Tom PowellROCK legend Bono has called on Europe to support Spain and help it out of the economic crisis.
The U2 frontman was speaking at the European People’s Party congress in Dublin, where Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy was actually a guest.
In a long and well applauded speech he spoke about the EU as a family which should help each member out, as well as the economy, racism against Africans and German chancellor Angela Merkel, who was also present.
“You’ve got Prime Minister Rajoy just this week urging the EU to make structural reforms that will create liquidity in the Spanish economy” he said.
“Maybe you will. But beyond that, where is the family’s response?”
“Where is our Europe-wide campaign to spotlight Spain, to encourage others to take their holidays there, to buy Spanish goods, listen to Spanish music?”
Rajoy did not appear wildly pleased with Bono’s speech, but did applaud at the end.
Bono also joked about U2 making a flamenco album to help Spain, but concluded with ‘well, maybe not’.
What a plonker . Obviously does not realise that Spains economic woes are self inflicted and corruption at the highest level does not really encourage any invest . Best he takes those lovely tinted shades off !
Not only that he could help his own country by paying taxes in it, rather than using Dutch tax avoidance schemes – hypocrite.
Spain can solve it’s economic problems on it’s own, it doesn’t need outside help. Leave the Euro, lower employment taxes that would be a good start. Stamp out corruption at all levels and actually send out bills for the likes of property taxes instead of telling those quite willing to pay, it’s your responsibility to guess how much your property tax is and when to pay it.
Spain has already had FAR to much money from the EU.
It sounds pretty desperate to me.
“Rajoy did not appear wildly pleased with Bono’s speech, but did applaud at the end” No wonder, he doesn’t understand or speak English!
What Spain needs, in my opinion, is to cut down on the vast amount of politicians thereby cutting down in costs, and putting its own house in order. The rest will come naturally. It cant leave the Euro, at least not before it pays back everything it owes, difficult with their GDP almost the same as their debt.
‘Bono del Estado’. It’s bad enough with listening to the people we apparently voted for, but who is this fellow?
What is it about Bono that is so damned irritating? His daft, always present shades? His ‘orrible music? The way he pokes his nose in? His patronising ignorance? Or is it simply that, despite his hidden millions, he refuses to invest in a razor?
Spain’s economic woes are self inflicted and corruption at the highest level does not really encourage any investment.
lower employment taxes that would be a good start. Stamp out corruption at all levels, have accountability,
The above will be a start.
As a lifelong U2 fan, I was dismayed to see Bono speaking up for Europe’s most far-right regime.
Celebs live in a bubble and should stick to whatever it is they do best, be it rock or football, not politics.
They all deserved to have had to listen to him for an hour. It’s the least the Irish could inflict on them!!
Ah well,
Same old stories, same old moans. It’s a wonder that various expat’s still live in Spain.
Is there any other news, it’s been repeated so often which has not solved anything. What about the banking section in the U.K paying out millions to staff. What about the loss of Billions that affected the whole money World in general by companies in the U.S A.
One could go on and on about the rights and wrongs but life goes on and billions are still made and billions are still lost.
Hypocrisy is never appealing. Most of U2’s income is shovelled off-shore, so what he is in fact saying is that “the rest of us should fork out”. But not him.
Bono is being consumed by his own hubris.
PM,
Don’t you get it…YES.