The utter nerve, to come to our country and tell us - or at least one of our party leaders - what to do. Bl***y cheek! The Belgians - of which he's one - are the most federalistically minded nation in the EU.
He doesn’t realise that it was the way the Tories were marginalised, deprived of resources and generally ignored that caused the split from his own undemocratic federalist party.
He doesn’t realise the state of anti-EU feeling in Britain today and it’s time somebody told him - and while they are at it tell him to get his figures right.
AND THEN - Why can the Guardian print something so riddled with untrue FACTS and FIGURES ?
Christina
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GUARDIAN 28.10.09
EPP chairman: Cameron 'should quit weak, marginal' EU alliance
Chairman of powerful EU grouping warns against Tory leader's switch to divisive and less influential group
• Patrick Wintour
David Cameron has set up "a weak and very marginal" group in the European parliament that will have no influence over future debates in Europe, Wilfried Martens, the powerful chairman of the European People's Party, warned today in a visit to London.
He urged Cameron to rethink his decision of quitting the EPP to set up the "European Conservatives" if he becomes prime minister, arguing that both the US and the rest of the European Union would like him to end this period of divergence. {You bet they would! -cs]
Insisting that the EPP believed in a decentralised, democratic [NO IT DOESN’T -cs] Europe, said the party is now the single most powerful political force in Europe. He pointed out its meetings to cut deals and build friendships ahead of every session of the European council, and its recent meetings with the euro group of finance ministers and foreign ministers.
The group, he said, contained 189 heads of government [That’s clever of it since only 27 exist! -cs] including 13 leaders of the European Union.
Speaking at a meeting in Westminster, he said: "We are the most powerful political force in Europe comprising 74 member parties [needs checking] from 39 [Max:poss: 27] countries, including 189 heads of government [Max:poss: 27] . In Brussels we have nine European commissioners and we are the largest group in the European parliament. [The man can’t add up and the europhile Guardian doesn’t bother to check his figures I’ve inserted the absolute maximum number of eac category that the whole EU has! -cs]
"This is a powerful network where deals are cut and friendships made, where our strategy is decided before the formal European council and agendas shaped through informal discussion. The European commission president, Jose Manuel Barrosso, had been right to claim that national centre-right decision-makers were working closer together.
"With your long-held international history, I do not believe that UK's arms can be open to the world [with] your heart and mind closed to Europe."
He said Cameron's decision to quit the EPP, completed in the summer, and to form a new grouping had left Cameron committing to working "with a weak and very marginal group that has no influence".
Citing the influence Conservatives have had over vital economic directives, such as the recent services directive that will create 80,000 jobs in the UK, he said Conservative MEPs had held huge sway inside the Europen parliament for 15 years.
"Cameron will probably become the prime minister and for the decision making process for the European council it is extremely important that he is a member of this network. I really hope that after this period of divergence with us that a new period can be prepared to work together again," he said.
He also challenged Cameron by warning that American administrations, regardless of their political colour, want a strong, unified Europe, with a single number to call. [Nobody has used THAT joke for around 12 years! -cs]
"It is not only the result of the special relationship that connects the English speaking peoples but a recognition that without Britain a strong European foreign and security policy and a meaningful defence policy will not come about." [The EU ntalks about defence but won’t DO any fighting -cs]
Referring to Barack Obama, he said: "I fully share his view that British membership of the EU has benefited us on both sides of the Atlantic, a view he has made abundantly clear in recent months."
He pointed out that "western unity had been a decisive factor in bringing down communism".
"The same applies today as we face common challenges including the economic crsis and global terrorism. The economic crisis has shown the fact of our interdependence is the most visible way yet," he said. [When Germany - in the EPP - and France have openly say they declare ‘economic war on Britain there’s a fat lot of interdependence -cs]
Martens also called for a transatlantic parliamentary assembly that brings together politicians between the EU, America and Canada. He called for the creation of a transatlantic single market.
British trade with the EU represents 52 per cent of its total. In comparison emerging economies such as China and India represent a small proportion of the UK's external trade at 4.2 and 1.3 per cent respectively.
"Britain's future is linked with Europe, [Possibly but NOT with the federaloist state that Marten’s EPP wants! -cs] " Martens said. "Together we can build a union of nations working more closely together, not a federal superstate. I believe Europe is Britain's destiny, a place you should seek to make your home rather than escape from it."
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