The Money Pit

There is currently a problem in the EU: that of approving next year's budget.

Officially, an increase of 6% has been requested, but MEPs are proposing 2.9% whilst according to this BBC article, a number of governments, in the throes of ruthlessly cutting their own budgets, are proposing leaving the EU budget at 2010 level.

I consider that to be more than enough given that the budget, according to this BBC graph, has increased nearly 40% over the last ten years:

As far as the UK is concerned, note the footnote about exchange rates. Using XE.com's useful historical chart, I find that in 2001 the pound stood at around 1.60 against the euro, very different from today's rate of 1.18. So in cost terms, the decline of the value of the pound has meant that the UK's contributions have become increasingly expensive, quite apart from the regular increases shown in the table above. Europhiles will blame this additional cost of course on the UK's refusal to sign up to the euro, but remaining with the pound has proved to be sensible, given the states of various European economies who have er, "benefitted" from membership of the Eurozone.

The BBC piece goes on to say that in the event of the budget not being approved (which seems likely) then the EU may not be able to afford to launch it's new diplomatic service ludicrously called the EEAS: The European External Action Service. The EEAS has been budgeted at €475.8 million. On top of the colossal corruption and fraud prevalent in the EU and widely reported for a number of years, who needs another 475.8 million wasted euros?

Please remember the case of Marta Andreason, former EU chief accountant sacked by the Welsh windbag, Kinnock - then an EU Commissioner, for drawing attention to financial "irregularities."

Kinnock and his wife did alright though: they weren't sacked, they're doing very nicely thank you very much. Gravy train 'socialists' the pair of them - like one of Kinnock's predecessors, Roy "Claret" Jenkins, Britain's worst ever Chancellor of the Exchequer and another EU Commissioner.

Will no one rid us of this parasitic nightmare?

Until the next time.

Them & Us?

The news reported today - in this case by the BBC - about French President Sarkozy's Presidential Aircraft had me spluttering over my coffee this morning.

With breathtaking arrogance, the aircraft's specification includes an "air-conditioned" smoking room. I should state here and now, that I am entirely in favour of air-conditioned smoking rooms being installed everywhere, but it seems unlikely to happen in France, where just as in the fascistically oppressive UK, smoking is banned in all public places (since January 2nd 2008) and in the workplace (since 2007).

Since the presidential aeroplane has cost the French taxpayer about €180 million, one is entitled to believe that the aircraft constitutes - at least part of the time (as does the Elysée Palace for that matter where the President is known to enjoy his cigars) a "workplace."

Personally I hope the President enjoys his cigars; it's just that I don't understand why he is the only citizen of France who is permitted to smoke at work, the rest of us having to put up with cold/rain/snow/ice/wind for our rather long winters here, for which, no doubt, that arrant bullshit "global warming" is to blame.

In "Tobacco News" meanwhile I have found a splendid article about the arrogance of our rulers here concerning a State Secretary (= Junior Minister) one M. Christian Blanc, who was caught having spent €12,000 of public money on fine Cuban cigars. Generously the article adds, he sent a cheque for €3500 "for the two boxes of 25 he smokes each month" whilst being unable to account for the remaining €8500-worth.

Even more intriguing, is the reference to the practice which ended in 2001:

In Scandinavia, Germany, or even in Britain these days, Blanc would now be looking for a new job. The opposition is spluttering, but he will no doubt just be rapped on the knuckles by François Fillon, the Prime Minister, and left in peace. Until recently, no-one bothered much about the huge sums that are spent on the comfort of the state nobility. Only in 2001, did President Chirac end the practice under which all ministers were given a monthly suitcase of cash, known as ‘special funds’, to spend on whatever they liked.

This merits further investigation I think.

Until the next time.