Fourth Reich
Panos Kammenos, leader of the Independent Greeks party, said, “The German government is trying, through economic policy, to conquer Europe... The Germans are trying to force submission on the rest of Europe and create a fourth economic Reich.”
Germany insists that growth can only come from austerity (that is, from destroying growth). German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble said recently, “The first precondition in order to have sustainable growth everywhere in Europe is fiscal consolidation.”
Backing for German militarism
British defence Secretary Philip Hammond wants to see the German army re-arm and march round the world. Speaking in Berlin on 2 May, he said a military transformation will rely, “in Germany in particular, on the ability to generate the political will and public support for the deployment of military resources more widely in the future in support of [NATO] operations beyond our borders.”
He went on: “By re-focussing existing budgetary resources on more deployable capabilities, Germany has probably a greater capacity than any other European NATO partner to contribute to short-term enhancement of the Alliance’s capabilities.
“It is in all our interests to encourage Germany to realise that potential.”
Fascists on screen
The Greek Nazi party – Golden Dawn – got just 7 per cent of the votes. Yet the BBC in its News on 8 May chose to let its leader speak to camera. But it did not do so for any of the leaders of anti-austerity parties. Similarly, after the French election, the BBC interviewed no member of the winning Socialist Party but it did find time to talk to a National Front MEP.
Britain to agree EU bailout fund basis
The government wants to pass a Bill which would see Britain ratify an EU treaty change, agreed in March 2011, to give the eurozone bailout fund a legal base. This would have the effect of tightening the euro’s grip on member countries. ■