The EU says that the UK is deluded and doesn’t understand how Brussels work. The UK might as well state the obvious: the EU is bloody deluded and doesn’t understand how the real world — or property countries — function.
That should be “proper countries”.
How can the UK not know how Brussels works after 45 years of being on the inside? The mad Juncker himself was PM of the least significant member state, who succeeded in bending all the rules to his own advantage. Nice.
I think, far more to the point, is that the EU doesn’t understand how Britain works. She’s been a good little member for many years and the EU has got used to shouting ‘Jump’ and receiving the answer “How High”. But the game has changed – well we all hope it has – and Britain will be answering something along the lines of “Not this Time, Chum.”
Janus: Luxembourg is hideously corrupt and always has been. Here’s a story from the Second World War for you… During the German occupation Luxembourgers were only all too happy to be the perfect subjects of the Third Reich. One day, a Luxembourger demanded that my great-grandfather leave the room and re-enter because he didn’t greet him with the proper “Heil Hitler”. He warned him that, should he fail to do so in the future, he would be reported to the police. As soon as the Yanks arrived, the same man was suddenly a victim of the Hun oppressor and was oh-so-grateful that he’d no longer be downtrodden by the blasted Hun.
Boadicea: No Tory PM could survive kowtowing to the EU yet again. The Delightful Mrs May stands to do exceedingly well in the North of England and even reverse years of Tory decline in Scotland and Wales. If she sticks to her guns, the Tories will have a bright future. If she fails, if she buckles then she will have thrown away a golden chance. Money is one thing, but power is greater yet.
Our George has some advice in the ES for The Junckman: “If you ask for a blank cheque, don’t be surprised if later it bounces”.
And I have some for Ms May: ‘Don’t appear in front of a camera with children, animals and especially with food in your mouth.’
The EU, in the persons of self-confessed liar with a drink problem Juncker and incompetent Barnier shoved on to the EU by the expert in incompetence, are demonstrating beautifully just how third-rate the eurocrats are. It has to be remembered, however, that there is a difference between Merkel and other leaders and their electorate. It’s a bit tough when headlines say “Germans say this or that” when it’s only Merkel doing the loudmouthing.
Sheona: Very true. People are often entirely oblivious to how anti-democratic the German constitution actually is. Civil liberties have strong protections, but in political matters Germany is a liberal dictatorship. The only democratic input is which form of liberal dictatorship Germany will see for the next parliament. German voters are explicitly prohibited from having direct input.
I’ve just read a report on how furious the Spanish, especially those in Andalusia, are with their corrupt government, which keeps trying to play the Gibraltar card. Over 10,000 Spaniards cross into Gibraltar every day to work. It’s Gibraltar that keeps the economy of La Linea and the surrounding area on its feet.
Sheona: I read a similar report. A number of those interviewed wanted the border to Gibraltar moved to include their bit of Spain!
The worst aspect of the upcoming negotiation is that it’s going to mirror the Trump regime, with endless tw*ts and leaks calculated to get headlines. Fortunately the EU will also be obliged to brief all 27 countries and the Parliament in formal communications – which will be a more reliable guide to its intentions.
The Germans must be concerned that their artifially low currency gravy train is about to hit the buffers. Brexit might just be the thing that derails it when the PIIGs realise that there is life outside the orbit of the Fourth Reich…or whatever it’s called now.
Sorry if that’s a bit disjointed, half my so called mind is on the latest woodworking project and the imminent delivery of my new tool sharpening gizmo (very expensive and precision engineered in England)
Jazz: The iPIGS may not be as fond of the EU as they were before, but with the exception of Italy, they’re utterly beholden to it. The Spanish have no confidence in their government and frankly doubt that they’re capable of running anything effectively. The Greeks and Portuguese are terrified of the economic uncertainty that faces them outside the EU — and with weak currencies. The Irish are disgusted with the EU and their politicians, but they fear becoming a de facto British colony again.You’re more likely to see movement in Scandinavia. They rely on trade, but despise the politics of the EU.
Maybe they’d like to join the UK. I’m sure that Westminster at its worst is better than Brussels.
