Barroso lashes out at British Conservatives in European Parliament

Read more at EurActiv.com - http://www.euractiv.com/euro-finance/...

Speaking before the European Parliament, President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso on Tuesday said that "he was puzzled" by British Conservative MEPs as they "seem to delight in the difficulties of the euro area".

The outburst came after Chairman of the European Conservatives and Reformists group in the European Parliament Martin Callanan said that the euro is "driving people's of Europe apart"

Transcript:

"There are too many political forces that say one thign in Strasbourg and another thing in the capitals of the member states....it is also very important that political parties don't say one thing in Strasbourg and then a different thing in their national capitals. One important and interesting point was made by the British Conservatives today. It was in fact expressed some kind of satisfaction with the situation in the euro area. Let me tell you that it is puzzling that you seem to delight in the difficulties of the euro area and this is in stark contrast with the position taken by your leader, Prime Minister Cameron. So a good effort will be in terms of accountability to your public that you say the same thing here that you say in London..... I am also by the way very puzzled with the ease with which some of you are recommending some member states to leave the euro. This, once again is in complete contrast to the position taken by the PM of Britian, which for instance at the G8 summit said it is in his national interest that Greece stays in the euro area.

"And when some of you are suggesting that the problems of the economic situation in europe now are the result of the euro area and that for instance you disapprove the big bailout programmes in the banking sector in the euro area, let me just put the facts straight. The country by far that has been spending money with the banking sector is Britain. More than any country in the EU..... The country in all the EU that has been committing taxpayers money to save the financial sector has been by far Britain. This is not a euro area problem. This is a problem of the EU as a whole."

• Category

  News & Politics

[MultiWorm420]

HA, man you watch too many movies. If you know your history (which clearly you don't), you'd know that the 'Battle of Britain' was fought (between the RAF and Nazi Luffwaffe) and won by Britain and her commonwealth allies before America ever got involved, you gave support, nothing more, nothing less.

There's no doubt America helped, but you certainly didn't win it for us, you simply shortened the amount of time it took to defeat Germany.

[MultiWorm420]

There was absolutely no begging on Britain's behalf, LAWL! There are a few reasons why America joined WW2 and it wasn't at all because Britain begged or even asked. One reason is because Germany was sinking supply ships from America to Europe, another (most importantly) is because Japan attacked parts of America (Pearl Harbor), so America declared war on Japan and in return, Germany declared war on America.

Know your history before you make stupid assumptions.

[chcikenpencil]

What a hypocrite Jose Manuel Barroso is, on the one hand he tries to distract everyone with this emotive rhetorical dribble about prejudice against southern Europe, whilst at the same time he and his party are pursuing the very austerity programmes that are currently laying waste to southern Europe.

[chcikenpencil]

bailouts are forbidden in the eurozone? You clearly haven't been watching the news for the last 4 years...

[chcikenpencil]

If anything it was not the US but the USSR that saved us, as the Red Army sacrificed by far the most men (more than 13 million if I'm not mistaken?)

[Ariadne7710]

Nobody did or is ever likely to! He is an ex Maoist. He doesn't understand concepts like voting etc!!!

[prof1066]

Borroso ex maoist communist, lecturing people on economics lol. The EU are renegotiating in the euro zone there closer links, but countrys like the UK are told you cannot change anything about our membership, One rule for Eurozone members and another for every one else . They have allready split europe into the euro and non eurozone.

[Reddoguk]

so this is the boss of the U.S of E

GTFO

[Adrian Matthews]

Who is this man. I didn't vote for him.

[jagman84]

The UK can bail out whoever they please. We are not in the Euro. However, bail-outs are expressly forbidden in the Eurozone. Not that anyone has took a blind bit of notice! Btw, Barroso always speaks in English as his comments are invariably directed at the UK.

[numb15]

I'd like to hear you try and speak Portuguese or any other foreign language without an accent.