Category: Eu Demands

Protester scales St Peters Dome Rome

03/10/2012

Image AP

There is much to protest about these days and many people prepared to do so. Protesting can and does take many forms. The Vatican City home of the head of the Holy Roman Catholic Chrurch, the Pope, has experienced protesters in recent days. Today one protester has gone a step further.

A disgruntled Italian restauranteur, who has obviously had his fill of the continuing EU austerity measures, has scaled St Peter's Basilica in Rome.

49-year-old Marcello de Finizio from Trieste is no stranger to unusual protests. In July 2012 he managed to scale St Peter's and spent four hours in situ until police finally coaxed him down. His latest anti EU protest has lasted around 12 hours so far.

Marcello managed to access St Peter's by mingling with a group of tourists. He then jumped over railings so that he was on on outside ledge. There he has stayed. He has draped a banner stating his message. It reads, Help!!! Enough with [Prime Minister Mario Monti], Enough with Europe, Enough with multinationals. You are killing us all. Development?

It is easy to see where his sentiment is coming from and who it is aimed at. Mario Monti is yet one more bureaucrat expecting people to roll over and succumb to poverty. He is a non elected leader of Italy and as such has no right to rule as he does, in a so called democratic country. We are, it seems, quick to preach democracy in the Middle East but even quicker to forgoe it in the West.

The authorities are trying to persudae Mr Finizio to come down peacefully. He is high above the ground and his position is precarious. He must however feel that he has little to lose now.

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Marching Spanish Miners enter Madrid Parliament

11/07/2012

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Civil and economic instability continues to increase across Europe. Worryingly the conditions are now ripe for conflict and more. Let us hope that we have that one wrong. Striking Miners in Spain had undertaken a three-week trek as a protest against austerity measures which will impact on them, their employment and the people of Spain.

The marches reached Madrid today, July 11, 2012. Miners are not the only Spanish citizens at the end of their tether though.

Their march has been inspirational. People have finally began to stand up and be counted in Spain. Pushed to the extreme by the government's austerity plans workers are saying that enough is enough.

Around 240 miners have been walking through the red hot heat of a Spanish Summer to take their protest to the authorities. Hailing from Northern Spain some days these men have marched 20 miles in order to meet today's deadline for the Madrid protest.

EU members agreement to halt subsidies to non profit making Spanish mines by 2018 may make sense to politicians. For the miners it will sound the death knell to their occupation. Like mining communities in the UK during Maggie Thatcher's premiership towns, villages, jobs and future jobs will be lost.

The Miner's Union believes that the cuts are more about hitting the Union or even tearing it apart. Well that is what happened in the UK. Miners leaders have said that the authorities claim it is about making cuts but then pour money into other resources such as banks.

But even as the marching miners approached their Madrid destination the current Spanish PM was about to address parliament with more bad news. VAT will be increased by 3% to 21%. This will hit tourists as well as locals making it a double blow for local economies.

The move is to please Brussels and other Eurozone members and of course Germany's Angela Merkel, but it will not please the majority of Spaniards.If Spain however is to receive the huge amount of money needed to bail out yet more banls ot will have to jump through the EU hoops.

Spanish protesters have been evident from other areas today. Some have been using guerilla tactics for weeks,in what could easily become an uprising. There will not be support for such an uprising by the West though, unlike in Syria.

Trouble flared in Madrid as protesters including the marchers rallied. As government Ministers responded to questions about the bank bailout the protesting miners took their voice into the heart of Parliament.

The attached RT video claim Spain is being sacrificed to save dying banks. Yes it is and on it goes. No light at the end of the tunnel. No breathing space. Simply more doom and bloom.

When will they realise that enough is enough?

Politicians can posture all they like but in the end they are public servants who are supposed to represent the people, not Brussels.

Tags: Spanish protests, marching miners, Spanish banks, ailing banks in Spain. Spain, civil unrest, EU politics, Brussels

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Eurozone foursome's Italian meeting

22/06/2012

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If chewing the fat could solve the economic woes of Europe we would be well on the way to financial recovery. As it is, one meeting after another seems a huge waste of money when in reality nothing changes for the better. Are these leaders simply aiming to justify their jobs?

Today June 22, 2012, there has been a meeting of EU leaders in Europe. Hosted by Germany's Angela Merkel, (Who died and made her Queen?) the outcome looks likely to warrant yet more money. If it was yourself managing such a failed budget by now you would have decided to call it a day rather than keep throwing good money after bad, wouldn't you?

These European meetings have something of the school yard about them as they often only involve two leaders, selected leaders or all leaders and involve false promises and Chinese whispers. Today's looks to have been no different. Of coure the UK is not in the Eurozone as such, wisely having clung on to its own currency. This however makes us a poor relation in negotiations, that is unless they want the UK to stump up more cash.

