• Evans edges 2010 champion in photo finish • Thor Hushovd hangs on to yellow jersey Australia’s Cadel Evans edged the defending champion Alberto Contador in a photo finish to win the fourth stage of the Tour de France as Thor Hushovd retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey. The 172.5-kilometre (107-mile) route from Lorient to Mur-de-Bretagne was mostly flat, but ended with a short, sharp climb favouring those that could muster bursts of speed uphill. The finish was so close that Contador raised his fist to celebrate what he believed was a stage win, but slow-motion video and a photo still showed that Evans, the two-time Tour runner-up, had won. The stage showed that Contador, who has faced a series of early setbacks on this Tour already, is in shape to compete. Hushovd narrowly kept the yellow jersey by trailing in a group not far behind, finishing sixth. Earlier, Jurgen Van de Walle of Belgium became the first rider to pull out of the race, reducing the field to 197 racers. His Omega Pharma-Lotto team said he quit due to lingering groin pain from a crash on Saturday. Stage four result 1 Cadel Evans (Australia, BMC Racing) 4hr 11min 39sec 2 Alberto Contador (Spain, Saxo Bank) same time 3 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kazakhstan, Astana) 4 Rigoberto Uran (Colombia, Team Sky) 5 Philippe Gilbert (Belgium, Omega Pharma-Lotto) 6 Thor Hushovd (Norway, Garmin) 7 Fraenk Schleck (Luxembourg, Leopard) 8 Samuel Sanchez (Spain, Euskaltel) 9 Jurgen Van den Broeck (Belgium, Omega Pharma-Lotto) 10 Andreas Kloeden (Germany, RadioShack) Overall standings 1 Thor Hushovd (Norway, Garmin) 13hr 58min 25sec 2 Cadel Evans (Australia, BMC Racing) + 1sec 3 Fraenk Schleck (Luxembourg, Leopard) + 4sec 4 David Millar (Britain, Garmin) +8sec 5 Andreas Kloeden (Germany, RadioShack) +10sec 6 Bradley Wiggins (Britain, Team Sky) same time 7 Geraint Thomas (Britain, Team Sky) +12sec 8 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Norway, Team Sky) same time 9 Andy Schleck (Luxembourg, Leopard) 10 Jakob Fuglsang (Denmark, Leopard) Tour de France 2011 Tour de France Alberto Contador Cycling guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …• Evans edges 2010 champion in photo finish • Thor Hushovd hangs on to yellow jersey Australia’s Cadel Evans edged the defending champion Alberto Contador in a photo finish to win the fourth stage of the Tour de France as Thor Hushovd retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey. The 172.5-kilometre (107-mile) route from Lorient to Mur-de-Bretagne was mostly flat, but ended with a short, sharp climb favouring those that could muster bursts of speed uphill. The finish was so close that Contador raised his fist to celebrate what he believed was a stage win, but slow-motion video and a photo still showed that Evans, the two-time Tour runner-up, had won. The stage showed that Contador, who has faced a series of early setbacks on this Tour already, is in shape to compete. Hushovd narrowly kept the yellow jersey by trailing in a group not far behind, finishing sixth. Earlier, Jurgen Van de Walle of Belgium became the first rider to pull out of the race, reducing the field to 197 racers. His Omega Pharma-Lotto team said he quit due to lingering groin pain from a crash on Saturday. Stage four result 1 Cadel Evans (Australia, BMC Racing) 4hr 11min 39sec 2 Alberto Contador (Spain, Saxo Bank) same time 3 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kazakhstan, Astana) 4 Rigoberto Uran (Colombia, Team Sky) 5 Philippe Gilbert (Belgium, Omega Pharma-Lotto) 6 Thor Hushovd (Norway, Garmin) 7 Fraenk Schleck (Luxembourg, Leopard) 8 Samuel Sanchez (Spain, Euskaltel) 9 Jurgen Van den Broeck (Belgium, Omega Pharma-Lotto) 10 Andreas Kloeden (Germany, RadioShack) Overall standings 1 Thor Hushovd (Norway, Garmin) 13hr 58min 25sec 2 Cadel Evans (Australia, BMC Racing) + 1sec 3 Fraenk Schleck (Luxembourg, Leopard) + 4sec 4 David Millar (Britain, Garmin) +8sec 5 Andreas Kloeden (Germany, RadioShack) +10sec 6 Bradley Wiggins (Britain, Team Sky) same time 7 Geraint Thomas (Britain, Team Sky) +12sec 8 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Norway, Team Sky) same time 9 Andy Schleck (Luxembourg, Leopard) 10 Jakob Fuglsang (Denmark, Leopard) Tour de France 2011 Tour de France Alberto Contador Cycling guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Phone hacking: Glenn Mulcaire blames ‘relentless pressure’ by NoW for actions
July 5, 2011 No Comment
Private investigator says sorry for ‘hurt and upset’ caused under ‘a constant demand for results’ from News of the World The private investigator at the centre of the News of the World phone-hacking scandal has issued a public apology to all those who have been hurt or upset by his activity. In a statement released exclusively to the Guardian, Glenn Mulcaire made no direct reference to the hacking of Milly Dowler’s phone , but he said he had never intended to interfere with any police inquiry. “I want to apologise to anybody who was hurt or upset by what I have done,” he said, adding that he had worked at the News of the World under “constant demand for results”. He released the statement at the Guardian’s request after experiencing what he described as ‘vilification’ following the revelation of the hacking of the missing schoolgirl’s phone. “Much has been published in the media about me. Up to