[I would definitely agree with this. America as the "leader" of the Western world is a big STUFF UP. Personally, I wish Germany or Germany and France and other Europeans would lead the Western world. But the "Atlantic Alliance" – that's just another term for the Anglo-American-Jewish shit show that's totally destroying the Western World currently. Honestly, EUROPE must lead the West. That was much better. We Whites in Africa found that our ONLY FRIENDS were a number of European nations. They were the only ones who gave a damn about us I tell you. America is a fckup as the leader of the West. Britain … Well, Britain is the biggest cockup nation in the Western world bar none. It's got to do with the Jewish Rothschilds and that half-Jewish Royal Family and the heavily Jewish infiltrated British elite. Huge chunks of the "Lords" of Britain are actually Jews. Jewish owned and controlled Britain and America have fcked it up for Whites. I seriously miss Hitler. Jan]

‘European politics is not made by Europe,’ says Romano Prodi

By Euronews Brussels bureau

“One has to say European politics is not made by Europe. It is decided elsewhere by others.”

But who are these others? For Romano Prodi, a two-time Italian Prime Minister and one-term President of the European Commission, the continent’s fate is slipping through its own fingers.

“There is a loyalty to the Atlantic Alliance which has united European countries from the beginning. And then, there is also a fidelity that is necessary and useful, but passive,” Prodi tells Euronews in a wide-ranging interview.

“Even NATO needs a European army. It’s the reason why we complained about not being warned about the withdrawal from Afghanistan. An alliance doesn’t exist where an ally is not warned.”

During his tenure at the top of the Commission, Prodi oversaw a drastic reform of the EU’s power structure, including the entrance of 10 new member states, the strengthening of the European Parliament and the introduction of the single currency.

The euro “got off to a great start. But then, due to several crises, because of certain decisions, things turned sour and the euro lost some of its shine,” Prodi remembers.

“I believe that the need for the euro is still very strong and today it is one of the most important global currencies, even if it is not on a par with the dollar, as we might have hoped. But it is certainly not a minor player.”

Despite successive treaty changes that profoundly altered the balance between Brussels and the capitals, Prodi still resents the dysfunctionality that frequently impairs common action.

“I have always considered unanimity to be very bad,” he says, referring to the requirement that applies to key issues such as foreing policy, citizenship, taxation and common finances. In these sensitive fields, the bloc needs a “yes” from all the 27 member states. One single “no” is sufficient to derail the whole legislative train.

“You cannot govern in this way. It’s intolerable not having a proper foreign policy, to have Turkey and Russia in charge of Libya, to not know what decisions to take because we must decide everything unanimously, ever since the war in Iraq,” he notes.

“I am certain some European countries understand that. Germany, France, Italy and Spain would be able to form the first group, to finally move things forward in European politics.”

The former Commission chief knows the pains that come with unanimity all too well: a failed referendum in Ireland almost threw the Amsterdam Treaty out of the window.

But this episode, now mostly forgotten, has been dwarfed by the bigger, and more bitter, clashes in recent years, such as the fight over austerity policies, debt relief, migration management, climate change and, most controversially, the rule of law, a value enshrined in the EU treaties that has come under attack.

“There is a clash over the fundamental rules of the European Union, but I am strongly convinced Poland and Hungary will understand what they are doing is wrong,” Prodi says.

“There is a progressive consciousness. Democracy is about having patience, democracy is patience, and I can see the situation changing in these countries, so I am optimistic.”

Many don’t share the professor’s optimism and instead believe the actions from Warsaw and Budapest represent a break-or-make moment in the bloc’s history, an existential challenge that threatens the viability of European integration.

Prodi prefers to avoid calamitous predictions and has faith in Europe’s ability to learn from past mistakes and grow stronger through crises.

“Europe has gone through terrible times: the tragedy of the wars, the tension between two terrible world wars. It was only until great statesmen realised history had to change,” he muses.

“European history is sometimes messed up, but it is also exciting.”