Saturday, November 19, 2011

Bitter Differences: Germans-Brits Square Off Over Euro

Here's the UK take on comments from Wolfgang Schauble via UK's The Express:
In a chilling threat to UK sovereignty, German finance minister Wolfgang Schauble predicted that all Europe would one day use the single currency. “It will happen perhaps faster than some in the British Isles currently believe,” he said.

His sinister warning followed the emergence of a secret German plan to build a powerful new economic government for the eurozone and block an EU referendum in Britain.

A leaked German foreign ministry memo detailed plans for a new European Monetary Fund. It also claimed the EU’s treaty could be altered to centralise more power without triggering a vote.

In a further sign of growing German supremacy within the EU, David Cameron was yesterday rebuffed by Chancellor Angela Merkel in talks over how to tackle the euro crisis.

Last night British opponents of the EU were horrified by the bellicose threat to Britain’s economic independence...

Dr Schauble, who has used a wheelchair since being shot in an assassination attempt in 1990, is nicknamed “Dr Strangelove” in diplomatic circles.

In his astonishing outburst yesterday, he insisted he “respected” Britain’s decision to remain outside the euro. But he claimed that the UK would ultimately not be able to resist the tide of history.

His warning came amid a furious outpouring of anti-British sentiment in Berlin. Top-selling newspaper Bild asked: “What is England still doing in the EU?” while another paper branded Britain “the sick empire”.

Dr Schauble’s remarks came before the frosty meeting between Mr Cameron and Mrs Merkel in Berlin yesterday.

The German Chancellor rejected outright Mr Cameron’s opposition to a new EU-wide financial tax that would have a devastating impact on the City of London.

And she refused to be persuaded by his call for the European Central Bank to support the euro. Money markets took a dip after their failure to agree.

Despite smiles and protestations about their close “friendship”, their awkward body language at a news conference betrayed bitter differences.

Last night a YouGov poll for Prospect magazine showed 51 per cent of Britons would vote to leave the EU in a referendum while only 32 per cent would vote to stay in.

5 comments:

  1. Question:
    What authority does the German gov't hold over the UK, that it can prevent a referendum on participating in the EU?

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  2. Interesting graphic on GoldmanSachs' influence in the Euro zone.
    http://www.ezimages.net/upload/5MIN/GoldmanSachsEurope111811.jpg

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  3. Ein Ami in ChicagolandNovember 19, 2011 at 4:57 PM

    "In a further sign of growing German supremacy within the EU..."

    -The Express

    Was ist Deutschlands europäische Sendung? Zu rule den Welt! Nicht wahr?

    Good grief, England. Entspannen Sie sich. Some Deutschspeakers aren't bent upon displacing your phony pound with the Mark disguised as the Euro, or with incorporating Englands Gemeinwesens into a republican Reich. But maybe they'd like to uproot your precious pidgin language throughout the Welt. But just think of how hard that will be to do in Nordamerika oder Indien.

    Nevertheless, we should be wary of anyone who sings ein neues song to the tune of Haydens Hymne for the Gerburtsag of the Austrian Emperor Francis II. That song might be named Das Lied Der Europäern and begin something like this:

    Das Lied Der Europäern

    "Europa, Europa, über alles,
    Über alles in der Welt.
    Wenn es stets zu Schutz und Trutze
    Brüderlich zusammenhält.
    Von den Kanaren bis..."

    The phrase "Über alles in der Welt" is a reference to overcoming Kleinstaaterei, the dreaded condition of little statism, esp. as it was during the time of the German Confederation. The modern equivalent of Kleinstaaterei is the nationalism of the BRD, the UK, France, Italy, etc. working against the EU.

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  4. The Brits have become weak and childish so the Germans will end up controlling them. I doubt it is such a bad thing.

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  5. The Romans improved their lives - The Germans will as well. It is amazing to me that they ever had an "Empire".

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