now, I have not responded publicly in any way to all the stories but in the light of the publicity over the last 24 hours, I feel I must break my silence. “I want to apologise to anybody who was hurt or upset by what I have done. I’ve been to court. I’ve pleaded guilty. And I’ve gone to prison and been punished. I still face the possibility of further criminal prosecution. “Working for the News of the World was never easy. There was relentless pressure. There was a constant demand for results. I knew what we did pushed the limits ethically. But, at the time, I didn’t understand that I had broken the law at all. “A lot of information I obtained was simply tittle-tattle, of no great importance to anyone, but sometimes what I did was for what I thought was the greater good, to carry out investigative journalism. “I never had any intention of interfering with any police inquiry into any crime. “I know I have brought the vilification I am experiencing upon myself, but I do ask the media to leave my family and my children, who are all blameless, alone.” The statement came as it emerged the parents of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, the two children murdered by Ian Huntley, were contacted by Scotland Yard detectives investigating phone hacking at the News of the World. Earlier Rebekah Brooks has told employees it is “inconceivable” she knew that the News of the World hacked into Milly Dowler’s mobile phone. On Wednesday there will be a rare emergency Commons debate into calls for a public inquiry into phone hacking by News International journalists, and a potential cover up by its senior executives. Glenn Mulcaire Phone hacking News of the World Newspapers & magazines National newspapers Newspapers Nick Davies guardian.co.uk
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Conservative-led council says it will re-hire staff if they accept 5.4% pay cut A Conservative-led council has sent letters of dismissal to its entire workforce, telling them they will be re-hired the next day only if they agree to a pay cut. Shropshire county council gave its 6,500 staff notice of their dismissal on 30 September, but offered them immediate re-employment if they accepted a 5.4% pay cut as well as changes to their sick-pay arrangements. The council said it needs to make the changes to find £7m towards a total savings target of £76m over three years. The alternative would be “large-scale” redundancies. Jackie Kelly, the council’s head of organisational development, said it had been necessary to embark upon a legal process of “dismissal and re-engagement” following failure to reach agreement with trade unions. All staff had been offered re-employment. “Whilst we appreciate [that] the formal nature of this process may lead to some anxiety, we intend to continue offering reassurance, guidance and support to all our staff over the coming days, weeks and months,” Kelly said. Unison, which represents about 40% of the council’s workers, said the letters had frightened and intimidated people. Leaders of the union’s Shropshire branch would be meeting to discuss balloting on industrial action. “We’ve been told to sign up and shut up,” said Alan James, branch secretary. “There’s not a lot of places we can go with this.” The council’s plan emerged as new figures showed that spending by councils on local services has fallen for the first time in two decades as a result of cuts in government grants. Councils in England will this year spend an average 5.7% less on services than in the previous 12 months, including almost 15% less on housing, 21% less on roads and 32% less on planning. The spending figures provide the first authoritative overview of the effect of the sharp cut in council grants for 2011-12. The main grant has been reduced by almost 10%. According to public finance body Cipfa, which has surveyed all councils’ spending plans as notified to Whitehall, expenditure on services will amount to £99.5bn or £1,921 per person – a return to levels of 2008-09. Cipfa says the reduction is the first since the introduction of the poll tax in 1990. The biggest spending falls are in the north-west (an average 7.8%) and north-east (6.9%), with the lowest in the south-east outside of London at 3.2%. Ian Carruthers, Cipfa’s policy and technical director, said: “These statistics underline the difficult decisions councils have been faced with in setting their 2011-12 budgets. It is only through effective financial planning and an emphasis on efficiency that the impact on frontline services has not been greater.” One encouragement for ministers is that their measures to protect spending on services for elderly and disabled people appear to have worked: average spending on social care is shown to be rising this year by 1.6%. But groups representing the hardest-hit services expressed dismay. Campbell Robb, chief executive of housing charity Shelter, said: “Our advice services are already seeing a huge increase in demand as unemployment and cuts to services begin to bite, whilst local authorities reduce the safety net for those in housing need.” Trudi Elliott, chief executive of the Royal Town Planning Institute, said: “Planning has a critical role to play in supporting communities’ aspirations for growth, new homes and protecting the environment and their social fabric.” The local government minister, Grant Shapps, said councils’ total spending this year, including expenditure other than that on frontline services, would amount to £118bn. This equated to more than £5,000 per household and there remained scope for savings without hitting services. “By cutting waste, more joint working and improving procurement, councils can do more for less,” Shapps said. “Good councils can hold council tax down and protect frontline services.” But Dave Prentis, general secretary of public services union Unison, said: “Given the biggest-in-a-generation spending cuts hitting councils, it’s hardly surprising that spending has shrunk so drastically. Look behind the figures and you’ll find cuts sending shockwaves through communities.” Public sector cuts Local government Public sector pay Public finance David Brindle guardian.co.uk
