Monday, 30 June 2014
Sunday, 29 June 2014
FRANCOIS HOLLANDE : EN PANNE ?
Depuis deux ans François Hollande entamait chaque mois le même refrain : "La courbe du chômage allait s'inverser". Las, ce mois ci encore, 25 000 chômeurs de plus ont été enregistrés portant à 5 millions le nombre de sans emploi toutes catégories confondues.
Par ailleurs, la prévision de croissance de 1% du gouvernement vient d'être révisée à la baisse par l'INSEE et ramenée à 0,7% ...
Et on attend toujours la mise en œuvre du pacte de responsabilité que François Hollande annonçait en janvier dernier, la simplification des normes et la réduction des dépenses publiques, réformes promises par François Hollande ...
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JEAN-CLAUDE JUNCKER : NOW A QUICK VOTE TO ENSURE HIS ELECTION !
Having convinced everyone that Jean-Claude Juncker is the one and only suitable candidate to be the next President of the EU Commission, Chancellor Merkel will now push for a swift vote in the EU Parliament to ratify her choice and ensure his election as President !
It would be very convenient if this "problem" could be settled before the Summer recess scheduled for end July to 31 August 2014. The vote in the EU Parliament is due to take place on 14/17 July.
To help her, Chancellor Merkel can count on the untiring services of José Manuel Barroso, the last nominated and unelected President of the EU Commission for the last 10 years. Chancellor Merkel can also count on the 92 German MEPs to help ensure a majority vote in a Parliament which has 751 members.
However a majority vote for Juncker may not really be a foregone conclusion. He is recognized as being a dour and fervent slave of total EUROZONE domination of Europe. The recent EU elections of MEPs has also, however, revealed that changes of principles and of politics in the EU are wanted and expected by the electorate.
This could lead to delays if newly elected MEPs become stubborn about rubber-stamping Juncker as President ! Will he make a speech to the EU Parliament to introduce his ideas and convince MEPs how he will be "their man" if they elect him ?
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Wednesday, 25 June 2014
IS JEAN-CLAUDE JUNCKER THE RIGHT MAN ?
Manual Barroso, the out-going President of the EU Commission, knew he had to do what the Ministers of the European Council wanted, but these rules have now changed. Does Jean-Claude Juncker really understand the role which he will be expected to play, as President of the EU Commission, to satisfy the Ministers of the EU Council, but also to satisfy the MEPs if they elect him as the President of the EU Commission ?
This function is not a "reward" or "honour" ! It is guaranteed hard work to continue building the dream of a federated Europe. Many people are for or against this project !
It means formulating policies, modifying treaties and ensuring that taxpayers accept to bear the costs. This also means being an independent diplomat, not a henchman of any one party.
Has Juncker, in the pre-selection period, explained his vision of how he intends to work, to both the Council and to the EU Parliament ? How can you adopt a Candidate if you do not "know" him or his ideas ?
Is Jean-Claude Juncker the right man for the Job ?
.Saturday, 21 June 2014
WILL THE EU PARLIAMENT ADOPT JUNCKER ?
With the benediction of Angela Merkel and her friends in the Eurozone, Jean-Claude Juncker from Luxembourg has become the red hot favourite to replace the retiring (nominated but never elected) Manual Barroso as President of the EU Commission. His nomination for the post will be proposed at the next meeting of the Council of Ministers (26/27 June 2014) and must then be ratified by the EU Parliament.
This all appears quite harmless but it suits what Merkel really wants - no changes to EU Treaties which she considers are quite adequate for solving future problems.
In view of the recent EU Parliamentary elections, which revealed that voters wanted changes and elected many new politicians to force these changes, the automatic adoption of Jean-Claude Juncker as president of the EU Commission should perhaps not be considered as certain.
Should a Eurozone henchman be elected as President or someone with a more open and independent frame of mind ?
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Friday, 20 June 2014
REFEREES NEED HELP : WILL FIFA ACT ?
Every football fan watching the World Cup in Brazil has seen the new modern style of play. This can be described as being "possession football at all costs".
In the bygone past reckless tackling was punished with a free kick. Now Referees seem to hesitate and do not want to show the yellow cards to offenders for violent play. What constitutes violent play or a violation of the spirit of the game ?
- Desperate tackles, "get the ball or the man".
- No hope, last gasp dangerous tackles, where there is a 5 percent chance of success.
- Body checking with outspread arms.
- Feigning injury when the ball has been lost, or won with undue force.
Should FIFA not act to provide referees with some practical help ? Would it not be better to end the use of yellow cards and replace them with instant sanctions of time penalties "in the sin bin" ? Should writhing injured players not be systematically be treated off the pitch ?
Fans should make their feelings clear to FIFA !
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Thursday, 19 June 2014
FRENCH ELECTORS FACED WITH POLITICAL CHAOS
After the local elections and then the EU parliamentary elections, there is now a frenzied fight in all sectors of Political Life in France.
To be quite simple,
- Faced with heavy election losses, President Hollande appointed a new Prime Minister (Manuel Valls) who formed a new Cabinet of Ministers.
- The "Greens" and the Communists withdrew from the Socialist coalition.
- Trade Unions are now defying the Government with strikes in the Transport sector.
- Conservatives on the Right (UMP) are in-fighting just to elect a leader to replace Cope the disavowed former President of UMP; this has become an almighty individual battle to become the next official candidate for the French Presidential election in 2017.
- Trade Unions are now defying the Government with strikes in the Transport sector.
- Conservatives on the Right (UMP) are in-fighting just to elect a leader to replace Cope the disavowed former President of UMP; this has become an almighty individual battle to become the next official candidate for the French Presidential election in 2017.
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