Finally, the EU seems to have admitted that without a massive Brexit Fee from the UK it has a big, big problem. But, then, even were the UK to pay their ridiculous demands, it will have a problem later down the track. Clearly no one has ever taught them the basic principle of cutting their garment according to the cloth…
I have read some of their more recent demands. They can’t be serious, can they? Do the bureaucrats really think that a) Britain will capitulate to their demands, and b) that European companies will accept the loss of their exports so easily?
Boa, we have heard very little from the other member states, per se, except the occasional ‘don’t worry, it will be fine’. Is that because they have been asked to wait until there is a deal on the table?
I don’t think the Commission can imagine having to reduce expenditure; there is no word for ‘cutbacks’ in Eurospeak.
Jazz: That’s out of the question. Ireland is fiercely republican. Ireland has moved on. There’s little real bitterness left in the Republic of Ireland toward the UK, but the consensus is that Ireland left and went its own way some 95 years ago. You’re as likely to get the US to return to Britain as you are Ireland.
Boadicea: I will go to Luxembourg City next week. I will see if I can suss anything out.
I cannot but help thinking that Drunker is a Tory Plant at the EuroKremlin. Every time he opens his mouth, he garners more votes for Maggie May in the forthcoming General Election!
Drunker’s latest playground prank is to start speaking French – because ‘English is less important’.
Janus: In Luxembourg the language of politics and law is French. Whenever I go shopping in Grevenmacher I chortle when I read the receipt. The staff speak Luxembourgian, wares are marked in German — but the receipt is in French.
Indeed, but the Druncker was deliberately avoiding English.
Janus: I was highlighting the absurdity of Bog-Clot Plonker’s position. Even in his “Ländle”, the position of French is supported on legal grounds, not necessarily actual use. Most French speakers in the Grand Duchy or commuters from Lorraine and Wallonia who take advantage of the position of the French language in Luxembourg. Their own economies are disasters.
He is of course playing to the gallery of the prejudiced Europrats, a kind of Trump ploy.
Janus: Well, of course! Never mind that there are far more German speakers in Europe than French speakers. It’s almost too childish for words.
Juncker might as well speak “letzeburgisch” for all the sense he makes anyway.
Ahem, ahem. Ech verstoen Lëtzebuergesch.Mäi Grousspapp geschwat engem Dialekt vun et.
Boadicea's Chariot 
The EU says that the UK is deluded and doesn’t understand how Brussels work. The UK might as well state the obvious: the EU is bloody deluded and doesn’t understand how the real world — or property countries — function.
That should be “proper countries”.
How can the UK not know how Brussels works after 45 years of being on the inside? The mad Juncker himself was PM of the least significant member state, who succeeded in bending all the rules to his own advantage. Nice.
I think, far more to the point, is that the EU doesn’t understand how Britain works. She’s been a good little member for many years and the EU has got used to shouting ‘Jump’ and receiving the answer “How High”. But the game has changed – well we all hope it has – and Britain will be answering something along the lines of “Not this Time, Chum.”
Janus: Luxembourg is hideously corrupt and always has been. Here’s a story from the Second World War for you… During the German occupation Luxembourgers were only all too happy to be the perfect subjects of the Third Reich. One day, a Luxembourger demanded that my great-grandfather leave the room and re-enter because he didn’t greet him with the proper “Heil Hitler”. He warned him that, should he fail to do so in the future, he would be reported to the police. As soon as the Yanks arrived, the same man was suddenly a victim of the Hun oppressor and was oh-so-grateful that he’d no longer be downtrodden by the blasted Hun.
Boadicea: No Tory PM could survive kowtowing to the EU yet again. The Delightful Mrs May stands to do exceedingly well in the North of England and even reverse years of Tory decline in Scotland and Wales. If she sticks to her guns, the Tories will have a bright future. If she fails, if she buckles then she will have thrown away a golden chance. Money is one thing, but power is greater yet.
Our George has some advice in the ES for The Junckman: “If you ask for a blank cheque, don’t be surprised if later it bounces”.
And I have some for Ms May: ‘Don’t appear in front of a camera with children, animals and especially with food in your mouth.’
The EU, in the persons of self-confessed liar with a drink problem Juncker and incompetent Barnier shoved on to the EU by the expert in incompetence, are demonstrating beautifully just how third-rate the eurocrats are. It has to be remembered, however, that there is a difference between Merkel and other leaders and their electorate. It’s a bit tough when headlines say “Germans say this or that” when it’s only Merkel doing the loudmouthing.
