NEWEUROPEwww.neurope.eu 20TH YEAR OF PUBLICATION NUMBER 1018 17 - 23 FEBRUARY, 2013 € 3.50 ECONOMICS Page 03 Page 06 KASSN A DRA Page 32 T he Greek Secretary GeneralTruth of the Fi- is power nance Ministry came out with a short comment creating a big impact, Gio- rgos Mergos said the minimum wage “remains at high levels, and this is so- TP RANS ORT Page 08 mething we have to be careful of in our Berlusconi returns course towards development.” One of the great-unanswered political Responses have varied but the sim- questions of our time is a simple one; ple fact is that many of the terms of the what does Silvio Berlusconi have to do restructuring of Greece's debt are just for the European People’s Party to say “Enough”? not discussed and here was someone At what point does his behavior become willing to hint at the truth below the incompatible with the values of Europe’s surface. (Continued on page 6) Christian Democrats? PENSIONS Page 04 Page 06 U K tackles pensions and grey power HorseEU to lead investigation Trading into horsemeat scandal EU -US Page 06 uropol is to take the lead in the current health scare over contaminated beef products Eon the European market. EU -US trade Horsemeat, fraudulently labelled as beef, has found its way into the agreement ‘biggest European food chain, resulting in the closures of processing plants across the EU and several arrests. European deal ever’ Union authorities are claiming that health threats to the general public are minimal, and that the real pro- ENERGY Page 12 blem, which is believed to affect 12 member states, is one of mislabelling. Speaking as ministers gathered in ‘Show of force’ Brussels on 13 February to discuss the issue, EU Health Commissio- strengthens ner, Tonio Borg, said that member states should carry out random tests on beef for three months. A further TAP meeting by the EU’s expert group on the food chain on 15 February put to- A butcher holds a tray of horse meat on sale at his shop in Bremen, northern gether the details. Germany on February 14, 2013. | AFP PHOTO / INGO WAGNER ENERGY Page 13 The meeting comes after the French government suspended the with ongoing inquiries in alleged involved submit the data necessary operating licence on 14 February, of mislabelling of beef. Three people for Europol to conduct the appro- C onoco out the food processing firm Spanghero, have been arrested in connection priate analysis. Europol will provide which imports beef from Romania, with fraudulent meat labelling. its expertise and will co-ordinate and which has been implicated in Responding to the calls, EU the efforts put in place by many EU of Kazakh the deliberate fraudulent mislabel- Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ce- Member States. We must fight cross ling of horsemeat as beef, allegations cilia Malmström said on 14 Februa- border crime through cross border projects the company denies. There have also ry that “the extent of the horsemeat cooperation. I welcome Europol´s been arrests in the UK. case makes it clear that this needs to readiness to quickly help determine The UK government has called be addressed at European level”. responsibilities. I hope this leads to for Europol to lead investigations “Europol is already investigating the identification of those who have into a potential criminal conspiracy. the data submitted so far and is rea- committed crimes, misled consu- Earlier in the week, farms in the UK dy to assist even further. It is there- mers and undermined trust in the were raided by police in connection fore crucial that all Member States internal market”. NEWEUROPE 02 www.neurope.eu ANALYSIS 17 - 23 February, 2013 The Shooting Gallery M FundingM the far right The far right is rebranding itself. Needing a cash injection from the EU, various parties across the EU are clubbing together to benefit from eligi- ble funding for pan-European parties. They are, depending on the sour- ce (true to form, the far-right is split, and are currently coalescing into two rival blocs), either “EU critical parties”, or “patriots”, apparently an endangered species. According to Bruno Gollnisch, from the National Front in France, it is him and his cohorts, such as Nick Griffin from the British National Party (FN), an organisation so short of money that, apparently, they are redu- ced to selling scrap metal to keep afloat, that are the upholders of Europe- an values; European values been a prerequisite for pan-European political party funding. The FN, apparently, stand for freedom, the rule of law and equality; they represent the “moral and spiritual stock of Europe”. Echoing earlier calls by Griffin, Gollnisch said in the European Parlia- ment recently that reluctance to grant funding to his current alliance of A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse.