Stuck with the treaties
CAMERON SAID recently he wants to “claw back” competences (powers) from the EU. In response, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said the only way to reform the EU was to review the EU’s body of laws, the “acquis”, on a case-by-case basis.
He continued: “The other one is to have a fundamental discussion about the competences of the EU...the second approach is doomed to failure...Britain wants to again consider the option of opting out. Fine, let’s discuss it but to put into question the whole acquis of Europe is not very reasonable...the exercise of repatriation of competences...means revising the treaties and revision means unanimity.”
Neither Cameron nor Barroso wants to say that any change to the treaties means referenda. They know the EU has no hope of winning them. They dare not risk repeating the last fiasco over altering the EU constitution. They’re stuck.
Assault on Greece
THE EU is attacking and destroying Greece: 28 per cent unemployment, 58 per cent youth unemployment. Since 2008 GDP is down by a quarter and debt up from 120 per cent to 175 percent of GDP, 321 billion euros.
The IMF has forecast that Greece will need to cut a further 6.7 billion euros (3.5 per cent of GDP) by 2016. The EU is destroying Greece as surely as NATO destroyed Yugoslavia. The German ruling class knows that the Greek people supported the people of Yugoslavia when NATO attacked and dismembered it.
Ireland cuts again...
IRELAND’S LATEST budget includes a further 2.5 billion euros in cuts – reducing pensions, healthcare, and unemployment benefits for young people. The Irish Central Bank has cut its growth forecast for 2013 from 0.7 per cent to 0.5 per cent, warning the government not to relax its “austerity” (poverty) programme.
...as Portugal wields the axe once more
PORTUGAL'S LATEST “austerity” budget has cut a further 3.2 billion euros from pensions and public sector wages, and increased the retirement age. The government admits that this year’s deficit will be 5.9 per cent of GDP rather than the targeted 5.5 cent. ■