JUNCKER POLICY
Mirosław Piotrowski
He was to meet with a chairperson, so, they were waiting for the news impatiently. And what, and what? – they were asking when he entered a aula. – In two or three words? - he asked, clearly pulling a strong their patience. – In two – they said – quickly! – It’s good – he answered phlegmatically. Ugh… - most of them sighed with a relief. Suddenlyl one inquisitive of them asked shyly: - And in three words? – It’s not good! – he answered without blinking.
It was similar with the last speech of the chief of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, who gave a speech in Strasburg about the state of the European Union. – What will he say? what will he say? – they were asking. – It is not known yet, he is still getting prepared! – others were excited. But when he came to us and began to speak about the first world war, and he even went back to the year 1913, one of MPs noted with disappointment: - He might still be at Verdun! Others were waiting in suspense. Finally Juncker began to speak how good it is in the European Union. An investment plan called his name, failed. Over 300 milliard euro spent by the European Commission made markets to act. 12 million workplaces appeared. – It is more than the population of whole Belgium! – Juncker boasted. – We want to reach up to stars – he was going on. Thanks to our program ‘Galileo’ Europe is aiming at the space. Well, in the future and what about now? Problems. He was expressing his regret because of the forthcoming leaving the European Union by the Great Britain (in fact privately Juncker admits that brexit is his worst personal failure), migration troubles, enormous unemployment among young people and a growing wave of the nationalists in Europe. Even the euro currency, which has existed for 20 years, has problems. Juncker, somehow very sad, said that, unfortunately, European airplanes are bought not for euro, but dollars. I think the American ones. So, how is it? Is it good or not? In the end the chairperson of the European Commission said in two words that he ‘loves Europe’ and added that ‘he would always love it’. Well, a kind of Juncker policy.
Translated by Aneta Amrozik
Niedziela 38/2018 (23 IX 2018)