Comments on: Not Promising

By: Peter J.

Peter J. — Fri, 17 Jun 2005 17:53:11 +0000

I am surprised that Frans G was flabbergasted at the remarks and attitude taken by Juncker. Most of the EU’s political leaders engage in childish, cynical and irresponsible politics where the EU is concerned. It has ever been so, and is one of the fundamental reasons why there is such a huge gulf opening up between politicians and EU citizens.

Another example are Giscard d’Estaing’s recent remarks that appeared in the New York Times, where he is quoted as telling Chirac not to give people a copy of the Constitution because “It is not possible for anyone to understand the full text”.

I would add that exactly the same happens on the domestic political scene in most EU member states, to a greater or lesser degree.

Perhaps we get the politicians we deserve, but I also tend to agree with Winston Churchill’s remark that ‘democracy is four years of elected dictatorship’.

By: Frans G

Frans G — Fri, 17 Jun 2005 04:43:01 +0000

Off topic: I do not understand why people put polls on their sites. I like the Afoe polls however: give you some idea of its readership.

By: Frans G

Frans G — Fri, 17 Jun 2005 04:41:34 +0000

I was flabbergasted to see the childish /cynical/ irresponsible tone in some comments of Juncker where he stated that “he was very glad that Blair now was to head the meetings on the budget” (not a literal quote; I saw him on Dutch TV)

By: P O'Neill

P O'Neill — Fri, 17 Jun 2005 02:38:11 +0000

Kaletsky has a pretty good paragraph in today’s Times:

But like a troupe of repertory actors determined to carry on whatever happens, the leaders of Europe wander aimlessly from one capital city to another, mechanically delivering their tedious, posturing dialogue in the unconvincing tragicomedy whose plot everybody knows by heart.