Thread: EU Positions Announced

Originally Posted by Iolis

Get an education!

Oh do grow up. Answer the questions.

I can understand the desire for a referendum, as a mechanism to voice a position, but referenda are not legally binding here in the UK: If the vote went against the Lisbon, the Govt. could quite happily tell you to feck off, No we still going through with it.

Fair enough they will go bye bye in the next, very rapid election, but who is to say that the next govt will not behave in the same way. All parties have shown themselves to be equally mendacious in getting what they want against the will of the electorate.

As Iolis has been highlighting continously the institutions of the EU are far more democratic than our own, an EU citizen has more recourse to liberty and justice than a British subject.

I would rather see Britain at the head of a vibrant EU, than cast adrift as everbodies doormat.

I'm just curious as to what say I have had on the way the EU has developed since I was in nappies? I live in The Netherlands and voted no to the constitution, they didn't bother to ask me the second time round, democratic, yes of course it is. Otherwise they would have let me say no this time. But we can't have that, the gravy train might slow down.

It's not just the UK that don't particularly like the expansion of this juggernaut you know.

So if I have followed this thread correctly, our choices appear to be either to leave Europe and hope the USA will not keep us from trading with Asia, have a revolt and become a democracy, or become enthusiastic Europeans and hope for the best because that is the path of least resistance. Personally I am just glad that Tony Blair did not become the first President of Europe, perhaps that will be the most fitting punishment for lying to us. And may I be the first to say it - Long Live Rumpy Pumpy!

Originally Posted by rampant

As Iolis has been highlighting continously the institutions of the EU are far more democratic than our own, an EU citizen has more recourse to liberty and justice than a British subject.

So 'we' have a 'President' and we had no say in who they are or how they were elected or what powers they have?

Sounds about on par with the state of play in the UK.

We're being fucked good and proper and you're saying essentially that at least you get a bit of lube with the EU?

FFS there are some people here who aren't zombified by the TV.

Whatever verbal assurances you give me aren't worth fuck all. Show me, demonstrate in some meaningful fashion that we are anything other than a taxable resource.

Presumably this also means that we have to replace our representative in Brussels at the commission, any bets as to who will be elevated to the Lords to fill this role?

A win-win for Brown on the question of Patronage, and presumably it will be someone diagonally opposed to the Conservative ethos, to ensure that no easy relationship exists between any potential future Tory administration in Parliament, and the European Commission.

Originally Posted by Ord_Sgt

Originally Posted by Iolis

Get an education!

Oh do grow up. Answer the questions.

An exercise in argumentum ad ignoratium since you appear to have difficulty keeping up dear boy!

I bet Tony's a bit annoyed all that selling of our sovereignty down the river and no presidency. :D

Originally Posted by bobthedog

Presumably this also means that we have to replace our representative in Brussels at the commission, any bets as to who will be elevated to the Lords to fill this role?

A win-win for Brown on the question of Patronage, and presumably it will be someone diagonally opposed to the Conservative ethos, to ensure that no easy relationship exists between any potential future Tory administration in Parliament, and the European Commission.

A good question. The tenure of the Commission actually came to an end on 31 October but the election process was held up because of the delay in ratification of the Lisbon Treaty by the Czech Repubic.

At the moment, a caretaker Commission is minding the shop.

The hearings of the commissioners by Members of the European Parliament is expected to start on 11 January and last for two weeks. If there are no major hiccups, the plenary will then vote on the entire college at the end of January.

MEPs cannot outright veto a candidate but in 2004 they gained a political foothold when they managed to pressure Mr Barroso to have the Italian commissioner withdrawn.

On 13 November, the European Peoples Party holding the largest number of seats in the Parliament (288 out of 736) issued a position paper of what they expect from a new Commission. It appears that the EPP will not tolerate the selection by the member states of Commissioners tainted by a corrupt Communist past.

The United Kingdom, France and Germany have yet to name their candidates for the post but I would have thought that Padddy Ashdown would make an excellent Commissioner if given a suitable portfolio commensurate with his experience in the former Yugoslavia.

A few member states, including Finland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia, Spain and Slovakia, have either officially re-nominated the same commissioner or are thought likely to do so. Malta's Joe Borg would like to stay on in Brussels while Denmark's climate minister, Connie Hedegaard, may be heading to the EU capital. France is reportedly deliberating between Michel Barnier, former commissioner and current MEP, and Christine Lagarde, the highly respected economy minister. Ireland is deliberating between former president of the European Parliament Pat Cox and former justice minister Máire Geoghegan-Quinn.

Originally Posted by fantassin

"The CIA has predicted...." now that's a funny line.....they wouldn't be able to predict on what day Christmas will be so leave the CIA out of that if you want to be taken seriously.