Sheona: Very true. People are often entirely oblivious to how anti-democratic the German constitution actually is. Civil liberties have strong protections, but in political matters Germany is a liberal dictatorship. The only democratic input is which form of liberal dictatorship Germany will see for the next parliament. German voters are explicitly prohibited from having direct input.
I’ve just read a report on how furious the Spanish, especially those in Andalusia, are with their corrupt government, which keeps trying to play the Gibraltar card. Over 10,000 Spaniards cross into Gibraltar every day to work. It’s Gibraltar that keeps the economy of La Linea and the surrounding area on its feet.
Sheona: I read a similar report. A number of those interviewed wanted the border to Gibraltar moved to include their bit of Spain!
The worst aspect of the upcoming negotiation is that it’s going to mirror the Trump regime, with endless tw*ts and leaks calculated to get headlines. Fortunately the EU will also be obliged to brief all 27 countries and the Parliament in formal communications – which will be a more reliable guide to its intentions.
The Germans must be concerned that their artifially low currency gravy train is about to hit the buffers. Brexit might just be the thing that derails it when the PIIGs realise that there is life outside the orbit of the Fourth Reich…or whatever it’s called now.
Sorry if that’s a bit disjointed, half my so called mind is on the latest woodworking project and the imminent delivery of my new tool sharpening gizmo (very expensive and precision engineered in England)
Jazz: The iPIGS may not be as fond of the EU as they were before, but with the exception of Italy, they’re utterly beholden to it. The Spanish have no confidence in their government and frankly doubt that they’re capable of running anything effectively. The Greeks and Portuguese are terrified of the economic uncertainty that faces them outside the EU — and with weak currencies. The Irish are disgusted with the EU and their politicians, but they fear becoming a de facto British colony again.You’re more likely to see movement in Scandinavia. They rely on trade, but despise the politics of the EU.
Maybe they’d like to join the UK. I’m sure that Westminster at its worst is better than Brussels.
Finally, the EU seems to have admitted that without a massive Brexit Fee from the UK it has a big, big problem. But, then, even were the UK to pay their ridiculous demands, it will have a problem later down the track. Clearly no one has ever taught them the basic principle of cutting their garment according to the cloth…
I have read some of their more recent demands. They can’t be serious, can they? Do the bureaucrats really think that a) Britain will capitulate to their demands, and b) that European companies will accept the loss of their exports so easily?
Boa, we have heard very little from the other member states, per se, except the occasional ‘don’t worry, it will be fine’. Is that because they have been asked to wait until there is a deal on the table?
I don’t think the Commission can imagine having to reduce expenditure; there is no word for ‘cutbacks’ in Eurospeak.
Jazz: That’s out of the question. Ireland is fiercely republican. Ireland has moved on. There’s little real bitterness left in the Republic of Ireland toward the UK, but the consensus is that Ireland left and went its own way some 95 years ago. You’re as likely to get the US to return to Britain as you are Ireland.
Boadicea: I will go to Luxembourg City next week. I will see if I can suss anything out.
I cannot but help thinking that Drunker is a Tory Plant at the EuroKremlin. Every time he opens his mouth, he garners more votes for Maggie May in the forthcoming General Election!
Drunker’s latest playground prank is to start speaking French – because ‘English is less important’.
Janus: In Luxembourg the language of politics and law is French. Whenever I go shopping in Grevenmacher I chortle when I read the receipt. The staff speak Luxembourgian, wares are marked in German — but the receipt is in French.
Indeed, but the Druncker was deliberately avoiding English.
Janus: I was highlighting the absurdity of Bog-Clot Plonker’s position. Even in his “Ländle”, the position of French is supported on legal grounds, not necessarily actual use. Most French speakers in the Grand Duchy or commuters from Lorraine and Wallonia who take advantage of the position of the French language in Luxembourg. Their own economies are disasters.
He is of course playing to the gallery of the prejudiced Europrats, a kind of Trump ploy.
Janus: Well, of course! Never mind that there are far more German speakers in Europe than French speakers. It’s almost too childish for words.
Juncker might as well speak “letzeburgisch” for all the sense he makes anyway.
Ahem, ahem. Ech verstoen Lëtzebuergesch.Mäi Grousspapp geschwat engem Dialekt vun et.