*Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
Stripped of immunity from prosecution, the prime minister faced legal difficulties on two fronts on Friday, with an ally appealing against conviction on Mafia charges and an unrelated corruption case where he is accused of bribing a British lawyer.Mafia "pentito," or mobster-turned-witness, Gaspare Spatuzza told a court in Turin that a Mafia clan leader later jailed for the attacks had named Berlusconi, who had not entered politics at the time, in connection with the bombings.He recounted a meeting with clan boss Giuseppe Graviano -- later given multiple life sentences along with his brother for the bombings in Rome, Milan and Florence -- in a cafe on Rome's Via Veneto in early 1994, after the deadly bombing campaign."Graviano told me we had obtained everything, thanks to the seriousness of the people who'd helped with our affair ... he mentioned two names, he called Berlusconi 'the man from Channel 5'," said Spatuzza, referring to a Mediaset television channel.He quoted Graviano saying: "We have everything thanks to the seriousness of these people, specifically Berlusconi ... they put the country in our hands."
Stripped of immunity from prosecution, the prime minister faced legal difficulties on two fronts on Friday, with an ally appealing against conviction on Mafia charges and an unrelated corruption case where he is accused of bribing a British lawyer.
Mafia "pentito," or mobster-turned-witness, Gaspare Spatuzza told a court in Turin that a Mafia clan leader later jailed for the attacks had named Berlusconi, who had not entered politics at the time, in connection with the bombings.
He recounted a meeting with clan boss Giuseppe Graviano -- later given multiple life sentences along with his brother for the bombings in Rome, Milan and Florence -- in a cafe on Rome's Via Veneto in early 1994, after the deadly bombing campaign.
"Graviano told me we had obtained everything, thanks to the seriousness of the people who'd helped with our affair ... he mentioned two names, he called Berlusconi 'the man from Channel 5'," said Spatuzza, referring to a Mediaset television channel.
He quoted Graviano saying: "We have everything thanks to the seriousness of these people, specifically Berlusconi ... they put the country in our hands."
"Look at how Romania is getting through the economic crisis. If this crisis had happened during the '90s, the shock would have been much too high for the population. We are starting to climb out of the downturn and we need to admit that Romania has got through the most difficult stage of the crisis pretty good", president Traian Basescu claimed on Friday during the electoral event organised in the Revolutiei Square from Bucharest, in front of nearly 10,000 people.
The Social-Democrat candidate for Romania's presidency Mircea Geoana declared on Friday for RRA that he has launched tow messages during this campaign, namely one of unity and one addressing economic issues, while Traian Basescu, "a man that splits", talked about the past, Romanian news agency Mediafax informs.
This is Băsescu with Viktor Orbán, leader of Hungary's right-populist Fidesz (and PM-to-be by every poll); from a Băsescu campaign video used in Transylvania. Orbán did in fact declare that he wishes for the election of a right-wing candidate. However, like every other party except PD-L, the main ethnic-Hungarian party RMDSz/UDMR is against Băsescu... [Background: Orbán's clients among ethnic-Hungarians in Romania are the more hardcore nationalists.] *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
Romanian businessman Dinu Patriciu sued, on Thursady, incumbent President Traian Basescu and asked 1 euro worth of damages if he will win the case, Romanian news agency Mediafax informs. The trial will start on May 4, 2010. Patriciu calls Basescu at court for naming him a "liar" and accused him of offering "fake tapes" to the press.Yesterday, Basescu sued businessman Dinu Patriciu and the Best Media company, which edits the daily newspaper Gardianul for publishing fake materials. Basescu called for 1 lei worth of damages in case he wins. The trial is due to start on April 21. Dinu Patriciu declared, after Basescu sued him that his lawyers are setting up the documents needed to sue Basescu. Patriciu said that his lawyers will attend the trial and even him, if necessary.
Yesterday, Basescu sued businessman Dinu Patriciu and the Best Media company, which edits the daily newspaper Gardianul for publishing fake materials. Basescu called for 1 lei worth of damages in case he wins. The trial is due to start on April 21.
Dinu Patriciu declared, after Basescu sued him that his lawyers are setting up the documents needed to sue Basescu. Patriciu said that his lawyers will attend the trial and even him, if necessary.
The doctored-or-not video tape shows Băsescu hitting a child at a 2004 campaign event:
A meeting between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, scheduled to take place in London on Friday (4 December), has been cancelled amid ongoing tensions surrounding recent EU appointments. Both sides cited "diary constraints," with Mr Sarkozy also planning to lunch with the EU's newly appointed permanent president, Herman van Rompuy, on Friday. The French president recently proposed the London visit as a means of defusing angst over last week's appointment of Frenchman Michel Barnier to the important internal market portfolio inside the European Commission. The City of London greeted the job announcement with dismay. But subsequent comments from Mr Sarkozy that he had "out-manoeuvred" Mr Brown and that the appointment was a "triumph" for French ideas on financial regulation only added fuel to the fire and served to enrage Downing Street.
