Wednesday 27th of November 2024
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smells like monkey grease....

Russia’s former president, Dmitry Medvedev, levels a scathing criticism of what he termed the NATO/EU Holy Trinity of leadership. The current Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council Unleashed overdue criticism of NATO boss Mark Rutte, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, and Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas. Medvedev’s cutting revelations reveal more evidence of why the Western alliance is disintegrating.  

 

EU Corruption: If It Smells Like a Volga Fish

BY Phil Butler

 

The European Union and the entire Western bloc of allied nations are awash in scandal, incompetence, and worse. The allegedly thriving nations allied in a joint effort to rule the world since World War 2 are wobbling beneath a tsunami of debt and greed. The combined external debt of the U.S., the U.K., Japan, Germany, and France is a staggering $63 trillion. With this in mind, assessing the current West-East policy mess gives us our best understanding of NATO’s aggressive stance and the recent Washington hegemony’s desperate moves. Things are coming apart fast.

Russian Humor – They Get It

One cannot help but chuckle at the gripping sense of humor of former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Recently, the current Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation wrote a scathing post on his Telegram channel comparing the European Commission’s chief, Ursula von der Leyen, to an ordinary, scaly Volga fish. The witty and cutting Medvedev likened her to an old, unkind, Belgian-German political grandmother. Medvedev also pointed out scandals surrounding the EU president and others. They are scandals that never seem to get much attention in the Western press, and for good reason.

Some readers may recall a scandal aptly named Qatargate, where EU parliamentarians were caught red-handed taking bribes from officials of various countries. Interestingly, most accused wear electronic tags instead of being behind bars. However, Qatargate is all about EU leaders, whom the German magazine Der Spiegel called “shockingly amateurish” in their scandalous behavior. Meanwhile, more professional EU leaders can take the high road on corruption. For instance, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, accused Qatar of seeking to buy influence in the European Parliament chamber and that it was of the “utmost concern”. The European Commissioner for Foreign Affairs and Security, Josep Borrell, has also been worried.

Now we have Pfizergate, which Mr. Medvedev also refers to in his roasting of the NATO bunch via Telegram. Medvedev also alluded to questionable contracts when von der Leyen was Germany’s Defense Minister. Frédéric Baldan, a Belgian lobbyist focusing on China-EU trade relations, has filed a criminal complaint against all concerned in Pfizergate, and the EU boss has been reluctant to turn over COVID-19 vaccine contracts and other documents. No one, so far, has sacked her residence looking for bribe money. Still, the fact her husband is a director of U.S. biotechnology company Orogenesis and rumors he runs Pfizer from behind the curtain is, at the least, interesting. Von der Leyen’s omissions in the declaration to spend 71 billion euros on vaccines did not seem to phase the EU Commission’s oversight people much. In another twist, Greece’s corruption watchdogs claim Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis pushed a grant of €31 million to Prof. Dr. Heiko von der Leyen’s company for research (read here).

When “PM” Means Primadonna

Russia’s former Prime Minister and most vociferous protector, Medvedev, did not stop hammering the EU chief. He took some pains to express the hate the EU has for all things Russian in commenting on Borell’s replacement from Estonia, PM Kaya Callas:

“Kay combines perfectly two of the most important traits for a successful European politician: nuclear Russophobia and an endless thirst for profit.”

Here are a few points to let the reader laugh with Mr. Medvedev and me about the untrustworthy triad in his Telegram post. Not many out there know that at the same time, Estonia is with NATO in a hybrid war on Russia; Kaya Callas’ husband has been expanding the business and profits of his companies in Russia. Talk about hypocrisy. Since the start of the Ukraine special operation, Kallas’ husband, Arvo Hallik, defied sanctions on Russia, and his associates were expanding operations. Interestingly, a poll of Estonian citizens after the scandal was revealed overwhelmingly voted for Kallas to resign.

A last point. Saving perhaps the best (worst) for last is the third holier art than thou member of a Holy Trinity, Medvedev jabbed at the other day. The Netherlands’ shamed former Prime Minister Mark Rutte is a unique work. Now the Secretary General of NATO, Rutte is “a very special guy, “as Medvedev suggested.”

