Secretive Bilderberg Club brings decision-makers to talks in Spain

Earth Times News
Jun. 05, 2010

Madrid - A club allegedly bringing together some of the world's most powerful people was holding a meeting Friday in the exclusive north-eastern Spanish seaside resort of Sitges amid high secrecy and draconian security, Spanish media reported.

The Bilderberg Club was named after the Dutch hotel where it was established in 1954, allegedly to strengthen the Europe-US axis against communism.

The annual gatherings are believed to bring together dozens of political and economic leaders, royalty, and business tycoons from Europe, the United States and Canada.

More than 350 police were guarding the luxury hotel located outside central Sitges, where access roads were cordoned off, the press and the public were kept away as the four-day meeting was beginning on Thursday, the daily El Pais reported.

Secrecy surrounded the guest list, but press leaks mentioned such names as former US Federal Reserve chairman and current presidential advisor Paul Volcker, Austrian President Heinz Fischer, European Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia and Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

Other guests include World Trade Organization Director Pascal Lamy, European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet, the banker David Rockefeller and Dutch Queen Beatrix, according to the unconfirmed reports.

Spanish diplomatic sources confirmed the attendance of Spain's Queen Sofia and Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who was expected to try to convince the decision-makers about the solidity of Spain's economy.

The discussions were to deal with a range of issues including the question whether the euro would survive, Afghanistan, Iran, Russia, terrorism, and Japan's economy, according to an agenda made public by Bilderberg researcher Daniel Estulin.

Dozens of anti-globalization demostrators Thursday gathered on the road leading to the hotel hosting the meeting of the club, which Estulin sees as trying to centralize global economic power.

Others see the Bilderberg group as merely influencing official economic forums and financial markets, while some say its ambitions are even more modest.

Copyright DPA