Friday, January 02, 2009

This is the year you can tell them where to go



That transcript referred to, for those who have forgotten or who might not have read it, is here [emphasis mine]:
Daniel Cohn-Bendit, MEP: I brought you a flag, which — as we heard — you have everywhere here at the Prague Castle. It is the flag of the European Union, so I will place it here in front of you.

It will be a tough Presidency. The Czech Republic will have to deal with the work directive and climate package. EU climate package represents less than what our fraction would wish for. It will be necessary to hold on to the minimum of that. I am certain that the climate change represents not only a risk, but also a danger for the future development of the planet. My view is based on scientific views and majority approval of the EP and I know you disagree with me. You can believe what you want, I don’t believe, I know that global warming is a reality.

Lisbon Treaty… I don’t care about your opinions on it. I want to know what you are going to do if the Czech Chamber of Deputies and the Senate approve it. Will you respect the will of the representatives of the people? You will have to sign it.

I want you to explain to me what is the level of your friendship with Mr Ganley from Ireland. How can you meet a person whose funding is unclear? You are not supposed to meet him in your function. It is a man whose finances come from problematic sources and he wants to use them to be funding his election campaign into the EP.

President Vaclav Klaus:
I must say that nobody has talked to me in such a style and tone for the past 6 years. You are not on the barricades in Paris here. I thought that these manners ended for us 18 years ago but I see I was wrong. I would not dare to ask how the activities of the Greens are funded. If you are concerned about a rational discussion in this half an hour, which we have, please give the floor to someone else, Mr Chairman.

EU Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering:
No, we have plenty of time. My colleague will continue, because anyone from the members of the EP can ask you whatever he likes. (to Cohn-Bendit:) Please continue.

President Vaclav Klaus: This is incredible. I have never experienced anything like this before.

Daniel Cohn-Bendit: Because you have not experienced me..

President Vaclav Klaus:
This is incredible.

Daniel Cohn-Bendit:
We have always had good talks with President Havel. And what will you tell me about your attitude towards the anti-discrimination law? I will gladly inform you about our funding.

Hans-Gert Pöttering: Brian Crowley, please.

Brian Crowley, MEP:
I am from Ireland and I am a member of a party in government. All his life my father fought against the British domination. Many of my relatives lost their lives. That is why I dare to say that the Irish wish for the Lisbon Treaty. It was an insult, Mr. President, to me and to the Irish people what you said during your state visit to Ireland. It was an insult that you met Declan Ganley, a man with no elected mandate. This man has not proven the sources from which his campaign was funded. I just want to inform you what the Irish felt. I wish you that you get the programme of your Presidency through and you will get through what European citizens want to see.

President Vaclav Klaus: Thank you for this experience which I gained from this meeting. I did not think anything like this is possible and have not experienced anything like this for the past 19 years. I thought it was a matter of the past, that we live in democracy, but it is post-democracy, really, which rules the EU.

You mentioned the European values. The most important value is freedom and democracy. The citizens of the EU member states are concerned about freedom and democracy, above all. But democracy and freedom are losing ground in the EU today. It is necessary to strive for them and fight for them.

I would like to emphasize, above all, what most citizens of the Czech Republic feel, that for us the EU membership has no alternative. It was me who submitted the EU application in the year 1996 and who signed the Accession treaty in 2003. But the arrangements within the EU have many alternatives. To take one of them as sacrosanct, untouchable, about which it is not possible to doubt or criticize it, is against the very nature of Europe.

As for the Lisbon Treaty, I would like to mention that it is not ratified in Germany either. The Constitutional Treaty, which was basically the same as the Lisbon Treaty, was refused in referendums in other two countries. If Mr. Crowley speaks of an insult to the Irish people, then I must say that the biggest insult to the Irish people is not to accept the result of the Irish referendum. In Ireland I met somebody who represents a majority in his country. You, Mr. Crowley, represent a view which is in minority in Ireland. That is a tangible result of the referendum.

Brian Crowley, MEP:
With all respect, Mr. President, you will not tell me what the Irish think. As an Irishman, I know it best.

President Vaclav Klaus: I do not speculate about what the Irish think. I state the only measurable data which were proved by the referendum.

In our country the Lisbon Treaty is not ratified because our parliament has not decided on it yet. It is not the President’s fault. Let’s wait for the decision of both Chambers of the Parliament, that is the current phase of the ratification process in which the President plays no role whatsoever. I cannot sign the Treaty today, it is not on my table, it is up to the parliament to decide about it now. My role will come after the eventual approval of the Treaty in the Parliament…

Hans-Gert Pöttering: … In the conclusion — and I want to leave this room in good terms — I would like to say that it is more than unacceptable, if you compare us, compare us with the Soviet Union. We are all deeply rooted in our countries and our constituencies. We are concerned about freedom and reconciliation in Europe, we are good willing, not naïve.

