The Brussels Journal - Quotes

Europe’s Presidential Race: Barroso in Pole Position

Thu, 08 May 2008 06:34:57 -0500

A quote from the Economist blog, 7 May 2008

A source close to Mr Sarkozy describes Mr Barroso and Mr Juncker as highly regarded favourites for the job of commission boss and first president of the council: unless the two swap jobs.

There is the small detail that Britain is fiercely opposed to Mr Juncker for the same reason that so many in the EU favour him: he is a deep-dyed fanatical federalist, steeped in the dark arts of late-night Brussels deals and plots. […] But could Britain yet be cornered into a choice between the lesser of two or three evils, in some grand bargaining game in which, say, an even less palatable choice is proposed for EU foreign minister, or high representative as that top envoy will officially be known? It is all going to be very tricky from now until December.

Evaluating the Trends in Disoriented France

Thu, 08 May 2008 03:50:20 -0500

A quote from Gérard Pince at his blog, 5 May 2008 [english translation here]

The election results in Italy and the UK should encourage us to take advantage of the 2009 European elections to provoke the healthy shock our country [France] needs. The defeat of the mayor of London [Ken Livingstone, a.k.a. Red Ken], known for his multiculturalist and pro-Islamic positions, is in this respect emblematic. Keeping in mind that that city's demographics include 30% of visible minorities, for the conservative candidate to be elected he had to win the majority of the white British population. In addition all observers consider these victories to go beyond the traditional political or sociological divisions. They are explained instead by the growing feeling of national identity and the rejection of uncontrolled immigration. (Votes are more and more ethnic. For example, 90% of the black community is voting en bloc for Barack Hussein Obama. No matter how hard they try to tell us that skin color doesn't matter, it turns out that it is more and more visible on voting day.)

In 2007, the French people also expressed these concerns.(Without the immigrant vote that was massively for the socialist candidate, the final tally would have been close to 60/40 in favor of the Right.) Nicolas Sarkozy deceived them and they now find themselves seriously disoriented. Yes, 62% of the French expect a grave political crisis before the end of his term in office, but this anxiety is not necessarily in line with our thinking. For example, the Left has just won the municipal elections and a poll indicates that a large majority (56%) would be in favor of granting foreigners the right to vote in local elections! Conversely, despite the media hype over May 68, the unions are having trouble mobilizing their troops. The confusion reaches its height when the free-market Right and the CGT [a major French labor union] come together to defend illegal aliens, the former in order to keep salaries low, the latter in the hope of creating a potential base for the social demands of ethnic groups. In short, the political situation is still largely unpredictable.

Discontent being the only tangible element, the creation of a vast protest movement would seem to be the best political response. Such an enterprise could come either from right-wing elected officials outside of the establishment, such as the newly created Steering Committee for the New Popular Right, or from members of the UMP establishment who finally become aware of the impasse they are in, or from new men who arise from the people. Such being the case, only a powerful popular movement could force these different components into major action. When our political cafés are suddenly crowded, when our blogs are used by thousands of readers, then we can presume that such a movement is possible.

We will follow these new developments attentively and lucidly. It is true that certain exceptional developments could accelerate the course of events, but in truth, I see none on the horizon for now.

A quote from Paul Belien in The Washington Times, 9 May 2007

Mr. Sarkozy won because of his tough rhetoric against the Islamist "thugs" (his word) who aim to rule the country, where over 10 percent of the population already adheres to the Muslim faith. […] French men and women who normally do not vote because they distrust politics turned out en masse to elect "Sarko," the 52-year-old son of a Hungarian immigrant and grandson of a Sephardic Jew.

They may have realized that, because of the demographic growth of the Muslim vote, the 2007 elections were their last chance to make this statement. At a time when French Jews are beginning to flee their native country, the French valiantly chose Mr. Sarkozy, thereby saving the honor of la grande patrie. […] Whether the new president will be able to live up to his promise remains to be seen, but a majority of the French have given him a mandate to do so.

