[IRISHTIMES] Chancellor Angela Merkel...current chancellor of Germany. She was educated in East Germany when is was still run by commies, but in 1989 got involved with the growing democracy movement when the Berlin Wall fell. Merkel is sometimes referred to by Germans as
Mom...
has reportedly called European Parliament efforts to force through Jean-Claude Juncker as next European Commission president a "declaration of war" against EU governments.
A week after elections which EU leaders said would boost European democracy and transparency, the bloc is wracked by disunity and a high-stakes campaign lead by Britannia's
David Cameron... has stated that he is
certainly a big Thatcher fan, but I don't know whether that makes me a Thatcherite,which means he's not. Since he is
not deeply ideologicalhe lacks core principles and is easily led. He has been described as
certainly not a Pitt, Elder or Younger,but he does wear a nice suit so maybe he's Beau Brummel ...
to block the ambitions of Mr Juncker, the lead candidate for the conservative European People's Party (EPP) that won the election.
The Lisbon Treaty says that EU leaders should "take note" of European parliamentary elections in filling top EU jobs. The parliament believes it is on an equal footing with the European Council, where leaders meet. Last Tuesday, Mr Cameron urged fellow council members not to "wave through" the parliament's proposal, reportedly warning that Mr Juncker's appointment would destabilise his government and Britannia's future in the EU.
'1980s' figure
"A face of the 1980s cannot solve the problems of the next five years," said Mr Cameron to confidantes, according to Der Spiegel.
The German magazine reported how, after 1am last Monday morning, Mr Juncker offered his Socialist challenger, Martin Schulz, the job of deputy European Commission president. The two reportedly agreed their respective camps should work in a "grand coalition" in the next European Parliament.
At a Brussels meeting on Tuesday evening, however, many European leaders expressed alarm at a potential parliamentary political power-grab being led by Mr Juncker and Mr Schulz, the outgoing parliamentary president.