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GERMANY’S ANGELA MERKEL said the rise of populist parties in European Parliament elections was “remarkable and regrettable” and the answer was to push European competitiveness, jobs and growth.
After her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) won the German vote, the chancellor praised the “solid result” of the conservatives in her country and Europe-wide.
However, she shied away from saying that the conservatives’ top candidate Jean-Claude Juncker of Luxembourg should automatically be the next European Commission president to succeed Jose Manuel Barroso.
With neither the conservative European People’s Party nor the Socialists having won a clear majority of 376 seats, she said “there must be talks” on who fills the post of European Commission president.
She said European Council President Herman Van Rompuy would now lead talks with faction leaders of the European Parliament – a body which has demanded a greater say on who fills the top post.
The talks would deal both with who should take the EU’s top executive post and with issues such as how to fight “unemployment, the question of how we can become competitive and how we can create growth,” Merkel said.
On the rise of populist and eurosceptic parties, including of the far-right National Front in France, she said “it’s quite remarkable and regrettable, but now the point is to win those voters back”.
That’s also true for France, and I think that a policy that aims at competitiveness, growth and jobs is the best answer to the disappointment of those who voted in a way that we don’t like.
She urged a course in European politics that “reaches the people. They are not interested in questions such as ‘treaty change, yes or no?’ but in the question of how Europe affects them and their lives.”
And with unemployment as high as the current level, with such a situation in some countries, this means that there is insufficient trust, and that has to get better in the next five years.
She said “France is indeed on a remarkable reform path, and I think this has put it on track in order for France to have more success and growth.”
On the German result, she said, “We are pleased that the (Christian Democratic) Union was the strongest force, with a significant margin over the Social Democrats, and that we could make a contribution to the European People’s Party being the strongest faction.”
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Oh aye? What you gonna do about it Taoiseach???
@Greachán Ó Ceallaigh: silly comment
@Greachán Ó Ceallaigh: he’s going to do SFA, just like all the other issues on his own doorstep don’t mind talking about a seperate jurisdiction.
Another soundbite by the transparent Taoiseach, he’s never been interested or has he ever done anything to help the people of the north ( don’t get me started on the sleaze Leo ) just another empty gestures. Insipid Coalition politicking….
@Epgenetics29 Declan Christy: what should he do?? Send in the tanks?? At least the republicans and loyalists can agree on one thing, they both hate Leo and Simon Coveney.
@Andrew Dillon: major issue is we don’t have any tanks
Drawing a false equivalency and playing the “both sides” angle.
The DUP are refusing to form an executive. This is on the DUP, and that’s it. The DUP want Westminster to rule if they can’t hold the majority, and that needs to be called out.
@Donnie Brasco: what I took from what he said, there was no both sides angle. DUP blocking NI executive. No one under any illusions otherwise.
“It is to the detriment of the people of Northern Ireland that their Executive is not in place to take the decisions and provide the leadership that the North needs.”
We have a government here in the south and they won’t make any decisions to help the people dealing with the number of crises we are experiencing.
Focus on the Republic Mick and cut out your nonsense.
Let’s concentrate on our own problems within our counties first
The housing disaster is his failure. As is the health system
Simple answer,, Stop there pay packets, and see how quick they get together
They don’t listen to each other. Why listen to him?
@Mary Nugent: Perhaps they never will…
No whats unexceptable is your weak governance of this country. Watching us be ripped off at every turn. Only to hear your shallow condemnation of issues with absolutely no action
Why do people in NI put up with the sheer lack of performance by their politicians including Sinn Feinn. Wake up and make it happen.
@Appaddy: the same way we put up with the shower we have. For one, the Northern ministers can’t claim travel expenses seeing they don’t go to work. Not like the clowns we have who show up for work and charge the tax payer a fortune for same, but like the crowd up North they do nothing. This is typical Mehole try sorting out something he can’t but don’t dare sort out the problems he can
This should be called the Sinn Fein Journal judging by comments
The only thing I can think of when I hear and see this person is.
What is the difference between Humans and Animals.
Animals would never have the weakest in charge of the pack
Definition of unacceptable. Too bad to be accepted, approved of, or allowed to continue:
So how do you propose to stop it continuing?
It wouldn’t be FF if they didn’t get a diģ in against SF, Mr Martin hope you don’t mind me calling you Mr Martin, you didn’t earn the title to be called other than your name. SF pulling out was nothing compared to the DUP, SF pulled out because the DUP made a mess of the money for heat, or something like that. the DUP are just being childish because SF did better.Now what are you going to do about the DUP don’t forget you have a part to play and don’t be leaving it all for SF to sort out, you will be left in the back room.
Pfft they are simply mirroring Sinn Fein when they were having a strop & they were blaming the DUP back then too they can’t win either way so guess they don’t care what Mr Martin has to say & back there the last time there was uproar at the suggestion that they cut their salaries off.
Soon the new PM will call for fresh elections in the North and if the DUP gets the highest number of seats then the Executive can get back up and running..
It’s that simple..
More tripe from Fine Fail. The GFA allowed for this by allowing the mechanism DUP are using which is the same one SF used before. Just like everyone said back then, stop paying these idi0 ts and they’ll do what they’re supposed to.
have your say