A meeting between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, scheduled to take place in London on Friday (4 December), has been cancelled amid ongoing tensions surrounding recent EU appointments.
Both sides cited "diary constraints," with Mr Sarkozy also planning to lunch with the EU's newly appointed permanent president, Herman van Rompuy, on Friday.
The French president recently proposed the London visit as a means of defusing angst over last week's appointment of Frenchman Michel Barnier to the important internal market portfolio inside the European Commission.
The City of London greeted the job announcement with dismay. But subsequent comments from Mr Sarkozy that he had "out-manoeuvred" Mr Brown and that the appointment was a "triumph" for French ideas on financial regulation only added fuel to the fire and served to enrage Downing Street.
Nah; would never happen; Downing Street would never be so crass, now would it? </sneer> Europeans think a hundred miles is a long way. Americans think a hundred years is a long time.
A tape recording of Kenneth Clarke's speech to a private meeting of the Tory Bow Group on Tuesday was "obtained" by The Times newspaper. It revealed that the shadow Business Secretary warned the Tory leadership not to be too specific about spending cuts before the general election.Ring a bell? Six weeks before the 2005 election, the same newspaper obtained a tape recording of a much more explosive speech to a private meeting by Howard Flight, a Tory Treasury spokesman, who suggested his party had a secret agenda of unpopular spending cuts. He was dumped as an MP. The Flight recorder was John Woodcock, a rising Labour star, now a Downing Street communications strategist and Labour's candidate in Barrow-in-Furness.So you can hardly blame the Tories for claiming that Labour was up to its old tricks at Mr Clarke's speech. Labour denies it, of course, but seems remarkably well-informed. "A reminder of Times past," quipped a Tory official. But the Tories are taking it seriously: they have issued instructions to organisers of such events to vet guest-lists very carefully.
A tape recording of Kenneth Clarke's speech to a private meeting of the Tory Bow Group on Tuesday was "obtained" by The Times newspaper. It revealed that the shadow Business Secretary warned the Tory leadership not to be too specific about spending cuts before the general election.
Ring a bell? Six weeks before the 2005 election, the same newspaper obtained a tape recording of a much more explosive speech to a private meeting by Howard Flight, a Tory Treasury spokesman, who suggested his party had a secret agenda of unpopular spending cuts. He was dumped as an MP. The Flight recorder was John Woodcock, a rising Labour star, now a Downing Street communications strategist and Labour's candidate in Barrow-in-Furness.
So you can hardly blame the Tories for claiming that Labour was up to its old tricks at Mr Clarke's speech. Labour denies it, of course, but seems remarkably well-informed. "A reminder of Times past," quipped a Tory official. But the Tories are taking it seriously: they have issued instructions to organisers of such events to vet guest-lists very carefully.
Hey! US Republicans have been infected by the X Files sentient oil from Mars. What else is new? In the end, might makes right. Nothing has changed since the caveman.
German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg has made an about-face in his assessement of the recent air strike in Kunduz, which led to the resignation of his predecessor Franz Josef Jung. Now Guttenberg has said the strike was "militarily inappropriate." The German parliament voted to extend the country's Afghanistan mission. The deployment of the German military, the Bundeswehr, in Afghanistan has come in for more and more criticism during the past few weeks. The German populace overwhelmingly want the fastest possible withdrawal and fear that more German troops will be sent to Afghanistan.
German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg has made an about-face in his assessement of the recent air strike in Kunduz, which led to the resignation of his predecessor Franz Josef Jung. Now Guttenberg has said the strike was "militarily inappropriate." The German parliament voted to extend the country's Afghanistan mission.
The deployment of the German military, the Bundeswehr, in Afghanistan has come in for more and more criticism during the past few weeks. The German populace overwhelmingly want the fastest possible withdrawal and fear that more German troops will be sent to Afghanistan.
The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: "Guttenberg expressed regret for his previous assessment (of the Kunduz bombing). But even if one has to admire the minister's courage for his 100 percent reversal of his previous position, a number of questions remain unanswered. It must be explained what new information the minister received that could explain his about-face. How did a 'militarily appropriate' bombing suddenly become 'inappropriate?'" "The most important question, though, is the following: Shouldn't Guttenberg have come to his new position long ago as a result of the NATO report on the incident? A number of findings that he didn't know in detail can be found in that report. In other words, did the minister not read the report carefully?"
The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes:
"Guttenberg expressed regret for his previous assessment (of the Kunduz bombing). But even if one has to admire the minister's courage for his 100 percent reversal of his previous position, a number of questions remain unanswered. It must be explained what new information the minister received that could explain his about-face. How did a 'militarily appropriate' bombing suddenly become 'inappropriate?'"
"The most important question, though, is the following: Shouldn't Guttenberg have come to his new position long ago as a result of the NATO report on the incident? A number of findings that he didn't know in detail can be found in that report. In other words, did the minister not read the report carefully?"
