Europese Conventie was doorgestoken kaart; Euro gaat ontploffen

[Dr. Marc-Alexander Fluks]

REPLY TO: D66 at nic.surfnet.nl

Bron:  Yorkshire Today
Datum: 28 juni 2005
URL:   http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=101&ArticleID=1067963
Opm:   'The Making of Europe's Constitution', by Gisela Stuart,
       Fabian Society, 6.95 pounds
       http://www.fabian-society.org.uk/press_office/news_latest_all.asp?pressid=230


As euro implodes, Europe is in turmoil
--------------------------------------
Jonathan Arnott, political correspondent

Valerie Wood Robinson (Yorkshire Post, June 25) claims the convention for
the EU Constitution was "democratic, open and transparent". Nothing could
be further from the truth. The 10 new members had no voice, even moderate
eurosceptics were kept at arm's length (having to produce an alternative
report) and bullying tactics were used to railroad in unpopular measures.
Labour's pro-European MP Gisela Stuart was involved in drafting the
constitution.

Anyone who considers the constitution to be fairly drafted should read her
book The Making of Europe's Constitution. Needless to say, Labour ignored
her and supported the document anyway. As for suggesting we should join
the euro in exchange for reforms of the EU, this would be an unmitigated
disaster.

The euro is in crisis - as HSBC's chief European economist said oFriday:
"We're not looking at the doomsday scenario quite yet: but it is a question
of when, not if."

The Netherlands joined the euro at the wrong rate (much like Britain and
the ERM) and has suffered ever since. Joshua Livestro, a Dutch media
commentator, said: "People are not amused at having 10 per cent of their
savings written off."

In Germany, the magazine Stern - in an article entitled Der Euro macht uns
Kaputt (the euro is destroying us) describes the euro as "one of the worst
economic blunders made by Germany since 1945". The single interest rate
and the Stability Pact mean that Germany, with among the lowest inflation
and growth in the region, is faced with the interest rate in real terms.
Polls show that 56 per cent of Germans want to leave the euro and return
to the mark.

The Italians are in the process of calling for a referendum to leave the
euro. Portugal, Greece and Spain boomed at first due to low interest
rates, but are now also being hit by inflation.

The real question is not whether we should join a failing eurozone
economy, but whether we should leave the EU altogether - Norway and
Switzerland are two of the richest countries in the world outside the EU.

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(c) 2005 Johnston Press New Media

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