The Race for President of the United State of Europe: Blair Out

Wed, 07 May 2008 06:56:26 -0500

A quote from the BBC, 6 May 2008

Nicolas Sarkozy has withdrawn his backing of Tony Blair to become the first president of the European Union, senior sources have told the BBC. The French president is understood to have changed his mind after meeting German Chancellor Angela Merkel. It is thought he feels EU opposition to the former UK prime minister is too strong because he backed the Iraq war. [...]

Instead, the sources say the top job could go to the current president of the commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, or the prime minister of Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Juncker.

BBC Europe editor Mark Mardell however said the British government has a distaste for Mr Juncker, who is seen as far too keen on more European integration, and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown would probably veto him.

A quote from The Financial Times, 7 May 2008

Other names that crop up include Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Denmark’s premier, and Wolfgang Schüssel, the former Austrian chancellor. A consensus exists that the presidency must go to a serving or former head of government.

EU Invokes Bible and Koran

Wed, 07 May 2008 02:02:58 -0500

A quote from EUobserver, 6 May 2008

Brussels officials have turned to religious VIPs to help spread the gospel of an environmentally friendly society and increase awareness of climate change in their parishes, as well as promoting tolerance between different confessions in Europe. Twenty high-level representatives – 19 men and one woman – from European Christian, Jewish and Muslim congregations met in Brussels on Monday (5 may) to discuss the sensitive issues of climate change and reconciliation between peoples.

The meeting was co-chaired by European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, Slovenian Prime Minister and current president of the European Council, Janez Jansa, and the president of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Poettering. […]

Prime Minister Jansa, referring to both the Bible and the Koran, said: "Earth was created and given to man, and man has to be respectful of what he has been given," and called for what the late Pope John Paul II described as an "ecological conversion". […] Mr Jansa also announced that Slovenia plans to set up a Euro-Mediterranean university that will be a meeting place for students from the Christian, Muslim and Jewish world. […]

Bishop Adrianus Van Luyn, the president of the Council of European Bishops' Conferences (COMECE), suggested that the EU appoint a "High Representative for Future Generations". […]

President Barroso underlined the importance of combining freedom of expression and respect for other faiths, in an attempt to sooth both Islamic outrage in recent years and others' fear of Islam.

"Islam today is part of Europe. One should not see Islam as outside Europe. We already have an important presence of Islam and Muslims among our citizens," Mr Barroso said, adding that the inter-faith dialogue proved that the "preachers of a clash of civilisations are wrong."

The grand mufti of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Dr Mustafa Ceric pointed to the EU's policy on Turkey. "Following this logic, Europe has to prove that Islam is part of Europe by not delaying the acceptance of Turkey to the EU," the cleric said. […]

Flanked by a female priest colleague, Swedish archbishop Anders Weyrud [Lutheran] told EUobserver he was disappointed there was only one woman among the religious dignitaries, pastor Letizia Tomassone, the vice-president of the federation of evangelical churches of Italy, who had also raised the point during the inter-religious meeting. "We have neglected both nature and women, that was one of the messages we tried to get across at this meeting," the archbishop said. […]

Meanwhile some MEPs have in the past questioned the presence of religious figures in strictly political fora in Brussels. […] According to a recent Eurobarometer survey, some 48 percent of European citizens claim to be non-confessional.

Commission Calls for New Powers for Brussels

Tue, 06 May 2008 11:14:54 -0500

A quote from Der Spiegel, 5 May 2008

The EU's monetary affairs commissioner has called for far-reaching new powers for the European Commission. He would like Brussels to have greater control over economic policy in euro zone countries – and even wants its members to speak with one voice on the international stage. […] [EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Joaquin Almunia] says the Commission should also have a hand in determining “adequate wage developments, flexibility and security on labor markets.”