Today's talks in Rome involved, unelected Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. How four leaders can decide the fate of other countries without including them in the talks is beyond this blogger. Including a non elected leader is a disgrace when leaders continue to advocate democracy and free, fair elections in Middle Eastern countries.

The four leaders are said to be in charge of the top four economies in the Eurozone. As three of those economies are experiencing difficulties it shows what a joke the European Union is.

Mr Monti said that "The first objective we agree on is to relaunch growth, investments and to create jobs." The measures that they agreed are needed will be worth around 130bn euro. As usual then, not chicken feed. He went on to say, "We want there to be a significant European growth package, that is worth about 1% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), or 130bn euro."

Merkel's two-penneth was that "the lesson of this crisis is more Europe, not less Europe". We think that many people will disagree with Ms Merkel on that score.

The divisions are there to be seen though even in this small minority meeting. Hollande for France wants countries to share financial burdens more whilst Merkel is pushing for a financial transaction tax which Cameron will not be in favour of. Of course the UK is not part of the Eurozone, but other countries who were not at this meeting are.

Opinion: What is it with all these little summits, meetings and tet a tetes?. Is it following the old adage of the bosses and the workers, that to divide is to conquer? How would you feel if you found out that an important meeting you attended had already run the week before without you. That is exactly how other Eurozone leaders will feel when they meet in Brussels next week. Of Course "Queen" Merkel will no doubt hold court first, with one or two leaders, but that is no way to do business. It smacks of dodgy dealings and underhand agreements. No wonder Europe is in such a mess.

Today's talks lasted less that two hours and the four did not agree wholeheartedly. Hollande wants assurances before sovereignty is surrendered to the EU whilst Merkel holds the opposite opinion. This is why many Europeans feel that Germany is once more attempting to rule Europe, this time by holding the purse strings.
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Greek debt deal heralds more cuts

09/02/2012

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A deal has been reached over the next financial bail out Greece will receive. Greek politicians have been toiling over the cuts required since last year. The deal will secure a 109bn (130bn euro) bailout but at a price. That is to be expected. When we borrow from the bank it is always at a price. However if we are wise we stay well clear of loan sharks who demand too much back. Greece has nowhere else to go and has no bargaining power. It has been forced to accept the package warts and all. Some negotiating may have eased the cost but how viable is the situation?

European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi rubber stamped this latest bail out after speaking with Greek non-elected interim leader Mr Papademos. He told Mr Draghi that all parties in the Greek government had now agreed to the measures demanded by the EU. What about the Greek people? Those who will live with the implications of these measures on a daily basis?

Whilst the EU is not a charity it is supposed to be a community.

News of the deal had an instant positive effect on the stock market. Yes many will make money on the ills of Greece and its people. There will now be some alternative cuts to those which had been rejected last year. These will include a 22% reduction in the minimum wage and a total of 150,000 job cuts in the public sector, of which 15,000 will go this year. On the face of it this looks as if there will be one section of Greek community being hard hit and that will be the poorest. Correct me if I am wrong. Those who run countries, banks, big business and the like will prosper. Those in effect who were responsible for the mess in the first place. Pensions are in line for a 15% cut which may now be increased. Yes hit the elderly too.

Papademos and his measures are supported by the far right of Greece. It is noted thati n times of cirisis in Europe the far right tend to rise to the top before all hell breaks lose.

More money will be wasted at further talks in Brussels on the evening of February 9, 2012 as leaders get together once more to see if they can squeeze Greece a little further.

Economists generally believe that all of this will still not be enough. As the Greek economy contracts at an alarming rate the writing appears to be on the wall.

Others believe that Greece has now taken a vital first step on a long road to financial recovery. Having got itself into debt it has learned a hard lesson and must pay the price. March 20 is an important date for Greece this year and could be make or break time. Greek debt is complicated and you cananalyze it until you are blue in the face but not if you live in that country. That must be a nightmare. One that you would rather forget.

Wherever you stand on the Greek crisis you will be a lucky person if you are not an ordinary Greek citizen. It seems clear that Greece is in a no win situation, It faces an impossible task. Those who keep propping their debt up do so due to vested interests. Long ago a different solution should have been found. Now the EU is on a treadmill that is moving too fast for it to step off easily.

Greek in this blogger's opinion is doomed either way. Is it time to say enough is enough?

Note: Greece has to find €325m of cuts before the coming weekend!

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Only in the UK

Yorkshire woman Eileen Kersey is the creator, editor and writer of TEK staff blogs. Creator of both TEKJournalismUK and WhereButTheUK she has finally come out of the 'writing closet'. Under the pen name of Ethel Smith she has written online, in varying degrees, for around six years.