President Vaclav Klaus:
I did not compare you with the Soviet Union, I did not mention the word[s] “Soviet Union”. I only said that I have not experienced such an atmosphere, such style of debate in the past 19 years in the Czech Republic, really.

Ends

On reading this transcript, an e-mail was sent to Brian Crowley, asking him how on earth he feels able to shit on democracy in such a manner. This was his response:

From: Brian Crowley MEP [mailto:briancrowleymep@eircom.net]
Sent: 15 December 2008 14:27
To:
Subject: RE: Daniel Cohn (danny the red MEP)



Dear xxx


Thank you for your e-mail of 15th December last and attachment regarding my recent meeting with President of the Czech Republic, Mr Vaclav Klaus. I have only recently been made aware that an extract of my comments during the meeting with Mr Klaus had been made available in the public domain.


I was not aware at any time that the meeting was being recorded and nor were any of my colleagues from the European parliament. This is the first time that I have encountered a secretly recorded meeting of this nature. Furthermore, some of the words attributed to me are incorrect, since I never mentioned my father once in my presentation. Be that as it may, President Klaus released the highly edited extract of the transcript for his own purposes.


Thank you for taking the time to write to me and I wish you a very happy and peaceful Christmas.


Kind regards


Is mise le meas


Brian



Brian Crowley MEP

President of the UEN Group

Leader of Fianna Fáil in Europe



Maryborough Lodge

Maryborough Hill

Douglas

Cork



Tel (021) 4896 433 Fax (021) 4896 401

Email briancrowleymep@eircom.net

Web www.briancrowleymep.ie

In short, what they say is okay because they didn't know it was being recorded.

Make no mistake: voting for pro EU parties in the UK is the same as voting for these cunts. And they are cunts. Nasty, evil, dangerous people who don't want you to have your say because they know that when the people are asked about the EU, they have this rather irritating little habit of saying NO. Which means people like Pottering, who should be strung up for the part he is playing in eroding our freedoms (he sits with the British Conservatives but they're also pro EU so not so strange bedfellows) have to go through the whole rigmarole of coming up with a reason why they can ignore referendums.

Of course, the reason they can ignore referendums is because people vote for candidates who are pro EU. So really, if you want to blame someone, chances are all you need do is look in the mirror.

The European Elections are in June 2009 and they are proportional representation so anyone who says 'vote xxx and it's a wasted vote' is probably too dumb to function.

7 comments:

Unknown said...

Trixy

I lived in Prague for a few years earlier this decade and many believed that Vacek Klaus was looking forward to his opportunity to have just this sort of debate.

Frankly, this dialogue that you've repeated here is in common with why I absolutely deplore the work of the EU.

They've taken economic basket cases (i.e., Eire) and through the use of graft, corruption and my taxes created a super-state of such proportions that its destruction must be the aim of all right thinking folk.

The European elections are coming, MEPs - better get looking for new jobs now.

Unknown said...

EDIT to above:

Note also the commentary of Barosso regarding the adoption of the Euro by the UK; whilst the majority of the UK are against it we (the majority) don't matter.

Mr B: screw you, and the horse you rode in on.

Apologies for the use of such language...

Trixy said...

Hi Craig,

Happy New Year!

Until we leave we can only hope that the pro EU MEPs get looking for new jobs.

That means you, Corbett. You should be the first one to go, Britain-hater.

Michael Heaver said...

God I hope Richard Corbett loses his job.

The omens look good right now. The Telegraph published a piece by Liam Fox the Tory MP yesterday in which he tried to sell the Tory brand of euroscepticism (we'll do a bit more talking than Labour) and the commenters rejected his stance:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/4060481/We-didnt-join-the-EU-for-defence-reasons---we-have-Nato-for-that.html

Mark Wadsworth said...

Woo hoo!

Cowley clearly accused Vaclav of lying. Well, either he was or he wasn't, so all Vaclav has to do, with the all the ceremony that being current EU president affords him, is to release the tape on YouTube.

Liam Fox is an arse, by the way.

Simon Fawthrop said...

I've done a fair bit of work in Prague and got to know some people very well. It always amazed me that they were so quick to join the EU when the USSR disintegrated. I know there was money on the table to bribe them but I always thought they valued freedom more.

BTW, they don't have to justify why they won't accept no. They just have to point national politicians at the bit in the preamble to the Treaty of Rome that says they signed up to "ever closer union" and tell them to fuck off home and sort out the "local difficulty".

Gawain Towler said...

Just to let you know, the meeting was not electronically recorded. It was taken down by proffessional stenographers. There was nop intention to release the transcript - it was for archives - until immediately after the meeting Danny Cohen-Bendit held a pre-planned press conference on the steps of Prague Castle stating that Klaus was mad, and misinterpreting the meeting.
Then and only then did Kllaus react.