A Transmission Belt of German Supremacy

 

ROME/BERLIN (Own report) – German politicians and media are intensifying pressure on Rome in anticipation of today’s EU Commission verdict on Italy’s national budget. Already last week, EU Budget Commissioner Günther Oettinger announced, in reference to the Italian deficit, that the Italian government must “correct” its draft budget. Media reports refer to a “black week” for Rome. Negative reporting – like rating agencies’ devaluation of Italy’s creditworthiness – can contribute to the destabilization of Italy’s financial and credit markets. The country’s current downward spiral threatens to re-escalate the banking crisis. Whereas Berlin insists that the EU take sharp measures against deficits, Germany’s Finance Minister at the time, Wolfgang Schäuble had prevented the EU Commission from taking measures against excessive surpluses, which the commission sees as potentially just as destabilizing. Germany has been achieving these surpluses year after year.

“Interfere!”

 

ROME/BERLIN (Own report) – Following massive pressure from Berlin, Italy’s new government has renounced on appointing a well-known euroskeptic to become economy and finance minister. The renowned economist Paolo Savona must accept a less prominent post as Minister for European Affairs – above all because he criticizes Germany’s blatant policy of domination at the expense of the other euro zone countries. The far right Lega Nord is now almost as strongly represented in Rome’s government as the 5-Star Movement: Due to Germany’s open interference, Lega’s poll ratings have soared, thereby significantly increasing its political clout. In the run-up, German politicians and media had reactivated a tactic they had been using since the beginning of the euro crisis: With warnings of harsh financial market reactions, they fuel the fear of a crisis, thus applying even more pressure on Rome. According to German media with wide circulation, Italy’s policy “concerns all of us” – “Interfere!”

German angst over Chinese M&A

Kuka’s robotic arms are a familiar sight on assembly lines, like this Mercedes-Benz plant in Germany, but the majority Chinese-owned company wants to expand beyond the factory

 

Germany is a top target in China’s search for innovative engineering groups — but some see a threat

At this year’s Hannover Messe, the world’s biggest industrial fair, it was one of the stars of the show: an elegant, ultra-sensitive robot known as an Iiwa that can pour a beer and brew a cup of coffee.

Angela Merkel and Barack Obama, guests of honour on the Messe’s opening day, were intrigued. “Can it squeeze lemons?” the German chancellor asked.

The Iiwa — or intelligent industrial work assistant — is produced by Kuka, one of Germany’s most innovative engineering companies. But it will not be entirely German for long. Less than a month after the fair, a Chinese appliance-maker called Midea offered to buy Kuka for €4.5bn, in the largest ever Chinese takeover of a German company.

Why Britain’s Vote on EU Membership Is So Momentous

A European Union referendum postal voting form (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

 

Watch the Brexit vote today. Whichever way it goes, it could mark a turning point for Europe and the world.

Britain’s referendum on its membership in the European Union is its most important decision in a generation. But regardless of which option the Brits choose, June 23 could mark a major turning point, both for Britain and for the EU. The referendum is forecast to be close.

The Fate of Europe

Even if Britain votes to stay, it will not deepen its ties with the European Union. Britain has no appetite for handing over more power to Brussels.

European Values (I)

BERLIN/WARSAW (Own report) – High-ranking German politicians are calling for punitive measures against Poland. The Polish government’s measures neutralizing the country’s constitutional court as well as its new media laws are “in violation of European values,” according to Volker Kauder, Chair of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group. The EU member states must now “have the courage to impose sanctions.” Earlier, EU Commissioner Günther Oettinger called for Poland to be placed “under supervision.” Even though the new media law, formally placing public service media under direct government control, are in fact more drastic, the forms taken by this official media control are already widespread throughout the EU. Hungary is not the only country to have enacted a media law, a few years ago, showing striking similarities to the new Polish law. Former President Sarkozy had also adopted similar measures in France. The French rulers still exercise considerable influence over public service media. However, particularly in Germany, with its hubris in seeking to discipline Poland, sharp criticism is frequently raised against the state and state parties’ control of the public service media.

“They want to control Poland again”

The reason The Fourth Reich category has been created is because it’s here. This article is further proof of many that the push for European dominance is not over and the continent is once again anchored to Germany.

Non-compliant member states of the EU get labeled ‘fascist’ or, as in this case, authoritarian. From there the economic penalties roll in to achieve the goal of subjugating countries. You saw it first with Cyprus, then with Greece which are now vassal states of Berlin. They are to be broken in order to reshape the continent into a synchronized United States of Europe — the hegemonic dream that never died.