Close to Breaking Point

Tue, 06 May 2008 11:12:48 -0500

A quote from The Birmingham Post, 28 April 2008

Election fraud driven by immigrants practising "village politics" of the Indian sub-continent could be a crucial factor in deciding the future control of Birmingham City Council, a major report warns today. Family loyalties, the dominance of men and the existence of the "biraderi" clan system among British Asians provides perfect conditions for widespread rigging of postal votes and other electoral malpractice in Britain's major cities, according to the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust. In a 94-page report called Purity of Elections in the UK – Causes for Concern, the trust argues that the UK's election system is close to breaking point and at risk of fraud, as the countdown to May's local elections gets under way.

Immigration Data

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:25:59 -0500

A quote from the Italian press agency ANSAmed, 28 April 2008

The incomes received by immigrants and then sent to their countries of origin are a resource on which the governments in Mediterranean are becoming increasingly dependant: according to a recent survey by the European Investment Bank (EIB), the remittances of foreign workers have increased the volume of foreign investments and development aid received from international organisations. The survey, funded by the Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership (FEMIP), sheds light on the funds transferred from Europe to eight south Mediterranean countries (Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey), a turnover that represents between 2% and 20% of the gross domestic product of the Mediterranean countries. […]

The countries which benefit most from the money of their emigrants are Morocco, which in 2003 received 2.9 billion euro, followed by Algeria (1.35 billion euro), Turkey (1.3 billion euro), Tunisia (950 million euro) and Egypt (544 million euro). Eurostat, the EU statistics agency, said that most of the remittances made by immigrants living in the EU go to Africa, Morocco in particular.

According to data by Eurostat which drew a map of the remittances flows in 2004, the most consistent money flow to African countries comes from France (59.6% of the French remittances go the South Mediterranean), followed by Belgium (35.9%), the Netherlands (31.2%) and Italy (30.6%).

Italy

A quote from the Italian press agency AGI, 29 April 2008

The number of foreign residents in Italy with valid residence permits has been put at just over 2,400,000 (129,000 more than there were last year). Over 88 pct of them live in the Centre-North of the country, with a good quarter in Lombardy.

A quote from ANSAmed, 29 April 2008

The distrust of Italians towards the immigrants is growing: almost one out of three says no to the construction of mosques on the national territory. And if the Islamic immigrants are considered problematic, the control/regulation of immigration represents one of the ten major problems in the country. […] Even a big share of the non-Muslim immigrants (44.5%) believed that immigration from Islamic countries posed more problems than that from other countries. Besides, almost 50% of the Christian immigrants and immigrants from other faiths were against the possibility for Muslims to build mosques in Italy: a much higher percentage than the one registered among Italians (31%).

Spain

A quote from ANSAmed, 29 April 2008

One out of five employees in Spain is a foreigner, considering that the immigrants represent 21% of the total of the employees who signed employment contracts in 2007, with an increase by 31% compared to the previous year, news agency EFE reported, quoting a report of consultancy Randstat. Latin America is the place of origin for the majority of the foreign employees, considering that almost one out of four originates from Central America or South America. A total 32.8% of the total of the immigrant employees, according to the report, come from Africa and in particular 23.2% from North Africa and the rest from Sub-Saharan Africa. The employees coming from eastern Europe are on the rise and represent 33% of the total immigrants.

A quote from ANSAmed, 28 April 2008

The regional government of Catalonia has set a limit for the number of immigrant students in the classrooms of state-run schools and private centres, to avoid that the presence of foreign students, prevailing in state-run schools, might give rise to ghettoes.

France

A quote from The Washington Post, 29 April 2008

This prison is majority Muslim – as is virtually every house of incarceration in France. About 60 to 70 percent of all inmates in the country's prison system are Muslim, […] On a continent where immigrants and the children of immigrants are disproportionately represented in almost every prison system, the French figures are the most marked, according to researchers, criminologists and Muslim leaders. […]

In Britain, 11 percent of prisoners are Muslim in contrast to about 3 percent of all inhabitants, according to the Justice Ministry. Research by the Open Society Institute, an advocacy organization, shows that in the Netherlands 20 percent of adult prisoners and 26 percent of all juvenile offenders are Muslim; the country is about 5.5 percent Muslim. In Belgium, Muslims from Morocco and Turkey make up at least 16 percent of the prison population, compared with 2 percent of the general populace, the research found.

