Lest Americans (some) feel they are alone writhing in embarrassment at the calibre of their political leadership, fear not. Cast a glance over Jean Claude Juncker, President of the EU Commission and former PM of Luxembourg. Leaked documents show Juncker has spent years blocking EU attempts to crack down on the tax loopholes in his native Luxembourg for the benefit of corporate giants such as Amazon. And he has also vetoed any public disclosure of these discussions. Because of EU rules demanding unanimity, Luxembourg with 00.1% of the EU population has the power of veto over any suggestions they don’t like. Shades of Wallonia (who blocked the recent Canadian trade deal).
As Robert Hardman put it: “Despite crystal-clear demands for greater EU transparency and accountability, the man in charge of the EU apparatus has been rumbled as the architect of a huge tax avoidance cover-up.”
Juncker took over as EU Commission President on 1 November 2014 with a flamboyant Jupiter on Leo on the Ascendant, which figures; and a brutally ruthless Mars Pluto in the showboating 5th on the focal point of Uranus opposition Mercury Node. Pluto has moved by Solar Arc to exactly square the Uranus at the moment, suggesting a massive jolt to his position. Though Mars Pluto tends to be a) shameless; and b) fairly unbudgeable.
Juncker himself is a Sun Sagittarius with a lucky Jupiter Uranus in Cancer in a can-be-fanatical square to Neptune; and a Pluto opposition Mars. His Mars Pluto anchors into the EU Pluto square Mars in Sagittarius – so he’s emblematic of the dark side of the EU. Mars Pluto can be corrupt or criminal, certainly intent on gaining its own ends by force or compulsion.
He looks bullishly-confident as per usual through chunks of 2017 though with odd patches of major disruption and great insecurity, with over-reactions when he feels threatened.
His relationship chart with the EU looks totally jammed-up through 2017/18 with tr Pluto conjunct the composite Mars from this March onwards; undermining tr Neptune opposition the composite Jupiter; and a separating tr Saturn conjunct Sun late in 2017. It’s a moot point whether his drinking/health removes him from office before internal pressure does.
Mr. Juncker cannot begin to match the US political corruption and sheer arrogance.I say this as an American.I point to what has transpired over the past 24 hours as House Republicans voted to gut the ethics office and then reversed themselves after public outrage.And criticism from Donald Trump.Surreal.
Why am I not so shocked, Marjorie 🙁 It irritates me endlessly how his arrogant sort with a shamelessly wide moral deficit ALWAYS make their way in to powerful positions over society, constantly crapping on the people below. But, more fool us for wanting a quiet life. I think it’s good though, that finally, there are journalists out there now brave enough to uncover the shady goings-on of big corporations and expose it and hopefully, something will be done about it.
Jo, the last time anything was done about it was during the French Revolution. And, dare I say it?, that went over their heads. Nothing much changed except the names of the players.