The greatest heist of all time is underway and a European superpower in fact under construction.

…and yes, a European Army is coming with it.

“You have not anchored Germany to Europe,… You have anchored Europe to a newly dominant, unified Germany. In the end, my friends, you’ll find it will not work.“

– Margaret Thatcher

 

“Only fools think that politicians in Berlin and Brussels are actually worried about the Polish Constitutional Court or national media outlets,” writes Mariusz Staniszewski in Wprost. The front page of the Polish weekly newspaper compares EU leaders Guy Verhofstadt, Martin Schulz, Angela Merkel, Jean-Claude Juncker and Günther Oettinger to the Axis powers. For the columnist, EU pressure on the Polish government apparently regarding its slide towards authoritarianismis really about “the billions of euros that will now stay in Poland or continue to flow towards Germany or France.”

Independent of Moscow (I)

ALGIERS/BERLIN (Own report) – In its search for alternatives to Russian oil and gas supplies, Germany has entered an “energy partnership” with Algeria. Until now, Germany has hardly tapped that country’s resources, which have great potential. Algeria is the world’s sixth largest natural gas exporter and a significant oil producer. The development of new sources is urgent. In light of the West’s policy of escalation in regards to Moscow, Germany would like to become less dependent on Russian energy resources. At the same time, the Libyan civil war threatens to cut off completely one of Germany’s most important sources of oil. Because of the nuclear dispute with Iran, oil and gas imports from that country are not yet feasible. The West’s aggressions and their repercussions are making energy procurement increasingly difficult. The new energy partnership with Algeria, which should help relieve this bottleneck, also offers the beleaguered German solar energy sector the possibility to gain ground on their Chinese rivals. German mechanical engineering and construction can expect supplementary profits.

A Controlled Gaffe

PARIS/BERLIN (Own report) – Paris has strongly reacted to Germany’s new attempts to impose its austerity dictate on the French national budget. Following the German government’s massive interventions in Brussels, German EU Commissioner Günther Oettinger called the French government a “recidivist” in a newspaper column last Friday – because it does not accept the full extent of Germany’s austerity dictates. This is an “uncontrolled gaffe,” said the General Secretary of the ruling French Socialist Party (PS) and called on Oettinger to resign. To impose more massive budget cuts, Berlin continues its efforts to torpedo the budget compromise reached by the French government with the EU Commission in late October. Since months, observers have been warning against a deflationary spiral and strong social protests in France. The EU Commission’s position statement on France’s budget, scheduled for today, may have to be postponed because of German interventions.

Nationalist Upsurge

KIEV/BERLIN (Own report) – The election campaign, ending this week in today’s pro-Western Ukraine, is characterized by extremist nationalism. According to opinion polls, the party of the politician, who had promoted himself using videos of his violations of the human rights of alleged pro-Russian separatists, is set to become second in Sunday’s elections. Considering the civil war’s nationalist upsurge, other parties have begun accepting militiamen into their ranks. The commander of the fascist Asov Battalion, for example, is a member of the “military council” of Prime Minister Arseniy Jazenjuk’s party. Last week, Asov Battalion militia members participated in the violent attacks on the Ukrainian parliament. During the election campaign, it was alleged that Kiev’s troops had used internationally banned cluster munitions in the Donetsk region. New social cuts are anticipated – regardless of the winner of the elections – to pay for the essential supplies of Russian gas. Berlin and the EU, whose hegemonic sphere Ukraine joined this year, are refusing to give Kiev additional material assistance. Aside from these issues, the former Polish foreign minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, admitted that he had completely invented the serious allegations he made against the Russian president. German media have widely reported on these allegations.

Leadership In and With Europe

BERLIN (Own report) – Germany should play “a more important global role” and assume a stronger “leadership in and with Europe,” according to a German government advisor’s assessment of a PR discussion of foreign policy, initiated by the German Foreign Ministry. According to the foreign minister, the discussion, in the framework of the project “Review 2014,” should help to close the “glaring gap” between the Berlin establishment’s global policy orientation and the population’s “willingness” to condone, for example, military missions. Prepared and conducted by the foreign ministry’s Policy Planning Staff, This project is part of a campaign for a more aggressive German global policy. The German President launched this campaign with a speech in celebration of the 2013 German national holiday. According to the assessment of the “Review 2014,” the discussion seems to indicate a consensus that “Germany, alone, is too insignificant to affect changes in global policy.” Hence, Germany needs the EU. “Europe possesses the political clout necessary for Germany to be able to effectively pursue its interests.” In the future, Germany’s “partnership with the USA” must be on an “equal footing.”