Last Updated on Thursday, 7 March, 2024 at 12:50 pm by Andre Camilleri
Recently, we had to assist to the ingenuine narrative of the major exponents of the European People’s Party, who have been calling to increase the EU defence spending. However, we need to be careful here on what type of spending. What they are proposing is not defence spending that comes out of the EU budget. There are no two ways about it. The EU Budget cannot finance lethal weapons. The Lisbon Treaty is clear. Please do read it, as it is becoming annoying to outline it over and over again. What they are calling for is obviously an expansion in defence spending through bilateral contributions, which have to be forked out of the public coffers, obviously European taxpayers’ money.
When NATO was created, the idea was mainly to keep the Americans in, the USSR out and Germans down. Hitherto, I kept my diplomatic narrative. However, I will make an exception. Well, even the European Parliament’s President made an exception when she sat on a sofa calling everyone hypocrite and dangerous. Sincerely, I think diplomacy does not work with the EPP’s members. Ursula von der Leyen, Manfred Weber, Roberta Metsola and all those involved must reply to all the questions, which are indeed attached to their past statements. You can find them online. Are you in favour of nuclear weapons? It is a simple yes or no. I can tell you that I am against. Alas, I do not recognise the EU anymore. This is a travesty of the EU’s inception and its raison d’etre. It is indeed risible to follow you all.
Ursula von der Leyen is German and so is Manfred Weber. Do not get impressed with their narrative of democracy. It is all smokescreens. Do read them carefully and study their body language. It gives me shivers down my spine. The way they operate is not democratic at all, especially when you follow their past track record on doing what it takes to control the system. Ursula von der Leyen, just like her peers, went seriously loopy. Her place is not in the EU anymore. The way they are positioning themselves, is exactly how Germans positioned themselves in the 1930s. The narrative is actually dangerous. Seriously dangerous. Personally, I think they are all politically ruthless and Machiavellian. They will do what it takes to safeguard their political career and their seat, at the expense of the EU’s credibility in the diplomatic sphere. The EU lost its diplomatic leverage since Ursula von der Leyen’s appointment. Indeed, the President of the EU Commission, and the rest of them must be booted out of the EU as quickly as possible. The damage that they inflicted on the EU will take decades to repair.
Ironically, someone who was in Malta this week, showed me two documents which were actually the basis of negotiations with Vladimir Putin. These documents entailed and outlined the elements of the security guarantees that were being negotiated, way before the war erupted. It is appalling to have abandoned the negotiations and scrapped such documents. We would have avoided a war, and all the economic hardships that Europeans had to go through in the past two years, along with the lives lost in Ukraine. The way Ursula von der Leyen, Manfred Weber and all their German associates are operating within the structures of the EU is reminiscent of Germany’s political climate in the 1930s.
Those, who like me had the opportunity to serve in the Political and Security Committee, are understanding quite well the inflated narrative of arming. It has become an arms race. Frankly, it is a dangerous narrative, akin to what was being pushed for in the 1930s in Germany, before the second World War. Just read the narrative pushed for at that time and conclude yourself what they are up to.
Well, in the end, Germans benefitted from the Marshall Aid’s recovery after the second world war. Malta did not benefit anything. Au contraire, the Germans, along with their Axis supporters, showered Malta with bombs. My city’s front was heavily bombed which swept all the lovely baroque houses. My great-grandfather lost his life when a vessel was blown up in the port area. And to this very day, if you decided to roam the streets of Bormla, you can still find the marks of splinters on our bastions. It is saddening to assist to such a narrative and mockery of the EU’s own foundations. Keep your eyes wide open to what is being proposed by the EPP. The Germans must be kept down. We do not afford to have them armed to their teeth. You can feel the 1930s nostalgia when they speak. It is actually chilling. Someone had to give Ursula von der Leyen, David McAllister, and Manfred Weber, all Germans and EPP members, a reality check. Now, how about the Leader of the Opposition? Does he agree to create a nuclear umbrella or whatever it is being called? Hitherto, nobody replied to my questions.
While on the topic of defence, this week I sat for a debate with Albert Gauci Cunningham and an opponent from the Nationalist Party, who is also running for MEP elections. The programme will be aired on Saturday morning on the radio, and then on TMVNews+ on Sunday. The discussion revolved mostly around defence. We had a fiery debate because the candidate from the opposing party was replying incongruently. At some point, he was lost for words, especially when I asked him about the nuclear proliferation. I never got a clear reply, albeit my understanding was that he agreed on the nuclear expansion as a deterrent. However, he never explained how we are going to finance it, and which essential services we must forgo to finance nuclear weapons. It is obvious. EU rules are clear on the governance of the euro. Deficit and debt to GDP ratio must be in control. If Member States increase defence spending it must be balanced from other areas to avoid breaking EU rules and keep aligned with such ratios. They have no clue what they are talking about.
Indeed, I urge you to watch the programme on Sunday.
