Pause for a moment and think about how ludicrous that idea is. The individual eurozone countries have all either blasted apart their banking systems or destroyed their countries with debt, or both. Yet it is from these same economically-idiotic countries that the new centralised economic government will be drawn: somehow the 'magic' of 'more Europe' is meant to turn the politicans and bureaucrats of these nations, all of them proven incompetents, into round-eyed versions of Hong Kong dynamos. The German chancellor assured us all that in her plan the role of the other eurozone states was to decided which member states had best practice in economic matters and then agree to impose that same 'best practice' across the eurozone. Nobody was fooled by what she meant: any working groups set up will find -- hey, here's a surprise -- that Germany has best practice in everything. Not that it actually does. As Charles Dumas of Lombard Street Research says: 'The widely-held belief in the strength of the German economy is a delusion.' But since Merkel has taken control of the formation of a eurozone economic government -- Sarkozy is very much the junior partner, whose role is mostly to act as cover for the fact that Germany is the driver of this policy -- she will get what she wants. Which is: the Germanification of the EU. This shows how far Sarkozy's policy of making himself Tonto to Merkel's Lone Ranger has damaged French influence in the EU. Historically, when the French drove the creation of the (then) Common Market, the community/union was meant to be building the Continent into a Greater France. Now the 27 countries are being forced into building a Greater Germany. And I do mean the 27. Cameron and Osborne may stand to one side of this and say, 'We're not eurozone, nothing to do with us, mate,' but that is not the way the whirlpool of Brussels works: in the end, everyone is sucked in. First the eurozone will be sucked in, mostly because too many people imagine Germany has been powering along for years, so they ought to start doing things the Berlin way. It is worth remembering this: for most of the time since 2000, the German economy has stagnated. The undervaluation of the euro is what has given the Germans their 'bounce' in the last 18 months. Nobody sane wants to have his economic government run by the too-often-flat-lining Germans. Already Lombard Street Research has started refering to the weak 'Club Med' members of the eurozone as 'the new East Germany.' So, shame on him. It was bad enough last time, in 2008, when he stood in front of the European Parliament and pleaded for the EU to take the lead in climate change: 'Determined and principled leadership has never been more needed. Surely, this is just the moment in history for which the European Union was created?' The heir to the throne might try speaking to the parliament at Westminister if he wants 'principled leadership.' Speaking at Strasbourg and calling for the EU to take more powers is just witless: the parliament is enemy territory for Britain's constitutional monarchy -- not least because it is enemy territory for Britain's constitution. Prince Charles sucking up to the EU institutions is as humiliating as the moment Louis XVI -- yes, him again -- put on the 'bonnet rouge' of the revolutionaries to try to placate the mob. Note to Prince Charles: it didn't work. It merely stripped away the last vestige of royal aura. After that, Louis was just Citizen Capet and the mob knew it. Mind you, if Prince Charles thinks he is going to get all smiles at the commission meeting, he's wrong there. UKIP members of the European parliament are going to be at the meeting. Any words of support or further plea for 'leadership' by the Prince of Wales are bound to be met by stony silence from the group of British politicians who in other circumstances would be his greatest supporters. The leader of UKIP, Nigel Farage, has already written to the Prince to remind him that support for the EU institutions is a contentious political issue and the heir to the throne ought to avoid it. More, he wrote, 'It is also evident that Your Royal Highness intends to support the European Union's contentious and controversial policies on Global Warming.' 'Whilst it is perfectly right and proper that Your Royal Highness should take an interest in such matters, I cannot believe it is wise for you to be seen as partial to one side of the argument or another.' 'I must, therefore, respectfully ask that Your Royal Highness carefully avoids saying or doing anything next week which calls into question the Crown's vital neutrality on these vexed and partisan issues. Rather one might hope for a robust affirmation of a believe in the full legal and political sovereignty of the United Kingdom.' I know how this story ends. 
04 February 2011 2:59 PM
Merkel and Sarkozy: their plans to turn Europe into a Greater Germany
02 February 2011 6:15 PM
Long live the European republic: Prince Charles bows to the European Union
Sunday, 6 February 2011
I'm at the European Council meeting, and just out from a press briefing by Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy. It was meant to be an explanation of the 'grand bargain' the two are right now presenting over lunch to the other 25 heads of state and government. The 'bargain' is a deal all about how the eurozone is going to make itself competitive by means of a centralised European economic government.
There would be no shame in it if he were directed to Brussels by the Government, but it
appears the Prince of Wales is coming here next Wednesday because he wants to. He is going to appear before a joint meeting of European Commission committees dealing with the environment, the internal market, energy and the like.
Farage can keep on hoping. But the Prince of Wales seems determined to encourage the EU to degrade him into mere EU-Citizen Windsor. Next week we'll hear no support for the sovereignty of Britain from the sovereign's son.
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