The gloves are coming off with the UK government being accused of ‘fantasy, illusion and living in a parallel universe’ as Theresa May’s negotiating demands for Brexit are laid out. And the EU coming back, with a rapidity rarely seen, to indicate flatly that a divorce bill must be paid, EU citizens’ rights secured and the Ireland question settled, before any trade deals are discussed.
Right on cue to dispel any illusions about the EU’s murky tactics, former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis has published his book: ‘Adults In The Room, My Battle With Europe’s Deep Establishment’. [URLs below] The dirty deals that pushed Greece into a decade of depression with unemployment running now at 45%, but saved the German and French banks, appears to have been firmly controlled by Merkel. The Telegraph reviews says: ‘What happened in Greece over those strange days in July 2015 raises disturbing questions about the character of Europe’s monetary union. One might conclude that when push comes to shove, the euro system is held together by fear rather than democratic consent.’
The EU chart is not only relentlessly Fixed and stubborn; but has Mars square a 12th house Pluto, which would certainly point to secret, ruthlessly coercive power brokers.
The UK is a different beast to Greece and not at risk of manufactured coups to topple governments, or oligarchic string-pulling behind the scenes, but it does raise huge questions about how power is wielded in the EU.
The relationship between Merkel and May is very Plutonic with a composite Sun Venus Pluto with Pluto conjunct Mercury; and perhaps square the composite Moon – so together they could change the world, but when their agendas differ there will be a bitter, protracted tug of war with neither giving an inch. Tr Uranus will be trine the composite Pluto from May 11th onwards and opposing the composite Neptune at the same time, for an upheaval with fanatical overtones; and thence through the next three years with multiple bumps and jolts.
May’s relationship with the EU is surprisingly amiable and constructive at core, with a friendly composite Sun Venus, and a positive-change Uranus trine Saturn, sextile Jupiter. There will be upsets and outbursts in December 2017/January 2018 as tr Uranus squares the composite Mars; but the worst of the aggravation will be in 2020/21 when tr Pluto is conjunct the composite Mars for a total and infuriating stalemate. (That’s without May’s birth time, so there may be earlier influences from chart angles).
The EU/UK relationship chart is sagging and disappointing under tr Neptune square the composite Moon this year and next; and opposition the composite Jupiter in 2018/19, which will erode good feelings. Tr Pluto opposes the composite Saturn in 2018/19 which will bring very very slow progress in meeting agreements. The separating tr Saturn conjunct the composite Sun hits exact in December 2018.
The EU chart itself is in a tense and trapped phase in 2017/18 with tr Pluto square the Mars/Pluto midpoint; and waylaid by disasters to which they have no solution in Sept/Oct 2017, Jan/Feb 2018. They’ll have some luck in 2018 with tr Uranus opposition their Jupiter; but their real problems come in 2019 with Solar Arc Pluto conjunct the 2nd house financial Neptune and Solar Arc MC conjunct Pluto; and into an exceptionally bumpy ride from 2021 as tr Uranus starts to hard aspect their Fixed (and financial) Grand Cross.
The European Central Bank will run into a shock and collision in late 2018 with Solar Arc MC conjunct their Mars; and in 2019 with Solar Arc Uranus opposition their Moon; and before then in 2017 has multiple discouraging Saturn transits to Solar Arc planets.
The economic hole that Brexit will leave will raise fear levels in the EU, and therefore hackles, and bring out punitive-protectionist tactics. Which as Varoufakis points out was the driving priority which saved the German and French banks at the expense of the bankrupted Greeks.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/04/29/yanis-varoufakis-inside-darkness-french-politics/
So the EU is punitive, seriously? What would they should do? Let the UK out of any obligation but let them in all benefits?
A bigger tory win does not give her more leeway in Europe. There are other 27 countries with their own problems. The only thing it may let her is to sell the UK a better deal.
Even reading Varoufakis (who I don’t understand why he is given so much credit, he sold something to the greeks that was impossible to get) he is pro EU though with changes.
I hope the EU endures. It is not perfect and it needs changes. But considering the alternative I prefer to have it than not.
Well they managed to let the German and French banks have all the benefits of having made stupid loans and none of the obligations or responsibilities. There is a corrupt side to the EU – which I agree is better there than not there – but there’s not the remotest sign they are going to change. All Junker and his well-padded, gold-pensioned cronies do is get people’s backs up. And I speak as a Remainer. But we are where we are. They are running scared because of the financial hole it will leave – and one just hopes that May et co have some idea of what their Plan B, C and D are.
I don’t think you can really compare the banks to Brexit. As an anglophile and proEU I am quite sad about UK leaving and disappointed. And I still do not understand the logic for Brexit or how some are surprised that the EU is playing hardball.
I agree about the corrupt side, but sadly it is inevitable in any goverment institution. But I don’t think most people in the continent are so against Juncker and company as they are in the UK. Not that I like him for his role after the strange affair of him leaving Luxembour politics but there is more indifference than hate.
It is sad that after so many years the EU has not been able to explain what it does for the normal person. Many things that are now seen normal are possible thanks to it.
Most people in the UK of working age are also sad and disappointed about leaving the EU, if the vote had been 18-50 year olds only, we’d be staying. But the brexiteers are mostly older generation have paid off their tiny mortgages, bagged their house price windfalls and have their final salary pensions, what did they have to lose? It’s easy to be a rebel when there are no consequences.
For me it’s not so much about accepting the result, no problem at all with someone of working age voting for brexit if it’s what they believed. It’s how can older people accept it? I am middle aged now, but if I knew that most people younger than me wanted a different result to me, I’d want another referendum in 5 years before anything was triggered. But they know best *sigh*. Madness. But it confronts us with a very uncomfortable Pluto in Capricorn question, “Should all opinions always be equal?”
Interesting question. Gets back to democracy being flawed but the best alternative there is. Though I’d have to admit to a spasm of ?? illiberal outrage when Brexit and then Trump were voted through. The thought that flashed through my head was – democracy is too important to be left to the mob. But what can you do? The country fell in love with Tony Blair and look where that got us.
Politics it was always said is showbusiness for ugly people, but nowadays even that isn’t true always. It’s the pzazz and
promises of a Hollywood dream life that win the day. The UK can get back to days of empire glory with all that mis-spent EU money clawed back to fund the NHS – both of which are delusional and whoppers. And Trump carried the US on a soaring wave of the John Wayne spirit. Reminds me of the Roman Empire, ‘Give Bread and Circuses’ to the mob to keep them quiet.
There could be a real log jam by 2020, very bitter and bad tempered; and even a high noon as early as Dec 2018. But business leaders appear to think that a May/Tory win would give her elbow room to negotiate a longer transition post-Brexit period until all the details are ironed out.
There’s a decent piece in the Telegraph about the implications of crashing out deal-less:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/30/theresa-may-cant-afford-bluff-needs-plan-leaving-eu-no-deal/
Marjorie, I’ve just read the Varoufakis link you gave in which he advises Mrs May not to negotiate with the EU. With the constant flow of threatening, punitive statements from the EU about how the Uk has to have a worse deal than being a member, 50 billion leaving costs, etc, I keep wondering if at some point the UK government will just chuck in the sponge, and leave without a deal. It’s within our nature to do so. Does anything like this seem likely from the astrology?