Western European News Digest

LaRouche in Rome: 'We are in a Worldwide Revolutionary Situation'

June 19 (EIRNS)— Lyndon H. LaRouche, Jr., his wife Helga Zepp-LaRouche, and Italian Sen. Lidia Menapace gave a press conference in Rome on June 18 to discuss the results of the recent FAO (UN Food and Agriculture Organization) summit and the Schiller Institute's worldwide campaign to double food production, shut down the WTO, and end speculation. Several press representatives attended, including Egyptian TV and Italian Radio Radicale, which taped the entire press conference and posted it on its website.

LaRouche's introduction focussed on the present world financial disintegration, and how it will affect the U.S. presidential campaign; Zepp-LaRouche stressed the food campaign, the stalemate over free-trade at the FAO conference, and the victory against the Lisbon Treaty in Ireland. Senator Menapace endorsed LaRouche's call to shut down the WTO (World Trade Organization), emphasizing that the growing threat of famine around the world is the result of a "Malthusian policy," and an unholy alliance between the WTO and the mafia.

The next day, LaRouche was the featured guest speaker at an event commemorating the 30th anniversary of the kidnapping and murder of Italian statesman Aldo Moro. (The July 4 issue of EIR will carry a full report on the LaRouches' visit to Rome).

Tremonti Wants To Tax the Oil Industry

June 19 (EIRNS)—Italy's Finance Minister Giulio Tremonti again stirred up the world of finance and business, with his announcement June 18, that even if the G-8 would not take up his proposal for concerted international action against oil price speculation, Italy would take national action in the form of a tax on oil firms, to yield an additional tax income of about Eu3 billion/year. This will allow the government to intervene against the effects of the oil price rise on the Italian economy and its citizens, a ministry spokesman told the press June 1, according to the Financial Times. The media call it a "Robin Hood tax."

Behind the 'No' Vote: Growing Poverty in Ireland

June 16 (EIRNS)—The reality of the harsh economic conditions suffered by the lower 80% of Irish family-income brackets, a strong majority of whom voted "No" to the Lisbon Treaty on June 12, was revealed in an Irish Times report that over a third of the Irish population have difficulty paying their bills. The underlying dynamic in evidence in Ireland is similar to the strong support Hillary Clinton gained from working-class voters in the Democratic primaries in the U.S., leading one insightful commentator to note that the vote in Ireland amounted to another primary won by Clinton.

The survey involved interviews with just over 1,500 people, between November 2007 and February 2008.

Irish Vote Remoralizes EU Labor Movement

June 17 (EIRNS)—The Irish "No" to Lisbon has, within a few days, lit a new mass strike ferment across Europe. That is demonstrated by the presence of Irish labor leaders at an international railway workers conference, organized by the British railway workers union RMT, in London today. And in France today, more than a million French labor unionists have taken to the streets in protest against the government's budget-cutting policies. That day of national action was preceded June 16 by truckers driving at low speed (Operation Escargot/Operation Snail) to create congestion in and around 30 French cities. They were joined by ambulance and taxi drivers.

Further, Spanish truckers attempted to impose a blockade of Madrid on June 16, until police intervened to stop it. In Britain, several dozen tanker drivers were suspended by Scottish Fuels, in retaliation for their taking part in protest and blockade actions last week. Meanwhile, in northern Germany, metalworkers began warning strikes.

Britain Posthumously Ratifies Dead Lisbon Treaty

June 18 (EIRNS)—In an act of utter rage and futility, the British House of Lords—under pressure from Prime Minister Gordon Brown—voted today to ratify the Lisbon Treaty. This, despite the fact that the Irish resoundingly defeated the Treaty in a referendum five days earlier, rendering it dead on arrival, since ratification requires the approval of all 27 EU members.

Conservative leader David Cameron said the Irish vote leaves the Treaty "dead." He charged that U.K. ratification would imply that Brown wants the Irish to vote again. "It would be ridiculous to allow the Irish to vote twice and not allow the British to vote once. I have seen more spine and leadership from bunch of jellyfish," he said, in reference to the Lords' vote.

Plans To Militarize the European Union

June 13 (EIRNS)—The militarization of the EU, the next round of which will come during the French half-year chairmanship beginning July 1, also has a complementary aspect in Germany, where, in Berlin yesterday, the Grand Coalition government passed a mandate for a survey to be conducted on how the Navy can be deployed for combat missions against "pirates," in order to protect German sea trade. For that to be possible, the German constitution ought to be changed, but leaks have it that the government is thinking of ways of doing it without such a change. Not reported, but implied: If the German Navy starts global deployments of this type, it needs new types of speedy vessels with high firepower, and more vessels.

German Milk Producers May Resume Strike

June 16 (EIRNS)—German milk producers may resume their strike over the milk industry's refusal to keep promises made 10 days ago, which ended the first strike wave, and over the attempts by some in the milk industry to further lower payments to the producers. The trigger for the resumed strike could be a failure of the July 1 talks on the price paid to farmers for milk that is turned into butter. Warning strikes may be called before then, perhaps as soon as this week.

The leading national milk producers association BDM noted increased combat readiness among farmers, built during the first round of nationwide strikes, protests, and blockade actions. The Dairy Farmers Association issued a statement June 13 welcoming the cross-border solidarity among farmers in Europe against the milk industry's attempts to break the strike. Europe has changed, the BDM said, it is different now after that strike wave, and farmers will simply have to be listened to more in the future.

Sarkozy Invites Assad for National Day Celebrations

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has invited Syrian President Bashar Assad to attend France's July 14 national day celebrations. Sarkozy had already invited Assad and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to attend a summit in Paris on July 13, where Sarkozy hopes to launch his Mediterranean Union.

In response to criticism from leftist opposition parties to the visit, Prime Minister François Fillon said that, "Syria has fulfilled its obligations regarding the conflict in Lebanon, and therefore there was no reason to continue shunning Assad, adding that, "It is imperative that all the Middle Eastern countries sit at the table together."

Syria's Culture Minister Riad Nassan Agha is in Paris today, and is the first Syrian minister to visit France in three years.

French Military Officers Refuse To Sing the 'Marseillaise'

PARIS, June 18 (EIRNS)—When French President Nicolas Sarkozy concluded his speech about his new defense plans, including France's return to NATO's integrated command, he called upon the room to sing with him, the French national anthem, "La Marseillaise." According to Libération, the uniformed officers standing in the room didn't respond, and the expected large chorus finished in murmuring, leaving parliamentarians and ministers dominating the singing. An officer ironically commented: Great speech, but, clearly, the president does not understand us!

How could it be otherwise? Sarkozy announced 54,000 layoffs (16% of all army personnel), to free up funds to modernize equipment.