Irish Pro-EU Party Says “US Opposes EU”

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 07:29:18 -0500

A quote from The Washington Times, 30 April 2008

Lucinda Creighton, a spokeswoman for Ireland's largest opposition party, Fine Gael, says in a Web posting that "U.S. foreign policy has traditionally been opposed to EU integration."

"The U.S. supports the EU as an economic bloc but nothing more. The idea of a politically strong EU, acting as a check or counterbalance on the U.S. does not sit well with our trans-Atlantic friends," says the spokeswoman, a member of Ireland's Parliament. She also claims in the posting that the U.S. consistently opposes NATO expansion.

The Fine Gael statement targets two prominent Irish businessmen, who are funding a nationwide campaign for a "no" vote, claiming they represent "U.S. strategic interests."

"The businesses of both Ulick McEvaddy and Declan Ganley are heavily dependent on contracts from the State Department, the Pentagon and U.S. government agencies. I believe that these men are a lot less concerned about Irish sovereignty and the wording of the Lisbon treaty than they are about the potential hit to their own personal business interests," Ms. Creighton writes in the Web posting.

The businessmen lead a campaign group called Libertas, which is campaigning against the treaty's ratification. […] Fine Gael is the main opposition party in Ireland's legislature, and has been the traditional rival to the incumbent Mr. Ahern's Fianna Fail, with both parties conventionally depicted as "center-right." […] Fine Gael's anti-American statement might come as a surprise to some observers, but it could also be an attempt to test the water on any growth of disaffection with the U.S. in Ireland.

Freedom Fighters in Ireland, the Czech Republic and Germany Oppose EU Treaty

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 03:37:02 -0500

A quote from EU Observer, 28 April 2008

Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern has issued a stark warning on the consequences of rejecting the EU [Libon] treaty as the latest poll shows a narrowing gap between the yes and no side. A no vote would have "repercussions that would do immense damage to Ireland," and would be a "disaster for the country," he said on Sunday (27 April), according to the Irish Times.

His words were in reaction to a poll published by the Sunday Business Post that showed that 35 percent were in favour of the treaty, 31 percent said they were against and 34 percent remain undecided. The results represent a decrease for the Yes side of eight percentage points, an increase for the No side of seven percentage points and an increase of one point for the undecided category when compared with a similar polls taken two months ago.

The high percentage of those who do not know how they will vote, as well as stronger showing for the no camp, comes just six weeks ahead of the referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, set for 12 June. [...]

All member states need to approve the treaty for it to come into force. So far 11 of the 27 have done so. Ireland is the only country having a referendum on the document, with a no vote likely to put the treaty on hold for good. This means the country is under extreme pressure to secure a yes vote, with much of high politics in Brussels on hold until after 12 June.

A series of senior politicians have visited Ireland to try and woo voters, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

A quote from EU Observer, 25 April 2008

The Lisbon treaty is set to be examined to see if it breaches national laws in two member states, raising the risk that the 1 January 2009 deadline for the document to come into force across the EU will be delayed.

The Czech Senate on Thursday (24 April) voted in favour of asking the constitutional court to check whether the treaty is in line with Czech law. […] The key issues that the senators asked the court to check include the transfer of certain powers to EU institutions, the shift of decision-making among member states from unanimous to majority voting, as well as the legal implications of adopting the Charter of Fundamental Rights – with the charter causing the most concern among Czech lawmakers. […]

Meanwhile, Germany's court is also set to examine the treaty. After the lower house of parliament strongly endorsed the charter on Thursday, conservative MP Peter Gauweiler repeated his intention to bring the treaty before the country's constitutional court.

"What Brussels is supposed to get in powers is not compatible with our democratic principles," Mr Gauweiler told the Saarbruecker newspaper. He said his reason for bringing the case is the constitutional court's loss of power to the European court. The constitutional court has until now kept an eye on the inalienable rights of German citizens given to them by Germany's constitution (Grundgesetz), he noted.

