Berlin declared last night that Europe is speaking German and Britain must be less selfish toward the EU.

The UK has a duty to help the eurozone despite being outside the single currency, according to one of Angela Merkel’s closest allies.

Even more provocatively, Volker Kauder warned Britain could not block a financial tax that would cost the City billions.

Warning: Volker Kauder (left), one of Angela Merkel's closest allies, said Britain could not block a financial tax that would cost the City billions

He insisted it was wrong for London to defend its own interests, adding: ‘Only going after their own benefit, and refusing to contribute, is not the message we’re letting the British get away with.’

He said European nations were speaking German in that they were backing Chancellor Merkel’s diktats.

The comments will cause fury among senior Conservatives, who say Germany’s refusal to prop up the euro threatens to drag the UK economy down as well.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2062015/Europe-speaks-German-Controversial-claim-Merkel-ally-EU-countries-follow-Berlins-lead--Britain-fall-line.html#ixzz1dqpgObPn

The Euro is crumbling....happy days!

Let's get back to the days of pesetas and guilders.....prices will halve overnight!!

May we have pounds , shillings, and pence too, please? And oh, the joy of half-crowns, thruppenny bits, and farthings!

English people have always spoken English to Johnny foreigner, and if he pretends he doesn't understand, we just speak it louder. (But it was an American woman whom I heard on the Paris Metro saying, "Is there anybody here who speaks English?" I was far too shy to speak up (about 18 at the time).)

Who's actually paying the biggest amount for the fiasco that's going on in the EU at the moment? I assume it's Germany.

Germany and the French banks seem to have paid most of it; I've not seen any actual figures.

but what does the uk actually gain from being part of the EU ? apart from hefty bills payable, stupid laws passed and basically pissing every UK citizen off, i think we need to be out !

but what does the uk actually gain from being part of the EU ? apart from hefty bills payable, stupid laws passed and basically pissing every UK citizen off, i think we need to be out !

UK citizens can work all over Europe....except most of Europe has laws or customs or unions banning this sort of thing. Plus the buggers don't speak the lingo.

Back to square one....Europeans can also work in the UK.....have a think about it....!

Who's actually paying the biggest amount for the fiasco that's going on in the EU at the moment? I assume it's Germany.

and the winner is... Endure

German is spoken as the first (mother) language of more Europeans than any other.

English is the second (taught) language of most Europeans.

This, of course, pisses off the French more than a little.

Who's actually paying the biggest amount for the fiasco that's going on in the EU at the moment? I assume it's Germany.

and the winner is... Endure

I would have thought the winners would be Greece, Portugal and maybe Italy...

German is spoken as the first (mother) language of more Europeans than any other.

zome Tchermans might disagree vizz ziss shtatement oond klaim zat you konsider zose who shpeak Bavarian, Austrian, Schwyzer Dütsch, Platt, Schwäbisch, Elsässisch, Hessisch, Rheinisch, Sächsisch, Badisch or Fränkisch as speaking German.

Who's actually paying the biggest amount for the fiasco that's going on in the EU at the moment? I assume it's Germany.

and the winner is... Endure

I would have thought the winners would be Greece, Portugal and maybe Italy...

no matter what the outcome, default or not, the citizens of these countries will be losers for years to come.

p.s. add Spain!

Out of curiosity Naam....if you could turn the clock back 20 years....would you be in favour of a single currency given what you now know?

Out of curiosity Naam....if you could turn the clock back 20 years....would you be in favour of a single currency given what you now know?

as an investor i was personally against the introduction of the EUR because it meant losing my beloved Deutsche Mark. in theory the common currency was a brilliant idea which could have benefitted all countries which adopted it. unfortunately theory and practice differed and the system was abused.

what i still can't understand is how EU politicians could sit on their hands without acting when it was clear that the system was abused by ClubMed and its nordic partner Ireland. but then... shit happens and what exactly can you expect from politicians? an old wise man once said "politicians are not born, they are excreted!"