Rutte, an “expert” at evading incrimination, is the same many who profiled people of particular ethnic persuasion in benefits fraud cases. The current UN Secretary-General was forced to resign as Prime Minister of the Netherlands over his administration’s involvement in the persecution of innocent parents his government claimed were child welfare fraudsters. Then there’s Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, who minced no words about the “expert corruption” at the EU’s core.

 “Everyone knew that Brussels is filled with corruption issues, but now the matter reached a level that police also had to take action. It is time that we drain the swamp here in Brussels.”

The Expert Finger Pointers

Oh, and before I forget and leave off an important point, some must remember when Dutch Politician and Member of Parliament Geert Wilders accused Rutte of mass corruption, nepotism, and the VVD as a mafia gang. Wilders dropped the dime on Rutte’s administration for pumping millions into Shell oil and other companies by granting those companies huge tax cuts.

Still, even a good roasting like the one Dmitry Medvedev gave this trinity of political criminals hasn’t had a dramatic effect. While Vladimir Putin, Medvedev, and a score of other critical Russian figures are accused of working directly for Satan, the real hellbenders run amok. Medvedev supposedly has or does this, Putin killed this one or that one, the Russians are inhuman barbarians… And so it goes on.

Meanwhile, in Washington, London, and Brussels, billions and billions change hands – the world bleeds blood and riches – and the perpetrators are expertly shielded. We just watched a former U.S. president and the current one prove they are playing the same game. Two geriatric cheaters were standing before a great nation, lying bold-faced to three hundred million citizens of a powerful nation being turned into Babylon. The presidential debate held by CNN the other day was the biggest disgrace to the U.S. presidency since Richard Nixon was forced to step down. America is in free-fall.

Yes, it’s funny, in a sad way, to see Dmitry Medvedev simply tell it like it is. He has a good sense of humor, like most good Russians.

https://journal-neo.su/2024/07/15/eu-corruption-if-it-smells-like-a-volga-fish/

 

 

meloni vs ursula....

The fate of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will most likely depend on whatever decision Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has made, according to Politico.

The German politician was nominated for a second term at the helm of the EU last month, in a back-room deal between six national leaders that left outMeloni’s Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group.

“Europe’s two most powerful women will face their shared moment of truth” on Thursday afternoon, Politico EU noted. “And it’s possible that only one of them will emerge a winner.”

Von der Leyen needs 361 votes in the 720-member European Parliament. On paper, she has the support of the conservatives, liberals, greens and socialists, but up to 15% of their MEPs might not back her on the secret ballot. Meloni’s 78 votes could tip the scales, according to the outlet.

As of Tuesday, it was still unclear which way the ECR intended to lean.

The Italian PM faces a choice between being “pragmatic” and endearing herself to the EU leadership and being loyal to her political principles and coalition partners in Italy. Her coalition partner Matteo Salvini has made opposition to von der Leyen a key policy plank.

According to Politico, the bloc has offered several concessions to Rome to sweeten the deal. There is also “no Plan B” in Brussels should von der Leyen fail.

On Wednesday, however, the General Court of the EU ruled that von der Leyen had not been transparent enough with the public about contracts with Pfizer for Covid-19 vaccines. The case was brought by Greens MEPs, whose support she would need in Thursday’s vote.

The European Parliament elections in early June saw voters rebuke the Socialists & Democrats (S&D), the Greens and Renew Europe, all of whom lost seats. Von der Leyen’s European People’s Party (EPP) bloc gained just one seat, while the ECR and the insurgent Patriots for Europe made gains.

A video conference two weeks later struck a bargain to keep von der Leyen in the top job, have Estonian PM Kaja Kallas replace Spain’s Josep Borrell as the new foreign policy commissioner, and put former Portuguese PM Antonio Costa in charge of the European Council, previously chaired by Belgium’s Charles Michel.

