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07-07-2021, 09:30 AM
11

Re: New chapter for German/ UK relations !!

Seems like Germany have now been given control of EU defence policy
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07-07-2021, 10:26 AM
12

Re: New chapter for German/ UK relations !!

Originally Posted by Donkeyman ->
No l don't think l am confused Dachs!
Junker and Barnier both said several times that we cannot pick
cherries ??
These new statements seem to belie that ??
Maybe it won't happen, as Merkel is on the way out l believe ?
So a new face may think differently !
I believe that Barnier is looking for a new top post at the moment ?
As I have said, I am all in favour of bilateral trade agreements in a way of bypassing EU control and interference.

As for which European countries are the ones we should try to concentrate on, I think we first need to consider with whom we trade the most presently.

I'm not sure, and I have no figures to hand, but I suspect that we buy more from Germany than from France, certainly in respect of cars. I see far more German cars, especially the more expensive ones, on our roads than French ones.

Another consideration is who can we trust? I have droned on at length in the past about how I'd never trust the French, bearing in mind their behaviour especially since we had the temerity to leave their control including, of course, their continued efforts to offload their dross on to us in rubber dinghies across the Channel accompanied by their warships despite our paying them millions not to do so. Would you trust them?

No, I believe the Germans would be a beneficial and trustworthy trading partner. There are no doubt others in Europe as well, as time will tell.
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07-07-2021, 01:59 PM
13

Re: New chapter for German/ UK relations !!

Originally Posted by Bread ->
Seems like Germany have now been given control of EU defence policy

What makes you think so? Germany isn't in control of anything in the EU.
Example? In contrast to the rant in one of the other threads where someone was suspicious of Merkel allegedly being in a position of forcing other EU members to agree to her proposal to close borders to British travellers she accomplished nothing, did she? BTW, the UK would have been the first to do exactly the same if there were a similar threat from outside.
She's a lame duck anyway. Let's just wait for her successor Laschet who is warming up to take over. That will at least be a daddy again and what a phenominal one!
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07-07-2021, 09:16 PM
14

Re: New chapter for German/ UK relations !!

Originally Posted by Dachs ->
What makes you think so? Germany isn't in control of anything in the EU.
Example? In contrast to the rant in one of the other threads where someone was suspicious of Merkel allegedly being in a position of forcing other EU members to agree to her proposal to close borders to British travellers she accomplished nothing, did she? BTW, the UK would have been the first to do exactly the same if there were a similar threat from outside.
She's a lame duck anyway. Let's just wait for her successor Laschet who is warming up to take over. That will at least be a daddy again and what a phenominal one!

Von der leyen is German.. the EU is built around Germany and the Euro is the Deutsch Mark. When it comes to leadership Germany appoints their own just like last time
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08-07-2021, 05:30 AM
15

Re: New chapter for German/ UK relations !!

Originally Posted by Bread ->
Von der leyen is German.. the EU is built around Germany and the Euro is the Deutsch Mark. When it comes to leadership Germany appoints their own just like last time
You were mentioning "defence policy". Do you really mean the military or was that meant figuratively?


Would things be different if vdL were replaced by, say, someone from the NL or Denmark? The Euro is not DM.
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08-07-2021, 08:18 AM
16

Re: New chapter for German/ UK relations !!

Originally Posted by Dachs ->
You were mentioning "defence policy". Do you really mean the military or was that meant figuratively?


Would things be different if vdL were replaced by, say, someone from the NL or Denmark? The Euro is not DM.

I think you will find the euro is the DM because the ERM was based on it.

Defence policy in the EU will be decided by Germany, just you watch and in charge of defence will be Germany as well. Once the 27 have consolidated their armies, navies and air forces there can be only one commander - that person will be a German and that's how it will stay.
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08-07-2021, 03:08 PM
17

Re: New chapter for German/ UK relations !!

Originally Posted by Bread ->
I think you will find the euro is the DM because the ERM was based on it.

Defence policy in the EU will be decided by Germany, just you watch and in charge of defence will be Germany as well. Once the 27 have consolidated their armies, navies and air forces there can be only one commander - that person will be a German and that's how it will stay.
I'm not sure, but if true the Frogs aren't going to like it!