German is spoken as the first (mother) language of more Europeans than any other.

zome Tchermans might disagree vizz ziss shtatement oond klaim zat you konsider zose who shpeak Bavarian, Austrian, Schwyzer Dütsch, Platt, Schwäbisch, Elsässisch, Hessisch, Rheinisch, Sächsisch, Badisch or Fränkisch as speaking German.

As with the Geordie, Scouse, Brum, lowland Scots, highland Scots, Cockney, Essex, Cornish, Devonian, West Country and a hundred accents / dialects in the UK.

But I had this argument with an Austrian co-worker at one time who maintained that German should be spoken throughout the EU, either as first or second language, in preference to English.

We both agreed that French was to be eliminated.

German seems to be about prescribing and eliminating.

English is about freedom to muddle through.

French, of course, is simply about being French.

This would be the same German Government who announced that Greece may have to leave the EU. Funny that, I thought the EU was all about equality, seems if the German's don't like you, you're in trouble............................Now where have I heard that before ?

This would be the same German Government who announced that Greece may have to leave the EU. Funny that, I thought the EU was all about equality, seems if the German's don't like you, you're in trouble............................Now where have I heard that before ?

What do you mean by equality? A nation of 50 million people is somehow equal to a nation of 100,000? Or a German and, say, a Cypriot, are equal? Or is it simply a matter of cash in the bank... my Euro is equal to your Euro... but I've got more of them, so you're not equal to me?

Equality is one of the most misused words in the lexicon (democracy comes a close second).

This would be the same German Government who announced that Greece may have to leave the EU. Funny that, I thought the EU was all about equality, seems if the German's don't like you, you're in trouble............................Now where have I heard that before ?

What do you mean by equality? A nation of 50 million people is somehow equal to a nation of 100,000? Or a German and, say, a Cypriot, are equal? Or is it simply a matter of cash in the bank... my Euro is equal to your Euro... but I've got more of them, so you're not equal to me?

Equality is one of the most misused words in the lexicon (democracy comes a close second).

"Loose" is more widely misused on this forum.

SC

This would be the same German Government who announced that Greece may have to leave the EU. Funny that, I thought the EU was all about equality, seems if the German's don't like you, you're in trouble............................Now where have I heard that before ?

that's a silly twist and was not said as you put it. Greece can neither be forced to leave the EU nor the common currency. correct is that dropping the currency €UR and remaining an EU member is an option for Greece but this too only if the country so decides. but whatever the Greeks or the Greek government decides the bottom line for years to come will be the same, namely "blood, sweat and tears".

by the way, it is quite interesting that parties with an agenda are acting based on "attack is the best defence", justify the action of a thief cum fraud and blame those from whom was stolen and who were defrauded. whenever i read/watch certain anglo media from both sides of the Atlantic i get the impression that "Chancelerette" Merkel is to blame for the Greek disaster caused by the decade long dolce vita at the mediterranean shores.

gimme a break!

I have to agree with Naam. Germany is not the cause of the problem, but the shoulder of correcting the problem falls largely on Germany and a few other countries.

Although I am not very knowledgeable about the situation, my concern has always been that Germany might just leave the Euro and/or the EU. That would be a most interesting development and not in a positive way--except maybe for Germany.

I have to agree with Naam.

Me too - for a change.

nomicpolicyjournal.com/2011/11/hot-must-see-nigel-farage-video-you.html

Mmmmmm

I have to agree with Naam. Germany is not the cause of the problem, but the shoulder of correcting the problem falls largely on Germany and a few other countries.

Although I am not very knowledgeable about the situation, my concern has always been that Germany might just leave the Euro and/or the EU. That would be a most interesting development and not in a positive way--except maybe for Germany.

No, Germany was not the cause of the problem, but it will be paying much of the bill. One could argue that Germany, France, and Benelux should have been keeping a watchful eye on what was going on, and sounded a warning much earlier (or maybe they did, and nobody listened?) But that's now in the past; the future is that Germany and France will have to pay, and somehow the whole Eurozone has got to tighten up its systems so that this kind of crisis cannot be repeated.