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US president warns Texan authorities that execution would put America in breach of international legal obligations President Barack Obama is attempting to block the execution in Texas on Thursday of a Mexican man because it would breach an international convention and do “irreparable harm” to US interests. The White House has asked the US supreme court to put the execution of Humberto Leal Garcia on hold while Congress passes a law that would prevent the convicted rapist and murderer from being put to death along with dozens of other foreign nationals who were denied proper access to diplomatic representation before trials for capital crimes. The administration moved after the governor of Texas, Rick Perry, brushed aside appeals from diplomats, top judges, senior military officers, the United Nations and former president George W Bush to stay Leal’s execution because it could jeopardise American citizens arrested abroad as well as US diplomatic interests. Leal, 38, was convicted in 1994 of the rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl in San Antonio. Few question that he was responsible for the killing but the Texas authorities failed to tell Leal, who was born in Mexico and has lived in the US since the age of two, that under the Vienna convention he was entitled to contact the Mexican consulate when he was arrested. Leal’s lawyers argue that the lack of consular access played a role in the death penalty being applied because the Mexican national incriminated himself in statements made during “non-custodial interviews” with the police on the day of the murder. Had Leal had access to the Mexican consulate it would have been likely to have arranged a lawyer who would have advised the accused man to limit his statements to the police. As it was, the Mexican authorities were never informed of his arrest. In a 30-page brief to the supreme court, the administration said that the carrying out of the execution “would place the United States in irreparable breach of its international law obligation” under the convention. The White House said it was in the US’s interests to meet its treaty obligations. “These interests include protecting Americans abroad, fostering co-operation with foreign nations, and demonstrating respect for the international rule of law,” it said. Carrying out Leal’s execution would cause “irreparable harm” to US interests abroad, the administration added. “That breach would have serious repercussions for United States foreign relations, law-enforcement and other co-operation with Mexico, and the ability of American citizens travelling abroad to have the benefits of consular assistance in the event of detention,” it said. The legal situation has been complicated by earlier court rulings. In 2004, the international court of justice (ICJ) ruled that the US authorities had failed to meet its legal obligations to 51 Mexicans awaiting execution in American prisons when they were not informed of their right to contact their consulates. The then president, George W Bush, a former Texas governor who backs the death penalty, said the US would adhere to the ICJ ruling which, in effect, meant the death sentences would be reviewed or commuted. But in 2008 the supreme court ruled that while the US government was obliged to comply with the ICJ ruling it did not have the power to force individual American states to do so. Only Congress could require adherence by passing a law. The Obama administration has told the supreme court that a bill has recently been introduced in to the Senate to do just that but it is unlikely to win the approval of both houses of Congress before next year. The White House wants Leal’s execution put on hold until the law is passed but two courts have already ruled that pending legislation has no effect on the legal process. The UN high commissioner for human rights, Navi Pillay, has appealed to Perry to commute Leal’s sentence to life imprisonment. Christof Heyns, the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions said that if Leal was put to death it would be “tantamount to an arbitrary deprivation of life”. Perry’s office has said Texas laws had been abided by and that Leal would be executed for “the most heinous of crimes”. United States Obama administration Capital punishment Barack Obama George Bush Mexico United Nations Chris McGreal guardian.co.uk