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Nato ministers on Friday offered Montenegro a formal plan to join the alliance, just days after the EU announced it would lift visas for its citizens. "With a sustained effort at further reform, today's invitation to join the Membership Action Plan (MAP) will be a stepping stone to the ultimate goal: full membership in Nato," the secretary-general of the military alliance, Anders Fogh Rasmussen said at a press conference in Brussels. He added that Bosnia and Herzegovina, for which a similar request was rejected, will get the plan once it has achieved the "necessary progress in its reform efforts."
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Nato ministers on Friday offered Montenegro a formal plan to join the alliance, just days after the EU announced it would lift visas for its citizens.
"With a sustained effort at further reform, today's invitation to join the Membership Action Plan (MAP) will be a stepping stone to the ultimate goal: full membership in Nato," the secretary-general of the military alliance, Anders Fogh Rasmussen said at a press conference in Brussels.
He added that Bosnia and Herzegovina, for which a similar request was rejected, will get the plan once it has achieved the "necessary progress in its reform efforts."
AFP - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Thursday he would consider running for a new term in 2012, after strongman Prime Minister Vladmir Putin refused to rule out the possibility of returning to the Kremlin. "If Putin is not ruling it out, neither am I," Medvedev said at a press conference in Rome following talks with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. "We are close to each other and work well together," he added. "We can come to an agreement. We will take a reasonable decision, as long as Medvedev and Putin have a chance of being elected."
"If Putin is not ruling it out, neither am I," Medvedev said at a press conference in Rome following talks with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
"We are close to each other and work well together," he added. "We can come to an agreement. We will take a reasonable decision, as long as Medvedev and Putin have a chance of being elected."
That the affable former agriculture and foreign minister has become the bogeyman of the Square Mile is thanks largely to the gloating of Nicolas Sarkozy. The French president claimed the appointment of Mr Barnier - who is supposed to act independently of national interests - amounted to a "triumph" of French ideas over Anglo-Saxon capitalism. The British were "big losers" in the battle for top Brussels' jobs, Mr Sarkozy added, making clear that he had installed his man. His comments triggered a furious backlash from Westminster and the City, where Mr Barnier's nomination to a job in which he will set the agenda for regulation was seen as a French-inspired plot to do down London as a financial centre....A staunch Gaullist, Mr Barnier shares the general's mistrust of financial capitalism and free markets. As agriculture minister, he zealously defended the European Union's common agricultural policy. He has adopted Mr Sarkozy's refrain of a "capitalism for entrepreneurs rather than a capitalism for speculators" but, like the president, has given little indication of what that means in practice. When proposing fresh EU financial regulation, Mr Barnier said he would stick to the "roadmap" of recommendations made by the Group of 20 leading economies, suggesting he did not wish to see Europe act unilaterally.
His comments triggered a furious backlash from Westminster and the City, where Mr Barnier's nomination to a job in which he will set the agenda for regulation was seen as a French-inspired plot to do down London as a financial centre....A staunch Gaullist, Mr Barnier shares the general's mistrust of financial capitalism and free markets. As agriculture minister, he zealously defended the European Union's common agricultural policy.
He has adopted Mr Sarkozy's refrain of a "capitalism for entrepreneurs rather than a capitalism for speculators" but, like the president, has given little indication of what that means in practice. When proposing fresh EU financial regulation, Mr Barnier said he would stick to the "roadmap" of recommendations made by the Group of 20 leading economies, suggesting he did not wish to see Europe act unilaterally.
... but, like the president, has given little indication of what that means in practice.
So far Sarkozy has given the French banks, starting with BNP-Paribas, everything they demanded needed, without constraining conditions like an equity swap. At the same time French companies are being strangled by lack of liquidities that are being hoarded by the banks. And did we mention banks started again to award large bonuses?
This looks like a choreographed show where the French side predictably rail against "speculation" and the British side against excessive regulation and threat to the British "financial industry".
Will anything change in practice? Caveat emptor.
Also note that Sarko has already managed to sabotage his protégé's debut, by running his big mouth -- typical. Europeans think a hundred miles is a long way. Americans think a hundred years is a long time.
"I considered him to be a lightweight among lightweights," says one former Commission colleague. "It was impossible to talk to him about his portfolio in an objective and business-like manner. He was too dimwitted to follow your arguments." (...) "I don't think he has the political stature or intellectual clout either to get his head entirely round the brief or to see off Paris," says a former Commission colleague. "If an issue concerning a French company came up at the Commission, he'd automatically be batting for l'Héxagone."
(...)
"I don't think he has the political stature or intellectual clout either to get his head entirely round the brief or to see off Paris," says a former Commission colleague. "If an issue concerning a French company came up at the Commission, he'd automatically be batting for l'Héxagone."
Why do I get the feeling that this is Mandelson speaking in both cases? In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
