Mr. Henkel compared the campaign to the Battle of Britain.

He said: “This reminded me of the Battle of Britain, but I think this campaign is the battle for Britain.”

The drive is part of a Europe-wide effort to persuade Brussels to offer a new deal and for UK politicians to reverse the 2016 referendum result in a way that allows MPs to “save face”.

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A campaign designed to thwart Brexit was launched by German economists today

With a new deal for Britain, the British Government would not only have the face-saving opportunity to call Brexit off, it could also credibly assert that with such a deal Britain got what it always wanted: more autonomy over immigration

Statement from campaigners

The trio cites European Parliament President Donald Tusk’s claim last month that there is a possibility of “no Brexit”.

In a statement, the campaigners said: “With a new deal for Britain, the British Government would not only have the face-saving opportunity to call Brexit off, but it could also credibly assert that with such a deal Britain got what it always wanted: more autonomy over immigration.”

They added there are “plenty of examples” of referendums on European issues that were “overturned once the circumstances changed”.

The economists claimed the “reality” of Brexit is finally coming true, which they said is a “lose-lose” situation.

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Henreich Weiss said the European Union is moving towards a ‘United States of Europe‘

Mr. Rogowski said: “Even if an agreement is reached and an extended transitional period is granted, Brexit is bound to become a lose-lose situation.

“Therefore, rather than focusing only on Brexit negotiations, we should make every effort to avert it.”

The economists said Brexit will also be detrimental to member states because the bloc will lose a “pragmatic voice to counter the increasing pressure to centralize, socialize and harmonize” the European Union.

Mr. Weiss said the is moving towards a “United States of Europe”, but it is not the right time for ever-closer union.

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Michael Rogowski said Brexit is bound to become a lose-lose situation

Referring to EU officials, he added: “The official voices of the Industry Association are too ideological, it is not the right time to go towards a more unified state.

“The Euro created more conflicts, member states want autonomy over their finances and the single currency just creates more pressure.”

The economists also blame Brussels for violating the principles of self-responsibility and competitiveness of the Lisbon Treaty.

They claimed the EU‘s refusal to offer flexibility to allow Britain to control immigration in the UK is one of the factors which led to the EU referendum.

Nations putting the EU in danger

Mon, October 23, 2017

Euroscepticism is rising across the continent

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Austria: The hard-Right Freedom Party (FPO) has previously been accused of xenophobia and racism

But they also said the Brexit campaign failed to communicate the “true impact” Britain‘s divorce from Brussels would have on the economy, while the Remain campaign did not communicate the advantages of being part of the EU, “especially the common market and research programmes”.

They compared the impact of Brexit to a train wreck and that a transitional deal will only delay a “tragedy”.

Mr. Henkel said: “We feel obliged to stop two high-speed trains running towards each other on the same railroad track and appeal to all responsible politicians, business people, and citizens. Help us avoid a tragedy of historic dimensions.”

There is also concern that Germany will have to pay more into the European Union budget to make up for the shortfall caused by the UK’s departure.

But, although they asserted Brexit will be a disaster, they did not explicitly say what the economic implications will be – only that business leaders “agree” with their position.

The campaign focuses more on giving the UK autonomy over its borders to control immigration, while economists said there is a new shift in policy across Europe which is moving towards tighter border control.

They said if Brussels gave Britain more control, the UK will be persuaded to remain in the EU.

The campaign also fails to address other aspects of EU membership which the referendum was fought on, such as democracy.

When asked about how the new deal for the UK would address the democratic deficit within the EU, Mr. Henkel said: “Look, I have been in this debate from the very beginning. I’m very much in favor of Britain remaining in the EU, but I was very outspoken in making sure that politicians accept the vote of the British people.

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Hans-Olaf Henkel compared the campaign to the Battle of Britain

“I have defended the British position in the European Parliament. So, I think we have a good record to ensure that first and foremost the wish of the voters is respected.

“The real impact of Brexit is becoming visible to the British population only now and so why then should not British politicians say, ‘Wait a minute, the situation is not as it was then’. Maybe that is the most important aspect.”