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Officers can order Muslim women to remove face coverings to identify crime suspects no matter how minor the alleged offence Police in Australia’s most populous state have been given more powers to order Muslim women to remove burqas and other face coverings if they are suspected of committing a crime. The law was approved by the New South Wales government on Monday in response to a high-profile case in which a Muslim woman, wearing a burqa, had a six-month jail sentence overturned on appeal because of doubts about her identity. The state premier, Barry O’Farrell, said: “I don’t care whether a person is wearing a motorcycle helmet, a burqa, niqab, face veil or anything else, the police should be allowed to require those people to make their identification clear. I have every respect for various religions and beliefs but when it comes to enforcing the law the police should be given adequate powers to make a clear identification.” Women could previously be ordered to remove their veils if suspected of a serious crime but they can now be told to do so regardless of the gravity of the alleged offence. Anyone who refuses to comply could now be fined A$5,500 (£3,320) or jailed for a year. The laws have been backed by Muslim groups in the state but a civil liberties group questioned the need for legislation. O’Farrell said he was persuaded of the need for new laws by the state’s police commissioner after Carnita Matthews, a 47-year-old Muslim, was freed on appeal, triggering a public outcry. Matthews was convicted last year of falsely accusing a police officer of trying to remove her burqa during a random breath test. But an appeal judge ruled that because the woman who made the complaint was wearing a burqa, it was impossible to tell if it was Matthews. The police association of NSW said a “loophole” had been removed and the legislation would “provide clarity and certainty for both the public and for police officers”. The chairman of the Islamic Council of NSW, Khaled Sukkarieh, told ABC Radio in June that there was no problem with a Muslim women being asked to lift her veil provided it was done “sensibly and with sensitivity”. He also said it would be preferable if the request came from a female officer. Sukkarieh’s comments were echoed by the Muslim Women’s Association. But Stephen Blanks, the secretary of the NSW council for civil liberties, accused the state government of “a kneejerk reaction to a situation that has got a lot of publicity.” He told the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper that the government had provided no evidence of how often face coverings had hindered police investigations and suggested the failings in the Matthews case were procedural. Blanks added that police in the case had not properly recorded the identity of the person making the complaint, nor her apparent earlier refusal to remove her face covering. Another state, Western Australia, is expected to follow NSW and pass similar legislation on face coverings, with police chiefs due to meet on Tuesday to discuss the issue. Australia Islam Religion Human rights Haroon Siddique guardian.co.uk
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Parents of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman contacted by detectives investigating phone hacking at the News of the World The parents of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, the two children murdered by Ian Huntley, were contacted by Scotland Yard detectives investigating phone hacking at the News of the World, it emerged on Tuesday. A spokesman for Cambridgeshire police said they were aware that the families of Wells and Chapman were contacted by the Metropolitan police about two months ago. It is believed the families were warned there was evidence to suggest they were targeted by Glenn Mulcaire, the private investigator who was formerly employed by the paper. The families are thought to be seeking further clarification from the Met but are not currently commenting. Scotland Yard is conducting an investigation, Operating Weeting, into the News of the World phone-hacking allegations. Pressure is growing on Rebekah Brooks, who was editing the News of the World at the time and is now chief executive of its parent company News International, following the Guardian’s revelations on Monday that Mulcaire hacked into a mobile phone belonging to Milly Dowler in 2002 , the same year as the Soham murders. Schoolgirl Dowler went missing from her home in March 2002 and her body was found six months after she disappeared. The Soham murders took place in August that year. Ed Miliband, the Labour leader, said earlier on Tuesday that Brooks should “consider her conscience and consider her position” as he called for a public inquiry into the hacking allegations and the conduct of the tabloid press as a whole. Brooks insisted in an email to staff on Tuesday afternoon that she knew nothing about the allegations that Dowler’s phone had been hacked by the paper she edited. She said she was “sickened” by the events and added she was “determined to lead the company to ensure we do the right thing and resolve these serious issues”. News International executives insisted Brooks had the full backing of Rupert Murdoch, chairman and chief executive of News International’s owner News Corporation. Meanwhile, the chairwoman of the Press Complaints Commission, Baroness Peta Buscombe, which concluded in November 2009 there was “no new evidence” of widespread hacking at the News of the World