Sunday, June 19, 2005

France warns against EU break-up

France warns against EU break-up

FRENCH European Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna has warned EU countries tempted to go it alone after the latest crisis summit to seek a consensus rather than a break-up of the 25-nation bloc. She saw the crisis in Europe as "primarily coming from a weakening of the European spirit". "Some have kept their national egos, while it is only the European spirit that enables one to find the solutions together," she said.

Juncker says Europe is not America's subsidiary


Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker said on early Saturday morning that Europe is not America's "subsidiary." "The EU does not depend on others," Juncker told the press conference after the EU summit when asked to comment on the upcoming British presidency, a country that is famous for being close to the United States. Juncker attributed the failure of the budget plan deal to difference of "two visions" and "two paths" about Europe, hinting Britain keeps distance from Europe.

Jean-Claude Juncker is known for statements like this:

EU call to re-run treaty referendums

France and the Netherlands should re-run their referendums to obtain the "right answer" if their voters reject Europe's constitutional treaty in imminent national ballots, Jean-Claude Juncker, the holder of the EU presidency, said on Wednesday. The Luxembourg prime minister said all 25 EU member countries should continue their attempts to ratify the treaty whatever the outcome of the French and Dutch votes.


A New Europe?

The EU has continued harmonising and integrating in the manner described by Luxembourg’s Prime Minister, Jean-Claude Juncker to Der Spiegel in 1999: ”We decide on something, leave it lying around and wait and see what happens. If no one kicks up a fuss, because most people don’t understand what has been decided, we continue step by step until there is no turning back.”

1 Comments:

At June 19, 2005 11:30 PM, Blogger Meme chose said...

Nothing could be more predictable than that Chirac would seek to create a train wreck at the beginning of the UK's presidency of the EU. 'C'est la vie.'

As the Duke of Wellington said: "We have been, we are, and I hope we always will be, detested by the French".

 

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