"With the Lisbon Treaty, the sovereignty over these rights is given to foreign courts, whose members are not sworn to protect the constitution. That is not allowed by the constitution," the MP told the paper.

St. Francis of Assisi: Converter of Muslims

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:19:54 -0500

A quote from LifeSite News, 3 April 2008

In December, Catholic author Frank M. Rega released Francis of Assisi and the Conversion of the Muslims; With Concise Biography of the Saint, a book that has received much praise for its biographical portrait of the renowned saint and its highly pertinent focus on St. Francis's relationship with Muslims of the time.

During the Fifth Crusade to Egypt, St. Francis of Assisi walked into a Muslim camp in order to preach Christianity and convert the sultan. Rega's new book recounts St. Francis's bold encounter with the sultan and other important events from the life of the man from Assisi some claim more closely imitated Jesus Christ than any other saint in history. […]

LifeSiteNews: Why did St. Francis of Assisi support the Fifth Crusade?

Frank Rega: Francis understood that the Fifth Crusade was part of an ongoing just war in response to Muslim invasions of Christian lands, which included many attacks against Italian city-states all along the peninsula over the course of centuries. For example, in the year 846, Rome itself was sacked by 11,000 Muslims, who desecrated the tombs of Sts. Peter and Paul.

Further, the crusade was called for by the Holy Father, and it is well-known that Francis had perfect loyalty to the Catholic Church, and showed devout respect for priests and all the hierarchy. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, he felt the crusade was justified on spiritual grounds. As mentioned in the book, Francis told the Sultan "It is just that Christians invade the land you inhabit, for you blaspheme the name of Christ and alienate everyone you can from His worship."

LifeSiteNews: What did St. Francis say and do when he entered the Muslim camp?

Frank Rega: It is important here to recognize the bravery of Francis. He preached to armed Muslims who a few days before had won a major skirmish at Damietta, killing about five thousand Christians. The Sultan, al-Malik al-Kamil was also the general of the Muslim army, and ruler of Egypt, Syria and Palestine. Francis first obtained permission from the Papal Legate to cross over the lines during a period of temporary truce. When he reached Muslim territory he and Brother Illuminato were taken prisoner, beaten and put in chains by the sentries.

Here we have an image of St. Francis that is utterly opposed to the statues of a docile friar surrounded by birds and other animals – St. Francis beaten and in chains! He was fully prepared for martyrdom. Upon meeting the saint, al-Malik asked him if he was a messenger from the crusaders. Francis replied that he was indeed a messenger, but a messenger from God. He then proceeded to give witness to his love for Jesus, and said that he wished to save the souls of the Sultan and his men.

LifeSiteNews: How did the sultan and his followers react to St. Francis's words and deeds?

Frank Rega: Initially the Sultan was taken aback by Francis' boldness. After all, the Muslims had just defeated the Christians in a pitched battle, and now one of them dares to state that the Muslims must convert to Christianity. However, the love flowing from Francis began to move the Sultan, and according to one contemporary writer, "that cruel beast became sweetness himself." However, the advisers to al-Malik, the imams, were not so impressed, and demanded that Francis and Illuminato should be beheaded in accordance with Islamic law.

Francis and his companion remained in the Muslim camp for many days, and parted on excellent terms with the Sultan. There is a story in the early Franciscan literature, described in my book, that al-Malik converted to the True Faith on his deathbed.

LifeSiteNews: Is a crusade against Islam needed today? If so, how should it be conducted?

Frank Rega: A traditional crusade by definition cannot be conducted today because it was a movement within Christendom to defend and counter-attack Muslim invasions of Christian lands. It was sponsored by the Church and relied on the support of Christian rulers and Kings. Without the backing of a strong Christendom, which no longer exists, a crusade as such would be impossible.

Furthermore, today an armed religious war would not be fruitful since the real battle is a "cold war" so to speak. It is a war of persuasion, conversion, and diplomatic dialog, since the Muslims have already launched their peaceful "invasion" of what was once Christian Europe. Of course I am only addressing the religious aspects here, and not the war on terrorism, which is in the secular domain.