following earlier Guardian revelations, admitted she had been “misled” by the News International paper . Buscome said: “There’s only so much we can do when people are lying to us. We know now that I was not being given the truth by the News of the World.” The home secretary, Theresa May, also added her voice to the growing chorus of politicians condemning the News of the World, including prime minister David Cameron. May used stronger language than Cameron, who described the hacking of Dowler’s phone as a “dreadful act” while visiting troops in Afghanistan. The home secretary told a committee of MPs on Tuesday afternoon: “I think it’s totally shocking; frankly, it’s disgusting. The mindset of somebody who thinks it’s appropriate to do that is totally sick.” James Harding, the editor of the News of the World’s News International stablemate the Times, also publicly condemned the behaviour, telling an audience of advertising executives that if “it [the Dowler allegation] is true, it seems to me what has happened is disgusting and indefensible and for us as journalists it is profoundly depressing”. Harding added: “My concern is, the shame is not just on the people involved, not just on that particular newspaper, but journalists in general.” The Labour MP, Tom Watson, said in the House of Commons earlier this year that the parents of the two girls killed by Huntley in Soham may have been hacked. The public reaction to news that Dowler’s phone was hacked has also been one of anger. Several hundred people have joined a Facebook site calling on readers to boycott the News of the World and some customers have cancelled their subscriptions to the Times and the Sunday Times, according to people close to News International. The number of people cancelling is not thought to be high but it is regarded as symbolic internally. Members of the public have also been calling the News of the World’s offices in London to complain about the paper’s behaviour. A senior News International executive said the atmosphere at the company was “subdued”. Phone hacking Newspapers & magazines National newspapers Newspapers News of the World Soham murders Crime News Corporation Media business News International Glenn Mulcaire Privacy & the media Privacy Press Complaints Commission Peta Buscombe David Cameron Theresa May Sandra Laville James Robinson Mark Sweney guardian.co.uk
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Dozens injured at Beijing zoo station after escalator suddenly changes direction, throwing passengers down stairway A teenage boy has been killed and dozens of people were injured when they were thrown off an escalator that suddenly changed direction in a busy Beijing subway station. The accident happened on Tuesday on one of the capital’s newest lines, prompting concerns that China’s recent rush to build public transport networks may have led to declining safety standards. The 13-year-old boy who died was on his way to Beijing zoo when the up escalator suddenly went into reverse, according to domestic media reports. Witnesses described a strange grinding noise from the shifting gears and then a tumult in which riders at the top of the escalator fell to the bottom in less than two seconds. The boy and the other riders were thrown down the metal stairs and into a heap at the bottom. Twenty-eight people were taken to hospital, including the dead boy’s father and sister. Two were described as being in a serious condition. Station staff declined to comment, but the railway operator put out a brief online statement: “Beijing MTR Corporation expresses our deep mourning to the dead passenger in this accident and relatives, as well as apology and sympathy to injured passengers and relatives.” It said an investigation was under way into the cause of the breakdown at Beijing zoo station. The government has ordered checks on elevators at other stations. The capital’s subway system opened in 1969 and has expanded rapidly in the past few years to become one of the five longest networks in the world with more than 170 stations and 250 miles of track. Line 4 is one of the most modern. Completed in 2009, it connects the university district to the south of the city. Commuters were horrified at the safety failure. “This is unbelievable. This is the most basic thing and they can’t even do it well. I am very disappointed by Beijing’s public transportation system,” said Olivia Li, a student at Renmin University who often takes Line 4. Additional reporting by Cheng Han China Rail transport Jonathan Watts guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Dozens injured at Beijing zoo station after escalator suddenly changes direction, throwing passengers down stairway A teenage boy has been killed and dozens of people were injured when they were thrown off an escalator that suddenly changed direction in a busy Beijing subway station. The accident happened on Tuesday on one of the capital’s newest lines, prompting concerns that China’s recent rush to build public transport networks may have led to declining safety standards. The 13-year-old boy who died was on his way to Beijing zoo when the up escalator suddenly went into reverse, according to domestic media reports. Witnesses described a strange grinding noise from the shifting gears and then a tumult in which riders at the top of the escalator fell to the bottom in less than two