While the political gravy-train is back sloshing its way through the antechambers of power in Portugal (click here), 76,000 European citizens have signed up to a petition demanding that “serious exemplary measures” be taken against former European Commissioner Durão Barroso – the latest career politician to shimmy through the revolving door that links politics with the world of big business.
Diário de Notícias highlights the situation today, saying the petition, launched by EU employees and backed by many Portuguese MEPs, is also calling for an investigation by the Tribunal of Justice.
At issue is Barroso’s new millionaire-salaried job as non-executive president of Goldman Sachs – the financial services company synonymous with everything that is wrong with the world of banking.
As MEP Ana Gomes said at the petition’s inception (click here): “We are talking about a person who was prime minister of Portugal and who had direct intervention also in the purchase of the submarines.
Barroso “was (also) responsible for the whole process of Portuguese collaboration with the so-called torture flights of the CIA”, said the Socialist firebrand. “Thus, I am not in the least bit surprised, with all these issues, that he has ended up with the interests that he has always served, the unscrupulous world of large financial capital hell-bent on financial deregulation.”
Indeed, Gomes also blames Barroso for “acting on the basis of fraudulent information” when he hosted the Lajes summit, in the run up to the invasion of Iraq.
“He knew perfectly well (then) that he was acting on the basis of fraudulent information. He knew he was violating international law, but he had no scruples in what he did, politically,” she said.
According to the petition posted on the Change.org website, 150,000 signatures are wanted. Thus there are 73,830 left to collect, as founders list their ‘demands’ in a scathing condemnation of the former face of the European Commission.
Intriguingly, despite the widespread condemnation (click here), Barroso and to a large extent Goldman Sachs have remained silent.
Barroso’s successor, Jean-Claude Juncker, however has said that if he was offered a similar job “in the future”, he “would not take it”.
