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AGRICULTURE MINISTER SIMON Coveney will be attending the infamous and highly-secretive Bilderberg Group summit which gets under way tomorrow.
Coveney was invited a number of weeks ago, is attending in a “private capacity” and covering his own expenses, according to a spokesperson for the minister.
A total of around 140 participants, including political leaders and experts from industry, finance, academia and the media from 22 countries, have confirmed their attendance.
The summit taking place from tomorrow until Sunday in the Danish capital of Copenhagen. Meetings of the group have been held every almost every year since 1954.
The original summit, at the Hotel Bilderderberg in the Netherlands, was organised with the stated aim of fostering closer economic and political ties between the US and Europe.
Topics for discussion this year include whether the economic recovery is sustainable, whether privacy exists, China’s new political and economic outlook, the situation in Ukraine, ‘current events’, and ‘the future of democracy and the middle class trap’.
The secretive nature of the Bilderberg meetings – and the elite nature of the guest list – means they’ve long been the subject of criticism with accusations that the organisation is a mostly white, mostly male networking opportunity. Right-wing critics have accused it of attempting to promote a world government.
Another Irish citizen attending is former Attorney General Peter Sutherland, who is the chairman of Goldman Sachs.
Other notable attendees include UK chancellor George Osborne, former CIA chief David Petraeus, the European Commissioner for Justice Viviane Redding, and Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Coveney’s attendance is the first by an Irish government since Michael Noonan, the Minister for Finance, attended the conference in 2012. He did not participate in last year’s event.
A press release announcing the 62nd meeting on the Bilderberg website states: “Thanks to the private nature of the conference, the participants are not bound by the conventions of their office or by pre-agreed positions. As such, they can take time to listen, reflect and gather insights.
“There is no desired outcome, no resolutions are proposed, no votes are taken, and no policy statements are issued.”
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Larry is very right here…
Look at Obama’s speech in Georgia last night. He was brilliant, he took on the economy and showed that GOP have no plan except tax cuts for mainly the rich. As he said if an asteroid was approaching plant Earth the GOP plan would be tax cuts.
The GOP should have been asked what there plans are except attacking Democrats. They have very little. This is the problem, Democrats hide when they need to attack. Show the Trump Oil supply cut and consequences of his actions.
Show that in reality That a Police force is a socialist program which GOP have cut In numerous areas, better police means paying for it.
European countries have police at a degree level of training while in US it can take 13 weeks and they give you a gun in a country with extremely weak gun laws.
@Cowboy Ted: Actually in many parts of the US, law enforcement officers have to supply or buy their own firearm for official use. You have to buy your own gun.
America is doomed. Imagine bringing in representatives of trump’s party and ignoring the fact that the world is on fire or underwater. Blaming Biden for the petrol price is plain dumb. I despair. Not sure if I’m more anxious about the US or Brazil…
Bigotry, ignorance and religious fanaticism will determine the outcome
Sorry Harry, it’s abortion and January 6, that will determine the election… or probably Nancy Pelosi’s husband (paul),getting attacked.
@james s: : ‘it’s the economy, stup1d’
have your say