Chancellor Merkel to take over EU Presidency
Neu Leonstein
30-12-2006, 00:26
A few good articles about the topic:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6209101.stm
http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,456647,00.html (I particularly like the interactive map)
So there are lots of issues to sort out over this term. Lots of summits to attend, lots of deals to make.
If Merkel is good at anything, it's making deals. She's managed to get together a coalition of the Conservatives and the Social Democrats in Germany and she's already taken something of a leadership position within the EU over her term, particularly during the crisis about the future budget, in which she was integral in bringing about a compromise.
What do you think the EU will look like when she hands the presidency over? Will there be a revived constitution, or something like it? Will there be a new sense of purpose? Will new ultra-strict energy policies (http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,456838,00.html) be pushed through, at least in part?
Or will nothing at all happen?
Cabra West
30-12-2006, 00:34
Nothing at all, but that's just my guess.
UnitedStatesOfAmerica-
30-12-2006, 00:37
Merkel is a good US puppet ahem, er, I meant ally.
Fassigen
30-12-2006, 00:42
Will there be a revived constitution, or something like it?
Hopefully not. It should stay killed dead.
United Beleriand
30-12-2006, 01:21
Merkel is a good US puppet ahem, er, I meant ally.She's not a puppet. You really overestimate the US's influence on European politics. You should know that things have changed over the last 50 years.
And as for the EU presidency: nothing will happen, Merkel has more than enough problems to solve at home.
Neu Leonstein
30-12-2006, 01:28
And as for the EU presidency: nothing will happen, Merkel has more than enough problems to solve at home.
Not as much as a few months ago. The economy is doing splendidly (Germany was again #1 exporter worldwide this year), unemployment is on the down, and they put something of a healthcare reform through.
That Beck said he wanted to stop the reform course for a while is one thing, but you have him on one side and Merkel plus Köhler on the other.
I think she's going in an the best time for her domestically.
The Pacifist Womble
30-12-2006, 01:30
Merkel is a good US puppet ahem, er, I meant ally.
No, she's actually been a lot less subservient to Bush than I expected when she was elected, which is a good thing.
A few good articles about the topic:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6209101.stm
http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,456647,00.html (I particularly like the interactive map)
So there are lots of issues to sort out over this term. Lots of summits to attend, lots of deals to make.
If Merkel is good at anything, it's making deals. She's managed to get together a coalition of the Conservatives and the Social Democrats in Germany and she's already taken something of a leadership position within the EU over her term, particularly during the crisis about the future budget, in which she was integral in bringing about a compromise.
What do you think the EU will look like when she hands the presidency over? Will there be a revived constitution, or something like it? Will there be a new sense of purpose? Will new ultra-strict energy policies (http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,456838,00.html) be pushed through, at least in part?
Or will nothing at all happen?
I think we're bound to get some "ZOMG NAZIS TAKING OVER THE WORLD AGAIN" jokes.
United Beleriand
30-12-2006, 01:33
No, she's actually been a lot less subservient to Bush than I expected when she was elected, which is a good thing.Well, since then even she has figured out that the Iraq war wasn't the best thing to support after all.
Lacadaemon
30-12-2006, 01:44
I think we're bound to get some "ZOMG NAZIS TAKING OVER THE WORLD AGAIN" jokes.
I was about to ask if this means everyone gets little moustaches.
United Beleriand
30-12-2006, 01:47
I think we're bound to get some "ZOMG NAZIS TAKING OVER THE WORLD AGAIN" jokes.as if this is the first german eu presidency
as if this is the first german eu presidency
Bah. I've not paid any attention to the EU Presidency, and am only doing so now due to the fact that it has been posted here. My apologies for the late jokes.
Greater Trostia
30-12-2006, 01:51
Whenever I think of Merkel though, I remember how Bush gave her that shoulder-neck massage/grope thing. Seriously, WTF was he thinking?
Lacadaemon
30-12-2006, 02:03
Whenever I think of Merkel though, I remember how Bush gave her that shoulder-neck massage/grope thing. Seriously, WTF was he thinking?
About Strudel.
Call to power
30-12-2006, 02:10
What do you think the EU will look like when she hands the presidency over?
http://us.movies1.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/warner_brothers/terminator_3__rise_of_the_machines/robots.jpg
The machines are coming!
The Pacifist Womble
30-12-2006, 03:23
Well, since then even she has figured out that the Iraq war wasn't the best thing to support after all.
Yeah. I actually even remember feeling impressed when she stood up and told Bush what the people think about the Guantanamo concentration camp.
Whenever I think of Merkel though, I remember how Bush gave her that shoulder-neck massage/grope thing. Seriously, WTF was he thinking?
But she's so hot!
http://www.vorsicht-starke-worte.de/images/galerie/images/Drogen%20Merkel.jpg