| EPA/FEDERICO GAMBarINI far-right colleagues proves the “totalitarian direction of the European Union”. His, and likeminded parties, uphold a “tremendous legacy of western Europe to the rest of the world”, and are “better at defending THE EUROPEAN WEEKLY those values than our adversaries”, such as the mainstream centre-right, cyan mage yello centre-left and other parties. According to the far-right, it is they that black New Europe th represent the upholding of under-siege values in Europe; freedom (from 11 Year, Number 508 www.new-europe.info February 16 - 22, 2003 EARS New Europe bylines 10 Y immigrants), the rule of law (for the indigenous, white population), and Russia firms NE Bashir Khanbhai, MEP its stance On Asylum policy fails, p. 5 equality (see previous parentheses). on Iraq issue Europe ready for The Despite close ties between AGO Washington and Moscow, veto The whole thing is comically reminiscent of the late 1970s song, Power Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the unilateral use post-NATO era The Greek Presidency of the European of force against Iraq is Union announced its initiative to con- absolutely unacceptable at this Another voke an extraordinary European Council in the Darkness, by the Tom Robinson Band, which parodies the gross time. Russia has the right to meeting, devoted solely to the Iraqi crisis. veto at the UN Security Coun- (editorial p. 2) cil and, if it sees it fit, will exer- amicable cise this right. "We have used I n the run up to the Iraq War, there were skirmishes excess of right-wing sloganeering: “Today, institutions fundamental to this right more than once, and divorce Divide and we can do it again," the Krem- lin leader told French regional in the conquer legacy between the EU and NATO. The military alliance, press in Bordeaux. France also has the right to veto. With the dissolution of the USSR in the the British system of government are under attack…the public schools, At the same time, Putin said he making early 1990s there remained nothing to once formed to protect Europe from the Red Army believes "we should not fuel fear -- except the world's fearfully controversy on this issue." The dynamic Muslim population. p. 3 the House of Lords, the Church of England, the holy institution of mar- Russian leader reiterated that Flying colours may had changed into one that was pushing back against Russia and France hold the stimulate a whirlwind same positions on this problem of affairs Banks and and believe that international better times former Soviet allies. Europe wasn‘t as unified, strugg- weapons inspectors should be ATO and the Warsaw diplomatic initiatives to disarm Iraq military reach into eastern Europe, but riage, even our magnificent police force are no longer safe from those allowed to continue working in Pact: the two tried bal- peacefully. also the European Union's economic After one of the worst years since World Iraq. Moreover, Putin noted ancing each other for Belgium-France-Germany rejected market and the conclusion is a clear ling between hawkish and dovish members, it never there are no grounds for arriv- War II, European banks are hoping that a decades till the latter even a scaled-down proposal put forth indication of US tactical strategy aimed ing at long-term and serious N tough round of cost cutting and restruc- became null and void after the collapse by NATO Secretary General George at moving the centre of political gravity who would undermine our society, and it‘s about time we said ‘enough conclusions in light of the most turing will help buttress them against what of the former Soviet empire. NATO Robertson including AWACS radar in Europe from the resistant, critical is likely to be another tough year. p. 9 did get a coherent line in the sand over Iraq. Was the recent statements from inter- national terrorist Osama bin started expanding into the Warsaw planes, Patriot missiles and special founding states in Western Europe to Laden. Putin commented on a zone unhindered but with no defined units to counter biological attacks. the more pro-American new members is enough’ and saw a return to the traditional British values of discipline, relatively recently published direction cosines for existence. It is crystal clear to the dumbest in the east. Olympic EU to be as pro-US as NATO or find its own path and transcript of bin Laden's tape And now the deep-seated divisions layman also that the White House Time for Europe to unite and pre- saying, "If bin Laden is alive, he surfaced as NATO remained dead- gloated over the split within Europe. sent European Union members will do destinations is poking his nose everywhere, locked over bolstering Turkey's Add to that a not so subtle approach; well to rethink as the future lies in the policy? Russia was more confident and objected to obedience, morality and freedom..” Freedom, that is, from the likes of re- but this does not prove his links defences, with France, Germany and Washington's persistent and forceful European Union and not in obsolete The Olympic Games are bound to put with Baghdad." Belgium insisting the move would stifle support to expand not only NATO's NATO.