Nobody but the nuttiest of right-wing nuts listens to Nigel Farage.

No, Germany was not the cause of the problem, but it will be paying much of the bill. One could argue that Germany, France, and Benelux should have been keeping a watchful eye on what was going on, and sounded a warning much earlier (or maybe they did, and nobody listened?) But that's now in the past; the future is that Germany and France will have to pay, and somehow the whole Eurozone has got to tighten up its systems so that this kind of crisis cannot be repeated.

In regards to France....It seems to me they are soon in a much larger problem of their own making.

Why in the world would they lend so much money to Italy? They were surely overcome by greed & it

clouded their ability to see repayment would never come. Now they own Italy's debt.

If Italy falls where will France be?

All these countries & that includes the USA have governments that have swelled to gigantic proportions.

They have lived off of that which did not exist. Now the chickens come home to roost & they act surprised.

The new female Iron Duke, spent yesterday telling Cameron that he couldn't go to the English people to see what they think about current problems . Much the same as she did with both Greece and Italy.

The UK chose not to be part of the European Currency, thank the Lord.Historically It's idiotic leaders chose to snub the Commonwealth and join with Federalist Euros, we have suffered ever since. Time to take stock and decide to stay on our own little ship or jump on the Titanic..............Interesting times.

With globalisation the German proposed tax on the City of London ( make no bones about who that tax is aimed at ) will take away the only bloody thing the UK has left to feed it's dreadful economy. The factories have been sold, moved to the likes Poland and re-engineered under predominantly German ownership in the new greater Reich or China in the rest of the what was once free world.

Chinese, German cooperation is the new big thing if you scratch the surface of the supposed new Europe............Again interesting times.

All you Chamberlains keep on with the warm glow of the benevolent Germans/Chinese, history repeats itself time and time again......

With globalisation the German proposed tax on the City of London ( make no bones about who that tax is aimed at ) will take away the only bloody thing the UK has left to feed it's dreadful economy.

you are reading to much rainbow press Suiging. are you a subscriber of the Daily Mail or Sun?

fact is that Germany is proposing a miniscule (0.1%) tax on all financial transactions not only in Europe but globally. the idea is nothing new and is known as "Tobin Tax" suggested by Nobel Prize winner James Tobin nearly forty years ago after the discriminating Bretton Woods system fell apart.

that the banKsters will debit these mini-tax to the accounts of their clients goes without saying and will not hurt the City of London in any way. what the ignorant loudmouths do not consider or try to hide is that any transaction (goods and services) in Europe or the City of London attracts Value Added Tax up to several hundred times the proposed financial transaction tax and nobody cares a flying fàrt because that's the way.

will take away the only bloody thing the UK has left...

does it hurt much shooting your own foot by quoting ignorants without doing any homework?

The Iron Duke was English, please. Call her the new Bismarck if you will.

Any form of federalism has always seemed to me to be a non-starter. The big countries are always going to dominate the little countries. The little countries should, if they can, stay independent like Switzerland, and just make money and cuckoo-clocks, or two or three of them should amalgamate to gain stronger bargaining power. Benelux seems a sensible combination, in which the combined strength is greater than the sum of the individual strengths. I hesitate to mention the Balkans.

I don't think the proposed tax on financial transactions is a big thing... but who is it going to be paid to? And why should they get it?

I don't have Suiging's fear of the whateverth Reich because I think the Eurozone crisis will in the end cut Germany down to size, and the Chinese certainly won't help them. Chinese policy will always be to play one party against another, and quietly accumulate financial strength. When they think they have enough, then's the time to watch out. In other words, I'm a great deal more frightened of the Chinese (after watching them at close quarters from Hong Kong for 25 years) than I am of the Germans.

Sadly drink brought on the Iron Duke, quote. As I have made such a gaff. No more credibility in this argument so I will bow out and leave you lot to your dreams of German ambivalence.

Let's get this straight. Greece, Portugal and Italy borrow more than they can afford. Germany pays the bills and it's Germany's fault? Is that right?