financeguy
ONE love, blood, life
Christian Pauls was reported to have told an audience gathered for the official launch of a partnership between Tralee and the Frankfurt- Höchst Schlossfest that Ireland would “throw away its future” if it voted No in a second referendum on the treaty.
Ireland could not have an a la carte approach to Europe and simply pick and choose what it liked, he said, according to local media reports of the event which took place on Monday.
The ambassador was also said to have noted that rural regions such as Kerry returned a much higher No vote than urban areas in last year’s referendum.
He reportedly made pointed references to those who “complain about other nations fishing in their waters. . . and forget who pays their milk subsidies”.
Informed of the reports yesterday, Mr Pauls told The Irish Times that while he could not recall using “those exact words”, he admitted that he had said “something along those lines” at the event.
The ambassador rejected suggestions his remarks could be considered undiplomatic. “They are not. I am simply conveying what my government thinks. That is my job.”
Ok, we get it, you can vote any way you wish provided you vote the way we tell you.
I used to have a lot of time for Germany, but I have seen some worrying things being done and said by members of its political establishment of late. Things that might almost cause me to suspect Nick Ridley had a point with his infamous interview all those years ago. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Ridley_(politician)#Trivia_and_memorable_quotations )