Integration and Equality
During a debate in the European Parliament on 13 January 2009 to 'celebrate' the tenth year of the euro, and happily ignoring the present chaos in financial markets, the dinosaurs were brought out of retirement to provide a passing parade of so-called elder statesmen.
One of them was Valery Gustard d'Estaing, former president of France and one of the architects of the now discredited Constitutional Treaty and its new manifestation as the Lisbon Treaty.
He made one significant slip of the tongue when talking about the euro - or maybe he no longer cares. He said the euro was a key part of the process of "European integration". So there you have it, in the clearest and most unequivocal terms
Later, the president of the parliament, Hans-Gert Pottering (German centre right) made the same 'integration' claim when praising a socialist member who has decided to retire. He was lauded by Pottering for his tireless efforts to promote European integration.
Next day, the president of the commission, Mr Barroso, spoke at the end of a debate on the new Czech presidency. At one point he referred to the present mayhem in the employment markets and the need to get "our citizens" back to work.
His immediate suggestion about how this might be achieved in the present catastrophic economic downturn, with millions now facing the sack, was to advocate "equality of job opportunity for all men and women". Seriously, that's what he said.
How comforting to know they really do have their fingers on the pulse.
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