He added that at the time of the referendum, it was only Britain who was asking for tighter border controls, but now other countries such as Denmark and Holland are too.

He continued: “Even the moral champion of the world Sweden closed its borders to refugees. Let me remind you that the German refugee policy has totally changed.”

Source: https://stockdailydish.com/exit-from-brexit-german-plot-to-stop-lose-lose-divorce-keep-uk-in-eu-with-new-deal/

The post ‘Exit from Brexit‘: German plot to STOP ‘lose-lose‘ divorce & keep UK in EU with new deal first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

In an interview with ultra-conservative U.S. news website Breitbart, President Trump’s ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, heavily criticized Berlin’s defense spending, saying Germany is losing credibility. The U.S. envoy in Berlin also tasked himself with “empowering” the European right.

Grenell had already riled officials in the Bundestag (German parliament), despite only formally assuming the ambassadorship last month, by urging German companies doing in business in Iran to leave the country after Trump announced plans to withdraw the U.S. from the Iranian nuclear pact.

His remarks to Breitbart could make for an even more isolated figure in the German capital.

No ‘credible threat of military action’

Addressing Germany’s military expenditure, an often referred to gripe within the Trump administration, Grenell said:

• “(German officials) know you must have a credible threat of military action behind you if you’re going to be successful in diplomacy,” Grenell said. “That’s one thing that’s missing from the German diplomatic conversation — they right now don’t have behind them a credible threat of military action.”
• He says insufficient military spending has hampered the Bundeswehr’s capacity to respond when needed. “German military officials know that the readiness issue is a serious problem, there are no working submarines, for example; they don’t have a military that is currently ready.”
• NATO allies could force Germany’s hand by publicly shaming it.
• A change in culture inside NATO was necessary for the body to remain relevant.
• NATO members should be pushed to support their allies in a military intervention. “The US should not longer come to accept any excuses for not taking part in military intervention,” he said.

Based on growth predictions, Germany is set to spend just over 1% of GDP on defense in the next four years, well short of the 2% mark agreed on by NATO allies during the 2014 summit in Wales.

Germany’s military also faces several points of crisis. Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen has decried the army’s aged equipment. Meanwhile, last year, the Bundeswehr (German armed forces) also uncovered widespread right-wing extremism in several units.

Migration remains Berlin’s key issue

On Germany’s migration policy, which continues to dominate the political debate, Grenell said:

• The next big crucial issue facing German politics is migrant family reunification, commonly referred to in the U.S. as chain migration.
• “What does that mean now? Who else gets to come in, and are we checking them? These are challenges for Germany,” Grenell said.
• The U.S. envoy did praise Germany’s intelligence services for their role in cracking down on migrants seeking to settle in Germany under false pretenses.
•  “We want to make sure we work with all of the different politicians here in Germany who are concerned about migration, the chain-migration issue, working with the proper intelligence and law enforcement officials so we know exactly who is here under false pretenses,” he said.

‘Empowering’ Europe’s conservatives

Grenell said he was excited by the rising wave of conservatism within Europe, adding that he saw his task as “empowering” Europe’s right-wing governments and budding leaders. He told Breitbart:

• “There are a lot of conservatives throughout Europe who have contacted me to say they are feeling there is a resurgence going on,” adding that the groundswell in conservative support could be tracked back to the “failed policies of the left.”
• Candidates able to articulate “consistent conservative” stances on migration, taxes and cutting red tape would continue to enjoy strong support from the so-called “silent majority.”
• Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz was among his favorite European leaders. Grenell described the 31-year-old head of state as a “rock star.”
• Kurz’s Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) this year formed a governing coalition with the right-wing populist Freedom Party (FPÖ). Austria’s young government remains one of the loudest voices in Europe for securing the bloc’s external border.

This article originally appeared on DW.com. Its content was created separately to USA TODAY.

Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/06/04/richard-grenell-u-s-ambassador-germany-wants-empower-right/668349002/ 

The post U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell wants to ’empower’ Europe’s right first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.