The EU Has Not Had A Good Corona Crisis, And It’s Getting Much, Much Worse.
In what must be one of the oddest announcements we have all seen from the EU in the last few years, the Commission seems to have forgotten which countries are members of its wannabe superstate.
The EU ideologues are desperately trying to recover, having done very little for weeks
On Tuesday the EU Commission — heavily criticised for weeks — put out a press statement in what seems like a desperate attempt to regain some vestige of credibility across the EU as a whole.
I should first remind some readers that Norway is not a member of the European Union. It never has been. Despite continuous attempts by its politicians and establishment, the Norwegian people wisely voted against EU membership — more than once.
Nevertheless, on Tuesday the EU Commission took credit for a generous act by some non-EU Norwegian doctors and medical staff to help the hard-pressed people of northern Italy.
You just could not make it up if you tried. However, the EU did.
Readers will note that the headline of the EU’s announcement is: “Coronavirus: EU Medical Teams deployed to Italy”. In my “Observation” below I suggest a more accurate alternative might be: “Some Romanian doctors are going to Italy, and Austria is sending some disinfectant.
Much more help from non-EU Norway, though.
What price ‘Quitely’?
Feelings are running high across the EU’s member countries right now, on a variety of topics and levels. One of the countries where emotions are running highest is in Italy. The EU’s reputation in Italy is now so low that mayors have not only removed EU flags from their town halls but have even boasted of burning them.
A few days ago a prominent Italian MP posted this video of himself on YouTube, removing the EU flag from his offices. Who can blame him?
The EU’s crises just keep on deepening
Last week, a group of Italian mayors and other politicians even bought a page in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung — a serious German newspaper — to remind Germany that it was never made to pay back its debts after WWII.
In more bad news this week, the EU’s new head of its €2bn per year “European Research Council” resigned on Tuesday in a blaze of publicity, condemning the EU’s inability to coordinate an effective Coronavirus campaign. He described the plan he had devised as having created an “internal political thunderstorm” and that it had “disintegrated upon impact” with parts of the EU Commission.
The financial crisis went from bad to very much worse this week, when the Eurogroup ministers failed to reach an agreement after an acrimonious, 14 hour, through-the-night meeting. The arguments are complex but in the end, they come down to a key question: Will the financially-sound EU countries agree to mutualise (share) the debts of the ‘ClubMed’ countries? If Germany, the Netherlands and the others continue to refuse to a plan to issue ‘Coronabonds’ or come up with something similar, financial disaster looms for the Euro.
“The future of Europe and the euro are at stake,” says French Finance Minister
Once again Italy is at the epicentre but harsh words are also being flung around by other governments too. Here’s Bruno Le Maire, the French Finance Minister, a few hours after the Eurogroup meeting broke in disarray at 5 am yesterday: “While we have hundreds and thousands of deaths, the finance ministers are playing with words and adjective. It is shameful for the finance ministers, shameful for the Eurogroup, and shameful for Europe. We must have a common understanding of the gravity of the crisis and decide on a strong joint response.”We will be severely judged first by the markets, then by our populations than by other countries which will see us unable to overcome our differences of opinion. The future of Europe and the Euro is at stake.”
Starting with the nonsense about EU racing to the aid of Italy, the EU’s statement is so bizarre that I hardly know where to start. I have many years’ experience of reading the ever-increasing propaganda coming from the EU. I was reading long before any mention of a UK Referendum. There was a time when the EU’s Press Office issued information. These days it would be hard to differentiate its output from that of the propaganda organ of a totalitarian state.
The announcement of “EU Medical Teams” being sent to Italy really does take the piss
In reality, as I said the headline should have read: “Some Romanian doctors are going to Italy, and Austria is sending some disinfectant. Much more help from non-EU Norway, though.”
What is more galling is the fact The EU actually has a Commissioner for Crisis Management
Yes, the EU has a Crisis Management Commissioner. Given all the EU’s problems, this must be the worst job in the world right now — putting aside the massive salary, benefits, perks, pension, accommodation, limos, and expense account.
The Commissioner’s name is Janez Lenarčič and he’s from Slovenia. Slovenia is an EU member country which has a population of 2.1 million — smaller than that of West Yorkshire. Its economy is less than 1/50th of the size of the UK’s.
Like almost all EU Commissioners, Mr Lenarčič has never held what we would call “a proper job” in his life. He has only ever worked in politics and the EU.
In the event, any Italian reads this article or any EU citizen hit bt the COVID19 and would like to ask why he is sitting on his arse doing very little for them be my guest here's the bastards contact details.
Contact
cab-lenarcic-contact@ec.europa.eu
Address:
Rue de la Loi / Wetstraat 200
1049 Brussels
Belgium
On Tuesday he said:
“I thank Romania, Norway and Austria for coming to Italy’s support in a time that is so difficult for the whole continent. This is EU solidarity in action. Our EU Emergency Response Coordination Centre is working 24/7 with all Member States to make sure help is channelled to where it’s most needed.”
As I have pointed out NORWAY is not in the EU. If any help from Norway is helping Italy its the goodwill of the Norway government and its people not the EU that's helping them.
The EU lost all grip on reality
Someone really should explain to the idiot Mr Lenarčič and his fellow idiot Commissioners that Norway is not a member of the EU. The fact that the Norwegian government chose to participate in an EU agency which was primarily set up to address humanitarian emergencies in far-flung parts of the world does not make it a member of the EU.
Somehow we doubt that Matteo Salvini, head of La Lega (the most popular party in Italy) would see the EU’s help in that light.
Opinion polls in Italy right now are showing right-wing Eurosceptic parties with more than 50% support, and I expect this to increase further.
This article will evolve as more information comes in.
[ Sources: EU Commission | FT statement by Mauro Ferrari
