The EUobserver has published very interesting and revealing things about Jean-Claude Juncker, who has been nominated by the European Council as the Commission`s next President.
Besides quoting Britain`s tabloid The Sun, which portrayed Mr Juncker as “ the most dangerous man in Europe”, the EUobserver recalls the fact that this 59-year old Luxembourg politician was forced to step down as Europe’s longest-serving prime minister due to an illegal wiretapping scandal. This man has now been given the most powerful post in Europe and one of the most powerful in the world.
The juiciest part in the EUobserver report is where it says that, back in 2011, “during a debate in Brussels, Juncker admitted that he often had to lie to journalists about secret meetings held at the height of the euro-crisis, in order to prevent markets betting against troubled countries”.
“I am for secret, dark debates,” the EUobserver quotes Jean-Claude Juncker as saying.
The new EU Commission President nominee seems to be very proud of the fact that he lies. The EUobserver further reports Mr Juncker saying, “I am a Christian Democrat, a Catholic, so when it becomes serious we have to lie. The same applies to economic and monetary policy in the Union. I am very serious about it. If you are pre-indicating policy decisions, you are feeding speculations on the financial markets.”
Besides being a heavy smoker and drinker, Jean-Claude Juncker also admits that he is “insufficiently democratic”. And yet the European Council has based its decision on the supposedly “democratic principle” that the candidate of the party (the EPP) winning the relative majority would be the nominated candidate of the Council for the presidency of the Commission, in this case Jean-Claude Juncker who admits to being “insufficiently democratic”.
How can any journalist worth his/her salt take Mr Juncker’s future statements on economic and monetary policies as being factual and above suspicion when he admits that he would be ready to lie on such matters?
And yet, except for the British and Hungarian prime ministers, the rest of the heads of EU governments have given their assent to what may turn out to be one of the worst decisions to be taken by the European Council.
Eddy Privitera
Mosta