Polish PM Donald Tusk and Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis negotiated for the EPP, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez spoke on behalf of S&D, and French President Emmanuel Macron and caretaker Dutch PM Mark Rutte represented Renew, according to Reuters.

https://www.rt.com/news/601237-meloni-leyen-eu-leadership/

 

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ursula vs china....

On Thursday, the European Parliament convened a plenary session in Strasbourg, France, during which Ursula von der Leyen was re-elected as president of the European Commission. However, rather than the re-election of von der Leyen, the focus of international public opinion in recent days has been on her declaration before the European Parliament vote that if re-elected, she will seek "to deter China from unilaterally changing the status quo by military means, particularly over Taiwan." Currently, with von der Leyen officially re-elected, whether her provocative statement will become reality remains to be seen. It must be pointed out that von der Leyen's absurd remarks regarding China's internal affairs constitute blatant interference, which not only damages the credibility of the EU in international affairs, but also has a negative impact on China-EU relations, as well as the peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, and even the world.

As the president of the European Commission, von der Leyen's absurd China-related remarks expose her poor personal political character. She has repeatedly stated to the Chinese side that the EU has no intention to change its long-standing one-China policy, recognizes the government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government representing the whole of China, and hopes that the Taiwan Straits will maintain peace and stability. However, it was during her term that Europe continued to retreat on this position, taking provocative actions such as including content related to Taiwan in the joint communication on the Indo-Pacific in 2021 and issuing European Parliament's reports in February claiming that the Chinese mainland and Taiwan island are not subordinate to each other. Von der Leyen's latest comments are a dangerous continuation of her and the EU's dangerous behavior, setting a very bad precedent.

On the other hand, von der Leyen's absurd remarks on China are seriously inconsistent with her identity and responsibilities. In recent years, there have been continuous debates within the EU on its policy toward China. As the president of the European Commission, von der Leyen should be more cautious, rational, and responsible, playing a role in integrating different viewpoints and uniting the EU members, rather than making provocative remarks. Her identity as the president of the European Commission is not to seek attention or incite confrontation, and the Commission's responsibility is definitely not to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. 

Von der Leyen's performance in her previous term has received different evaluations from the outside world, but one widely recognized point is that she is often labeled as "pro-American" and a "China hawk." The "de-risking" approach toward China led by her has sparked great controversy and opposition within the EU, particularly evident in the process of imposing tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. A few days ago, sources with knowledge revealed that in a non-binding vote among the 27 EU member states on the merits of EU tariffs on imports of China-built electric vehicles, four voted against the tariffs and 11 abstained. The increasing internal divisions within the EU have made it difficult to effectively constrain the power of the president of the European Commission, increasing the risks in EU decision-making toward China. This is bad news for the normal development of China-EU relations.

There will be quite a lot for von der Leyen to deal with in her upcoming term. Her own declarations and policy proposals cover many aspects including strengthening EU defense, housing, agriculture, industrial digital technology, strategic technology, talent investment, and so on. On top of that, thorny issues such as EU internal divisions, immigration problems, how the first term's European Green Deal, which was met with high expectations, will continue, how to coordinate relations among EU institutions as well as between EU institutions and member states, are all waiting for von der Leyen to address. A member of European Parliament likened von der Leyen's list of promises to "a European Christmas tree." With the addition of the Taiwan question, it is actually like feeding the EU a poisoned apple. 

The EU is an important international organization, and its understanding of and policymaking toward China have a crucial impact on the development of China-EU relations, and even on global prosperity and stability. China and the EU do not have fundamental conflicts of interest; cooperation outweighs competition, and consensus outweighs differences. From this perspective, as China and the EU prepare to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations next year, it's hoped that EU institutions and officials, including von der Leyen, will establish a correct understanding of China, formulate proactive policies toward China, and work hand in hand with China to make greater contributions to maintaining global peace and security.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202407/1316374.shtml

 

 

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refusenik....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDEQXJLDOts

New Head EU Diplomat REFUSES To Negotiate w/ Putin! WHAT?!?!?

 

 

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YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT.