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Despite excuses that ‘everyone does it’, European politicians, officials, and citizens are responding with growing waves of anger regarding the most recent revelations this week—made possible by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden—which showed that the US intelligence agency has been spying on its EU allies.
As McClatchy reports, both France and Germany officials responded with fury and “amazement” following reports that first appeared in Der Speigel on the weekend.
French President Francois Hollande said the spying must “cease immediately,” adding, “we cannot accept this kind of behavior from partners and allies.” And German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the “monitoring of friends…can’t be tolerated,” adding, “we’re no longer in the Cold War.”
However, Anke Domscheit-Berg, a member of the German Pirate Party, had even stronger words for the U.S., who said Merkel’s condemnations were not bold enough and raised the possibility that the German government has been well aware of the NSA actions and could be involved in similar activities, as McClatchy noted.
“Immediately, we should stop all data deliveries to the United States,” Domscheit-Berg said. “Flight passenger records, financial transactions, etc. . . . We must make it very clear that the United States cannot expect any more data until we have an agreement on how our citizens’ privacy will be treated. We are not powerless in this matter. It’s not as if the United States can do whatever it wants without repercussions.”
Likewise, German Green Party parliamentarian Hans-Christian Stroebele called for more concrete action Tuesday, adding that Snowden should be protected from U.S. persecution—a promise that EU leaders have thus far failed to make.
“With federal prosecutors investigating possible espionage against Germany, the government shouldn’t just offer Snowden asylum, but perhaps even witness protection,” Stroebele stated.
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