Greece was never known for it efficiency nor stringent government. Like Italy it was always a bit chaotic country of the EU.

But the Greek political class (left and right) has seriously fucked up the countries financial situation – and now threatens the stability of the EURO zone. They even manipulated their financial data back to join the Euro in the first place.

But Greece is not alone with it monetary dilemma: Spain, Portugal and Ireland have blown their finances as well.

The Maastricht Treaty was supposed to protect the Euro against such blunders, but many countries didn’t follow it’s guidelines – including Germany.

It once again shows that politicians love to spend money and they don’t care about the consequences. All the budget deficits were mostly a result of overspending and stupid national budgets.

We need better and different checks and balances to make run the national budgets.

Politicians can’t control politicians.

Even when civil servants from the Treasury, the media and experts ring the alarm bells they are constantly ignored by the politicians …

We Europeans prefer our politicians weak and not as dashing as the Americans. Oke, Berlusconi is an exception …

But Herman Van Rompuy is a terrible and also fitting manifestation of Europe’s state: old, stiff and without a vision. Just a petty compromise, not a bold direction or force to drive us forward.

He will be a mediator and traffic warden for Brussels.

I don’t like Tony Blair – but at least he stands for something (you can oppose).

Plus our new President is against Turkey joining the EU, which I consider not very visionary.

From Wikipedia:

In 2004, he stated "An enlargement [of the EU] with Turkey is not in any way comparable with previous enlargement waves. Turkey is not Europe and will never be Europe." He continued "But it’s a matter of fact that the universal values which are in force in Europe, and which are also the fundamental values of Christianity, will lose vigour with the entry of a large Islamic country such as Turkey."

Is it 20 years already? Wow! Nice video from the EU and a nice reminder that Freedom is not "free".

The Chinese more and more consider Europe irrelevant in the global game. No surprise, since Europe doesn’t speak with one voice. Almost all European leaders are willing to forget about China’s nasty deeds and policies when it comes to generating trade agreements and deals.

On the other side China is getting more and more protectionist about it’s own economy and building barriers to make it harder for any foreign country to do business.

China is closely tied to the USA – it’s biggest market and debtor. The Chinese hold huge amounts of American debt, plus they sit an a huge cash reserve themselves. This binds those two giant closer together – more than each of them wants to.

One British Pound is hardly worth  one Euro these days. This deeply pisses of many Brits, who have been euro skeptic bunch anyway.

Still most Brits wouldn’t go Euro any day. They simply hate it. I just don’t really understand why the Brits are so euro phobic?

Complete Video here

Complete Video here

The problem is an old one: how many "strangers" can a society digest? Especially in Europe with it’s internal open borders concept immigration is still a problem – and especially Britain – with it’s colonial history – has currently a hard time dealing with all the immigrants.

Britain has seen in recent years a huge influx of Polish workers – and the Asian communities (read mostly Pakistanis – like the London Bombers) have been exploding as well.

Still Europe is struggling to decide what to with all the African boat people and recent wave or Iraqi illegal immigrants crossing it’s many borders.

And there is still the Muslim question: many Europeans feel that it’s immigrated and homegrown Muslims don’t appreciate the humanistic, secular and democratic ideas on which Europe is built.

BBC News: Trimmed French military is no retreat

There are two very odd things regarding European integration: Britain’s unwillingness to accept that it is part of Europe and France’s odd military status in NATO.

Finally the later will be fixed soon – after almost 40 years since Charles de Gaulle pulled out of NATO.

France has long been fighting side by side with their other western allies – but they were never officially part of the team. Sarko finally wants to put an end to that charade and join the team as a full member.

He also wants to shake up the military establishment and bring the troops into the 21st century – just like the Brits did several years ago.

Germany still hardly makes an effort to improve it’s military.

And all the big European ideas about a quick reaction force and all these stupid dreams never really gotten anywhere.

Europe still depends on NATO and therefore on the US and Canada.

More? Military of France @ Wikipedia

This is how we do science in Europe – those religious nuts don’t know what they are missing!

This video is part of the Marie Curie Actions – a program designed to promote research and obviously science.

And you know how Madame Curie was – dontacha?

BBC News:  A ‘George Washington’ for Europe

Starting next year the European Union will get it’s first “head honcho” – some sort of President of the European Councils who resides over our endless squabbles about milk quotes and that the Poles are unthankful bastards.

Too be honest I don’t thing we need a “permanent” el Presidente – I think that rotating chairman worked pretty well by not giving anyone a lot of power for only six months.

Most of all I despise the mere chance of Tony Blair or maybe later Berlusconi speaking for all of Europe. Yuck! Plus this President will be elected by other politicians – and not by us mere mortal (Europeans).

I would rather have some real monarch getting a ceremonial job to bring the people of Europe together (I hereby nominate Price Charles for the job, because he will never be King, but he is extremely wacky and therefore well suited for the job). But another super-politician on top other head of states is usually a bad idea.

More politicians just breed more politics, but not solutions. Doesn’t matter if it’s the EU or any other place in the world.

The Serbs have not the best reputation in Europe. The bloody deeds during the wars after the fall of Yugoslavia will be forever remembered. After NATO bombed them into submission – way too late in my personal opinion – it seemed liked the Serbs are willing to break with the past and join all the other smaller Nation as part of the European Community.

But recent protests and the reemerging ugly face of Serbian nationalism makes this very doubtful. They rather join Russia instead of the EU. And I am not sure if the EU really wants them to join anyway. At the moment the EU is pretty pissed …