Vocal Voices

Martin Shulz, the head of the European Parliament, is stepping down to take a place in the German Government.

An interesting move at an interesting time! I do wonder if it was always planned that way or if the ripples of Brexit are already gaining casualties.

One has to wonder whether Brexit is the underwater earthquake which causes the tsunami? The earthquake goes unnoticed except by the seismometers, then the pulse of water goes past as a fast moving small wave, sometimes only 6" high which just rocks boats.

Then the fast moving, huge, body of water pushed by the underwater landslides, triggered by the earthquake, meets the rapidly shallowing sea bed as it comes into shore. Then it builds and builds and builds and the wave washes over everything before it. Taking the weak and insecure with it.

Personally I believe that there is too much invested in the EU and the Euro (especially from Asia), for the wave to do too much structural harm. But I might be wrong. Sometimes the most impressive foundations sit on the most unstable soil. The EU has been guilty of building massive edifices on quicksand.

Living in interesting times. Not always such a bad thing. Well until the axe falls....

My first though was that he has seen an opportunity for real power.

Angela Merkel has said that she will stand again even though she is now the most unpopular German leader and voters are fleeing in their droves from the CSU and CDU. Many are going to the AfD, which could leave an opening for Shultz's SPD to form a strong alliance of the left.

I also think that his leaving the EU will have little effect, on its own. What probably will have an effect, an enormous effect, is the road Germany takes post the election.

Yes, interesting times.