Topic: Haiku Herman

Herman Van Rompuy, former President of the European Council, delivers a Christmas message in the form of a Dutch haiku. The poem translates to themes of silence, happiness, and "hoping for hope" between Christmas and the New Year. The hosts find the message confusing and joke about the directive for citizens to be silent to achieve happiness.

The hosts discuss the "cultural Marxism" of the EU leadership, referring to incoming Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker as "Junker the Drunk." They engage in lewd speculation about how women attain high-ranking positions in Brussels and reference rumors from a Katie Couric book regarding Diane Sawyer's career tactics.

EU President Herman Van Rompuy, nicknamed "Haiku Herman," greets the Prime Minister of Japan by reciting a 300-year-old haiku. The hosts discuss the unelected nature of EU leadership and the potential succession of Jean-Claude Juncker or Christine Lagarde. They mock Van Rompuy's Japanese pronunciation and the absurdity of the diplomatic gesture.

The "European Stability Mechanism" (ESM) and a new "fiscal compact" are introduced to enforce financial discipline across the Eurozone. The hosts explain that the term "compact" is used to bypass the need for public referendums required for treaties. Britain's refusal to join is attributed to a desire to protect the City of London and a potential US-UK tandem effort to undermine the Euro.

European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, nicknamed "Haiku Herman," faced criticism for promoting a new 240 million euro headquarters nicknamed "The Egg" while Greece faces severe austerity. The EU's plan for Greek debt involves "voluntary" rollovers by private banks like Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan. Critics argue this effectively forces the citizens of other EU states to subsidize Greek debt while banks avoid significant losses.

Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, released a haiku to celebrate Europe Day. The hosts critique the poem and a related Euronews clip showing a United Nations official awkwardly coordinating a photo opportunity. The segment highlights the perceived "douchebaggery" of high-level international bureaucrats.

The No Agenda community launched several projects, including high-quality art prints on Indiegogo featuring political satire. A new version of the "Pocket No Agenda" mobile app was released, featuring individual "bat signals" for different shows on the stream. Other community contributions include a radiation calculator app for Mac and various domain forwards like haikuherman.com.

Herman Van Rompuy, the President of the European Council (referred to as the President of the United States of Europe), is questioned by a child about the EU's lack of democracy. The child references Nigel Farage's criticisms, noting that no one voted for Van Rompuy. Van Rompuy's defensive response, calling the claim a "lie," is mocked by the hosts.

European Union President Herman Van Rompuy released a Christmas haiku in Dutch and French. The hosts translate the poem, which mentions "silence and happiness," and mock the abstract nature of the message. They interpret the call for "silence" as a metaphorical instruction for European citizens to stop complaining about government policies.

Herman Van Rompuy, the President of the European Council, has released a book of haikus. The Belgian politician, previously described by Nigel Farage as having the "charisma of a damp rag," read several poems about nature and spring in Flemish and French. The release of the book is contrasted with his role as a powerful leader in the European Union.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy delivered a speech at Columbia University regarding global solidarity and the Lehman Brothers collapse. The segment also mocks Herman Van Rompuy, the President of the European Council, for his hobby of writing haikus, labeling him "Haiku Herman" and interpreting his poetry as cryptic political code.

Nigel Farage's verbal attack on EU President Herman Van Rompuy is reviewed, including his description of Van Rompuy as having the "charisma of a damp rag." The hosts explore Van Rompuy's personal website, mocking his Dutch haikus and his "quiet assassin" approach to democracy. They also mention a cancelled nude photo shoot in New Zealand due to tsunami warnings.