Council President: Jean-Claude Juncker
Responding to the offer from the 10 newcomer states to dig deeper into their own pockets for the sake of rescuing the compromise: "When I heard one after the other, all the new member countries, each poorer than the other, say that in the interest of reaching an agreement they would be ready to renounce some of their financial demands, I was ashamed."
On the future of budget talks: "During this budgetary debate there were two conceptions of Europe that clashed and will always clash. There are those who, in fact without saying it, want the big market and nothing but the big market, a high level free trade zone, and those that want a politically integrated Europe.
I have felt for a long time this debate would blow up one day."
Regarding Britain's Tony Blair who takes over the EU Presidency in two weeks: "No comment. No opinion. No advice"
On Europe's future: "My enthusiasm for Europe is crushed."
German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder
Speaking at a news briefing on what could have been achieved for the 2007-2013 budget: "With the goodwill of everyone, I believe a deal would have been possible.
We have not succeeded in reaching agreement, even though a deal would have sent an important signal regarding the ability of the EU to act."
On what went wrong: "The fact that there was no deal is due solely to the completely inflexible stance of the British and the Dutch
Britain in particular had not been prepared to compromise on its budget rebate.
With this, Britain refused to make its contribution to enlargement. That's regrettable."
"It is not a good day for Europe. A piece has been lost from Europe as a political union. That makes me sad."
"Europe has not emerged a winner, and that's putting it very carefully."
On the role of the 10 new member states and their willingness to hold back their own demands: "There is a bright spot that shines in Europe and it will light up others."
French President Jacques Chirac
"Europe is in a deep crisis," Chirac told a midnight news conference, blaming "the selfishness of two or three rich countries" for the failure.
On the efforts of the 10 new members: "It was very impressive compared to the egoistic position of one or two rich countries."
Speaking on Britain's role in the debate: "He (Blair) wanted to keep the entirety of his check (the British rebate).
I deplore the fact that the United Kingdom refused to contribute a reasonable and equitable share of the expenses of enlargement."
Summarizing the summit:
"A very bad outcome for Europe."
British Prime Minister Tony Blair
Reason for rejecting the budget compromise: "It doesn't reflect the Europe we need in the 21st century."
Defending Britain's position: "We were not alone at the (summit) table."
"I think people know exactly what the issues are here and I don't think they are fooled by the tactics and the maneuvers.
I hope we can move forward from here."
Blair's foreign secretary, Jack Straw on the crux of the debate: "It's essentially a division between whether you want a European Union that is able to cope with the future or whether you want a European Union that is trapped in the past. It is not one that Europe can dodge."
Polish Prime Minister Marek Belka
Leading the initiative of the 10 member states: "It was in our interest to reach an early compromise, it was in the interest of all new member states.
On the role of the bigger members: "My proposal was a reaction to what I perceived as the selfishness of some member states. I asked, is it all about money, if so how much?"
"The fact that we don not have a budget is not disturbing. What is disturbing is the atmosphere in the EU."
Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa
The budget fight showed the "new Europe which emerged from expansion was not being seriously considered by the old EU members."
Czech Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek
"It is ridiculous and disappointing and for us new EU members absolutely incomprehensible."
14
posted on
06/18/2005 5:28:21 AM PDT
by
RobFromGa
(Send Bolton to the UN!)
To: RobFromGa
Strangely, I don't read how it's Bush's fault.
15
posted on
06/18/2005 5:28:41 AM PDT
by
bill1952
("All that we do is done with an eye towards something else.")
To: Red Sea Swimmer
"My enthusiasm for Europe is crushed."
EU Council President: Jean-Claude Juncker
Kind of says it all.
16
posted on
06/18/2005 5:31:30 AM PDT
by
RobFromGa
(Send Bolton to the UN!)
To: RobFromGa
Simple solution to this.
Ditch the EU.
To: Chgogal
"German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder blamed British and Dutch obduracy for what he called "one of the worst crises Europe has known."
German unemployment is at its highest level since the 1930s. Whose fault is that? Britain's? Oh, no, wait..... don't tell me..... Bush's?!
18
posted on
06/18/2005 5:56:22 AM PDT
by
jdm
(The answer to the extra credit question on a Columbia U exam is always choice C: "Bush's Fault.")
To: RobFromGa
19
posted on
06/18/2005 6:34:54 AM PDT
by
demlosers
(Allegra: Do not believe the garbage the media is feeding you back home.)
To: RobFromGa
"Europe is in a deep crisis," French President Jacques Chirac told a midnight news conference No it isn't you filthy frog. France is in trouble and it no longer can get the other European countries to offset its problems.
20
posted on
06/18/2005 6:40:46 AM PDT
by
kidd
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