Not that I'm bothered about them, of course. They are not our friends and we owe them nothing.
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08-07-2021, 04:02 PM
18

Re: New chapter for German/ UK relations !!

Originally Posted by Bread ->
I think you will find the euro is the DM because the ERM was based on it.

Defence policy in the EU will be decided by Germany, just you watch and in charge of defence will be Germany as well. Once the 27 have consolidated their armies, navies and air forces there can be only one commander - that person will be a German and that's how it will stay.
Yes, it was based on the ERM but that was 20 years ago. Ever since the monetary policy of the ECB has not been the same as that of the Bundesbank. The Bundesbank would never ever have pursued a policy of QE or "credit easing" to the extent the ECB does nor would it have accepted a debt union with south-European debtors. Was Germany asked if it actually wanted that European debt union with automatic fiscal transfers to indebted countries? Definitely not. Germany always stood for a solid fiscal policy. That's what the German population loved about their Bundesbank and wanted to see implemented after having lost all their life savings twice. The German political party AfD has been swept into parliament with 12% of the votes also because it promised to re-introduce the Deutschmark.

It would be ironic if Germany were put in charge of European defence policy with its armed forces being as weak as they are. Only 10 out of 140 Eurofighter jets are operational, just 50% of tanks, only one submarine, just a few combat helis. The list is endless. Did you know that our army does not have a functioning and reliable assault rifle? The G36 has got severe accuracy problems when it's overheated as could be seen in Afghanistan. There are no jets that could be used for nuclear sharing, and so on, and so forth.
Merkel is hesitant when it comes to forming a European Army as proposed by Macron and so is her successor. It's no coincidence that the EU "Minister of Defence ", if you like, has, in fact, never been a German. (Jurgen Trumpf does not count.) There's no reason why this should change. There's massive resistance in Germany against any military involvement anywhere in the world and that is reflected in the state of its armed forces.
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08-07-2021, 04:07 PM
19

Re: New chapter for German/ UK relations !!

I have a suspicion that Macron wants this EU army so his country's arms manufacturers have somewhere to sell their products.
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08-07-2021, 06:06 PM
20

Re: New chapter for German/ UK relations !!

Originally Posted by Dachs ->
Yes, it was based on the ERM but that was 20 years ago. Ever since the monetary policy of the ECB has not been the same as that of the Bundesbank. The Bundesbank would never ever have pursued a policy of QE or "credit easing" to the extent the ECB does nor would it have accepted a debt union with south-European debtors. Was Germany asked if it actually wanted that European debt union with automatic fiscal transfers to indebted countries? Definitely not. Germany always stood for a solid fiscal policy. That's what the German population loved about their Bundesbank and wanted to see implemented after having lost all their life savings twice. The German political party AfD has been swept into parliament with 12% of the votes also because it promised to re-introduce the Deutschmark.

It would be ironic if Germany were put in charge of European defence policy with its armed forces being as weak as they are. Only 10 out of 140 Eurofighter jets are operational, just 50% of tanks, only one submarine, just a few combat helis. The list is endless. Did you know that our army does not have a functioning and reliable assault rifle? The G36 has got severe accuracy problems when it's overheated as could be seen in Afghanistan. There are no jets that could be used for nuclear sharing, and so on, and so forth.
Merkel is hesitant when it comes to forming a European Army as proposed by Macron and so is her successor. It's no coincidence that the EU "Minister of Defence ", if you like, has, in fact, never been a German. (Jurgen Trumpf does not count.) There's no reason why this should change. There's massive resistance in Germany against any military involvement anywhere in the world and that is reflected in the state of its armed forces.


Interest rates in the Eurozone are fixed so as not to go below Germanys interest rate - the reason is it would blow up the Euro if they did. Germany will call in its debts at some point, when it does it will be one of the biggest land grabs in history.

The woman in charge if Germanys defence is now the leader of the 27 its only a matter of time.... she is useless I agree but she is German and heavily influenced by Merkel.
 
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