St. Francis of Assisi and the Conversion of the Muslims
Author: Frank M. Rega
ASIN: 0895558580

Return of the Celts

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:54:00 -0500

A quote from the BBC, 13 February 2008

A project exploring a theory that Celtic was one of the major languages of Europe alongside Greek and Latin has received extra funding. Aberystwyth University's department of Welsh is tracing the roots of Celtic from which Welsh, Gaelic and Irish are derived. […] Professor Patrick Sims-Williams, who is leading the project, said the grant would enable Dr Alexander Falileyev, a scholar from St Petersburg working in Aberystwyth, to investigate Celtic in southern Romania and as far east as Galatia in Turkey.

Prof Sims-Williams said: "We know that these areas were colonized from the 3rd Century BC onwards by peoples who spoke Celtic languages. It's becoming clear that Celtic was one of the major languages of ancient Europe, alongside Greek and Latin, and that's an exciting perspective for people who tend to think of Celtic languages as minority languages. […] It would appear that most EU countries have a Celtic past."

A quote from the Italian press agency ANSA, 28 April 2008

Former agriculture minister Giovanni Alemanno was voted in as Rome mayor on Monday, taking the Italian capital to the Right for the first time since the fall of Fascism. [...] He is married to Isabella Rauti – the daughter of far-right diehard Pino Rauti – and wears a Celtic cross around his neck, a symbol of the far right in Italy. Alemanno insists that he wears the encircled cross as a religious symbol.

Criminals Go Free

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 03:07:26 -0500

A quote from Aftenposten, 28 April 2008

A new report by the [Norwegian] justice minister, Knut Storberget, shows that 99.2 percent of all serious robberies on the streets of Oslo are never solved. Last year, 11,033 crimes were reported, but just 80 were solved.

Stop Being a Crusader

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:55:03 -0500

A quote from The [London] Times, 28 April 2008

A British citizen [Nissar Hussein, 43] who converted to Christianity from Islam and then complained to police when locals threatened to burn his house down was told by officers to “stop being a crusader” [...]. The report says that he was subjected to a number of attacks and, after being told that his house would be burnt down if he did not repent and return to Islam, reported the threat to the police. It says he was told that such threats were rarely carried out and the police officer told him to “stop being a crusader and move to another place”. A few days later the unoccupied house next door was set on fire.

They Take Us for Idiots

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 01:52:41 -0500

A quote from Yves Daoudal at his blog, 22 April 2008 [English translation here]

The torrent of "information" on the Chinese anti-French demonstrations is truly amazing. To read the articles and dispatches you would think that all of China had risen up against the evil French who have it in for the Olympic Games, and consequently for the Chinese people.

As if the Chinese had the freedom to think anything at all about this subject let alone... demonstrate!

When you look at the images, you see that a few dozen "students", surrounded by squadrons of police, are demonstrating at the entrances to Carrefour supermarkets.

Nicolas Sarkozy generously hastened to send a letter of support to the handicapped girl who had "protected the torch" in Paris. They say that in China she has become the symbol of the anti-Olympic and anti-Chinese protests.

The letter, delivered personally by the president of the Senate Christian Poncelet to the athlete, "was greatly appreciated by the Chinese people", according to a spokesman in the Chinese foreign ministry.

And they tell us the letter was appreciated by the Chinese people.

They take us for idiots.

Moral Equivalence: My Rifle as Ready to Shoot Brigitte as Shoot Islamists

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:07:53 -0500

A quote from The Dissident Frogman at his blog, 21 April 2008

I understand the temptation to paint Brigitte Bardot as yet another example of the crushing of dissent brought upon the West by the conquering armies of Islam […] As far as I am concerned, this particular case is a dogfight between two equally totalitarian factions. I certainly do not recognize myself in the kind of France Brigitte Bardot (and the company she keeps) mourns […] [H]er getting in trouble for that is not enough of a reason for me to drop my principles and side with one flavor of Fascist just to oppose the other. I’ll just wait on my side of the line in the sand, to see which one comes on top. Rifle at the ready, if need be.