Lost before it started - Part 6

Friday, February 20, 2009

Lost before it started - Part 6

In this part six, over on Defence of the Realm, we look at the vexed question of under-resourcing. Throughout the Iraqi campaign, the mantras of "underfunding" and "over-stretch" were seen as the problems. More "boots on the ground" and more money were the answers to all ills. 

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A lesson in politics

Even with our venal media, I am mildly surprised that it hasn't thought important an interesting little drama being played out in Brussels. Actually, it isn't that little – we are talking about €5 billion. Until "quantative easing" gets fully under way, that's still a little bit more than pocket money.

The bottom line – if one can use such an indelicate phrase – is that the Commission has swiped €5 billion of funds, surplus to the EU budget. The money is currently under-spent, as is not uncommon, so it had decided to spend it on vainglorious projects of its own devising. But it has now been told that such misappropriation of funds is illegal.

Euractiv gives the lowdown, telling us that the legal service of the Council of the European Union – representing, loosely, the member states – has told the EU commission in no uncertain terms that the money is "legally unavailable". That's quite an interesting way of describing theft, but it will do.

The drama started on 28 January when the commission proposed to "reallocate" – i.e., steal the money from the budget, which should otherwise have been returned to member states. It had in mind support for "clean coal" projects, funding a grid for offshore wind farms and the extension of broadband internet connections in rural areas.

José Manuel Barroso put his own personal weight behind the projects, chirping that these would represent a "smart investment" for the EU, helping enterprises out of the recessions. The commission followed up with a statement declaring that: "Energy and broadband networks are both crucial to the future of the EU economy."

Well, the future isn't Orange – at least not for little José Manuel. On the eve of the General Affairs Council scheduled for 23-24 February in Brussels – where approval to this grand larceny was supposed to have been given – the legal services have strutted their stuff.

This is now being talked of in terms of a "blunder", which will not do José’s street cred any good, especially as Council permanent representatives are expressing "surprise" that the commission didn't clear the hurdles before announcing its initiative. 

The commission is nevertheless trying to hold the line, claiming that it can "unblock" the money from the so-called "margin" between the 2008 annual budget and the ceiling for the EU's long term 2007-2013 financial framework. 

At this point, this begins to look like Enron accounting, especially as the commission is talking about possibility of "retroactively revising the 2008 allocations". Never mind that the EU parliament approved the budget allocations, thus giving it the legal authority to spend the money.

But you just have to love budget commissioner Dalia Grybauskaite (pictured). Without so much of a blush on her pretty little cheeks, she happily tells us that, "this is a political question, not a legal or technical question."

It seems that the unblushing Grybauskaite has definitely got the hang of politics. Before politicians can give money away, they must first steal it from someone else. She has learnt her lesson well.

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Thursday, February 19, 2009

Not altogether surprising

The trial of three men accused of being involved in the murder of the Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya has come to an end. All three have been acquitted by the military court in a move that is somewhat embarrassing to the Russian authorities.

The man who is supposed to have done the actual killing, Rustam Makhmudov, was not on trial as he is supposed to be hiding somewhere in Western Europe. Neither was anybody who was accused of organizing or commissioning the killing.

Makhmudov's two brothers, Dzhabrail and Ibragim, were accused of involvement and found not guilty to their and their supporers' understandably delight. Others found not guilty were former police officer Sergei Khadzhikurbanov and former FSB officer Pavel Ryaguzov who had been up on an extortion charge related to the case.

The prosecutors intend to appeal but it is hard to see what that will achieve, as the evidence of involvement seems to be quite weak and no principal has been arrested or charged.

According to an understandably more detailed report on the BBC Russian Service, Politkovskaya's family and colleagues on the Novaya Gazeta, another of whose journalists was murdered last month are certain that those acquitted today did have some involvement in the murder but nobody is too optimistic that the case will ever be solved.

It might be a good idea to remind our own hacks of this and other cases of Russian journalists being killed, attacked, imprisoned, beaten up or having their homes trashed whenever they complain about their difficulties.

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