seconds. The boy and the other riders were thrown down the metal stairs and into a heap at the bottom. Twenty-eight people were taken to hospital, including the dead boy’s father and sister. Two were described as being in a serious condition. Station staff declined to comment, but the railway operator put out a brief online statement: “Beijing MTR Corporation expresses our deep mourning to the dead passenger in this accident and relatives, as well as apology and sympathy to injured passengers and relatives.” It said an investigation was under way into the cause of the breakdown at Beijing zoo station. The government has ordered checks on elevators at other stations. The capital’s subway system opened in 1969 and has expanded rapidly in the past few years to become one of the five longest networks in the world with more than 170 stations and 250 miles of track. Line 4 is one of the most modern. Completed in 2009, it connects the university district to the south of the city. Commuters were horrified at the safety failure. “This is unbelievable. This is the most basic thing and they can’t even do it well. I am very disappointed by Beijing’s public transportation system,” said Olivia Li, a student at Renmin University who often takes Line 4. Additional reporting by Cheng Han China Rail transport Jonathan Watts guardian.co.uk
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Eurosceptics argue bailouts are contrary to German constitution’s protection of property Germany’s constitutional court has begun hearing a case that will decide whether Angela Merkel’s government was right to agree to last year’s multimillion-euro bailout of Greece and the accompanying rescue package for other faltering EU countries. In the unlikely event that the complainants win, the payments will be blocked, an outcome experts say would shake the foundations of the European Union. “If the court were to restrict the government’s leeway to act, the consequences for the EU and the financial markets could be extremely serious,” said Commerzbank analyst Eckart Tuchtfeld. Plaintiffs include MP Peter Gauweiler, a renegade member of Chancellor Merkel’s conservative bloc. He has a history of challenging European Union initiatives and in 2009 he brought a complaint against the integration measures dictated by the Treaty of Lisbon, with limited success. Gauweiler, along with a group of professors, argues the measures violate EU no-bailout provisions and German constitutional clauses protecting property and democracy. They have the support of the majority of ordinary Germans, who were fiercely opposed to “their money” being used to bail out less prudent countries. The case is so crucial that Merkel dispatched her finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, to give evidence at Tuesday’s hearing in Karlsruhe. Inside the court, he defended the rescue packages for Greece and other eurozone countries, arguing that “the stability of the euro is of paramount significance”. He pointed to the risk of financial instability across Europe and beyond at the time when the government signed on to the initial Greek rescue of May 2010 and also the wider eurozone fund created shortly afterward. Those plans foresee Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, guaranteeing loans up to €22.4bn for Greece and €147.6bn (£20.1bn) for other countries. The constitutional court’s president Andreas Vosskuhle said the court did not want to hear a debate on the measures’ economic merits, and that the right economic strategy was a matter for politicians and not judges. But, he said, his court “has to consider the limits that the constitution sets for politicians.” Eurosceptic law professor Karl Albrecht Schachtschneider insisted that “what is economically wrong can’t be legally right”. He argued that the rescue measures violated a no-bailout provision in the European Union’s Lisbon treaty without sufficient justification. He also contended that they violated German constitutional clauses protecting property and democracy, the latter by restricting the German parliament’s control over its own budget. “A union of liability and debt favouring other states has been created,” he said. Gauweiler’s representative, Prof Dietrich Murswiek, pointed to current efforts to set up a second Greek rescue package, arguing that loans would sink into a “bottomless pit”. “It’s like trying to repair water damage by blowing up the house,” he said. Murswiek contended: “The rescue fund serves in reality to take risks away from certain big banks,” which would be unconstitutional. Schäuble said the government was on solid legal ground, and argued that “we Germans benefit even more than other Europeans from the currency union”. A ruling is expected this year. Most analysts expect the court to rule the bailouts were legal but to attach strings to the deals. Last month, Vosskuhle, the chief judge hearing the case, seemed to hint at this, when said there were instances in which the European Union could violate the core of Germany’s constitutional identity. Such a “sensitive constellation” was indeed conceivable, he said, adding that he believed that this would “not necessarily happen in the near future”. European debt crisis European banks Germany Europe Greece European Union Financial crisis Global recession Helen Pidd guardian.co.uk
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