DIFFERENT VOICES

Date: 14/11/1996

“I had hoped that the message had gone through that public opinion is fed up with diplomatic chess-playing and realpolitik calculations, at the cost of massive loss of innocent human lives. I was wrong.”

Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Emma Bonino commenting on the United Nations resolution adopted last week which fell short of authorising the deployment of a multinational force to ensure the delivery of aid in eastern Zaïre.

“The people have the right to choose and not be oppressed by the big oligopoly that is Hollywood. This will deprive children of the world of their fantasies, their images and their heroes and they will become totally alienated.”

Italian MEP Luciana Castellina, who chairs the European Parliament's culture committee, speaking ahead of this week's plenary vote on the revised Television Without Frontiers Directive and warning of the dangers of domination by Hollywood of Europe's television screens.

“The Germany you represent appears power-hungry and too mighty to many of our neighbours. The insistent and overpowering nature of your speeches not only makes you unpopular, which you can certainly bear, but rather makes Germany as a whole unloved, something we have not deserved and cannot endure.”

Former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt in an outspoken attack on Bundesbank President Hans Tietmeyer.

“Schmidt's criticism of us and Tietmeyer is misguided and wrong. I don't know who, in the past few decades, has been acting like a megalomaniac in Europe and the world - I certainly have not been.”

German Finance Minister Theo Waigel hitting back at Schmidt.

“Considerable progress has been made in the European Union's relations with the United States since we signed the New Transatlantic Agenda together almost one year ago ... sadly, the public does not always see it that way. Our differences over trade, and above all the new Cuba legislation, have overshadowed the growing areas where we can and do cooperate closely.”

Trade Commissioner Sir Leon Brittan addressing the European-American Chamber of Commerce in New York.