Barry, I agree. Being from Germany originally, coming to Ireland 21 years ago, I can say the issue in Germany is the lack of willingness to integrate by some people. I had to integrate here too. You cannot go to a different country to live there and expect the whole country change because of you

Missing the point, a bit.

The issue of foreign nationals integrating or not integrating is a seperate issue to whether the religion of Islam ‘belongs’ in a given country. To imply that all Muslims are foreign is simply incorrect, and could potentially point to an underlying prejudice which would be harmful if if influenced policymaking.

If the comment made was a well considered crtique of foreign nationals integrating or not integrating into Germany, or a discussion on qualifications for nationality, that would be different. But, Islam has been a religion in Europe for hundreds of years – a sweeping, catch all statement, ignoring the (I’m sure numerous) German Muslims is hardly helpful.

Sounds like a statement from the Australian Premier

I think you’re missing the point too. I didn’t say all Muslims in Germany were foreigners. I said those who are, need to integrate – not give up their religion

Sure Gis, I just took it as an opportunity for a rant really. But I do think that the Germany that set about knitting Europe together was a different Germany. This Germany is more belligerent and less tolerant, internally and externally.
Merkel is strongly inclined towards punitive action against those she deems as spendthrift.
The EU now seems bent entirely towards Germany’s will. Merkel demanding the reins of a future common taxation policy in return for continued financial support – without EU voter agreement – was quite a moment.
I think Germany is going weird. The EU no longer sounds or feels like a common endeavour. These days all you can hear from a distance is an angry Germany slamming its hand on the table.
Enda Kenny isn’t really going to talk to EU partners, he’s looking for mercy from Merkel and he’s not going to get it.

Yeah, as long as Germany had open pockets and paid for everything to get compromises in th EU, we were good Europeans, but now, when we for the first time look also on our own interests (as all the other countries always have done), we are the bad ones again…the ugly nazis…yawn

pure hypocrisy…

max – there is a basic question of what and who the EU is for – German banks participated wildly in the financial scenario a few Irish financial tits produced.
The issue arising is the debts outstanding from what took place – the landesbanks, for instance, are near broken but completely covered by the core and never mentioned.
What is becoming apparent is that the EU exists as a central power play – it is not a federation of states. The interest policy 2000-2010 directly favoured the strong central powers, that it overheated the periphery was of no concern. The scale of the insane, state GDP dwarfing, profit making, bank to bank loan transfers driven by german/french financial institutions – has never come into question.

Also- it was not deutschmarks alone that paid for Irish development – a sum we are still bound to repay – *and* that total sum, in the billion teens, we have now bled out more than from out own pension reserve fund: to pay back the german banks who operated so recklessly at no ultimate cost to themselves.

I’ll say it again: I’m not sure exactly what the EU is at this point, we barely hear from the commission, the parliament is a silent voice; all it seems to be is Merkel’s Germany screaming at everyone for their stupidity.

As the man says – “if Germany chooses not to care about the European stage, there isn’t a European stage.”