And Van Rompuy is against the entry of Turkey in the EU ? I did not know that but I already like the man !

Finally, I think you should stop harbouring any hope that there is still "a special relationship" between the UK and the USA. Since 2003, you have been shafted time and again being Uncle Sam's bitch, losing ground all around the world just to be in his good books and you still haven't understood....time to realize the Channel is actually narrower than the Atlantic....

Still chaffes you froggies arses that when you ask the Yanks for the coolest big boys toys they tell you to FOAD! :D

Guchhi nuclear bomb technology courtesy of the 1958 US–UK Mutual Defence Agreement , Trident, rather nifty joint intelligence gathering network that only English speakers can join and spies on you lot…

ECHELON may not be your friend, and you'll never be allowed to join the club.

Originally Posted by Ord_Sgt

Originally Posted by fantassin

"The CIA has predicted...." now that's a funny line.....they wouldn't be able to predict on what day Christmas will be so leave the CIA out of that if you want to be taken seriously.

And Van Rompuy is against the entry of Turkey in the EU ? I did not know that but I already like the man !

Finally, I think you should stop harbouring any hope that there is still "a special relationship" between the UK and the USA. Since 2003, you have been shafted time and again being Uncle Sam's bitch, losing ground all around the world just to be in his good books and you still haven't understood....time to realize the Channel is actually narrower than the Atlantic....

Oh the irony :D

Oh yes!!!!!!

Originally Posted by Ord_Sgt

How does this Island Kingdom stand by itself as a viable economic entity?

Well we get in with the biggest game in town, and that ain't the EU, and never will be.

Yep, even the EU accepts Europe is going into decline this century both in population and GDP's…

Meanwhile, the population of the USA will climb to 450 Million by 2045 and their GDP will be massive.

Personally, I'd stick with the other Anglosphere countries we originally created that are set fair to do rather well in this century rather than hitch a ride on a sinking EuroShip.

Baroness Ashton ticks all the right EU boxes
Just because you have never heard of her, that does not mean that Baroness Ashton, the new EU foreign minister, is negligible, says Gerald Warner.

Published: 9:44AM GMT 20 Nov 2009


Bang go the reputations of Metternich and Talleyrand. European diplomacy has a dynamic new exponent and it is none other than Baroness Ashton of Upholland (not, apparently, a derogatory remark made about the Netherlands No voters in their Lisbon Treaty referendum), the newly anointed High Representative for Foreign Affairs of the European Union.

And, wow, does this lady tick all the boxes. Just because you have never heard of her, that does not mean she is negligible.

Hers is a CV to die for.

Her first political office was as vice-chairman of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament; now she is in charge of European security policy.

As Director of Business in the Community she worked with business to abolish inequality (that is why she is a baroness, unlike less equal people).

From there she rose to global realpolitik, chairing Hertfordshire Health Authority, not to mention the board of governors of her children’s school.

After that, her career went stratospheric as she became successively Vice President of the National Council for One Parent Families (an iconic post, that),

Leader of the House of Lords (thus successfully abolishing at least her own inequality)

and UK European Commissioner in succession to the Grand Duke Mandy.

She was also voted Politician of the Year by Stonewall, thus reinforcing her PC credentials.

Now comes the final apotheosis, as successor to Richelieu, Bonaparte and Bismarck in shaping the destinies of Europe.

What’s not to like? From a Eurofederalist, right-on, PC, anti-Little Englander point of view? But the more discerning observers will already have noted the Baroness’s supreme qualification for Europower and endorsement by the elite: she is totally untainted by any experience of democratic election at any stage in her career – unless you are small-minded enough to count her coronation by EU leaders as a momentary brush with a miniscule ballot box. Horses for courses: this serial appointee is custom-made for high EU office


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...-EU-boxes.html

The hideous Hewitt wants to be a Commissar, so does the hapless Hoon so well loved by the military.

I just hope Cameron pulls the rug from under the feet of these Eurotwerps and bins the whole shambolic farce!

Don't say it can't be done - we have stood alone before. Some fences to mend with our long-suffering Commonwealth cousins and sit back and watch Euroswineland implode under its own corruption and bureaucracy - not to mention its plethora of languages, uncommon cultures, differing histories and ill-concealed 'national' agenda.

Originally Posted by fantassin

Why ridiculous ? because he's a belgian ? the amount of slur coming from the UK and addressed at this poor guy who seems to be a very decent, hard working bloke is frankly amazing; if you aren't happy with the EU, especially after having knocked on its door for ages, just get the fcuk out and stop moaning FFS !

Given the chance the British people would be off like a shot. The traitors in Whitehall are too in thrall to their european masters to allow it.