The EU has its pros and cons. Maybe the political elites and civil servants really do know what’s good for us. With the challenges ahead, an EU pooling of sovereignty may or may not be the way to go. It would be good, however, if the nationally elected representatives around the EU were more open about their ultimate aims.
Angela Merkel, for example, tried to keep the project’s next steps secret in a letter to fellow EU leaders.
At least Valéry Giscard d’Estaing - author of the EU Constitution and former French President - has been more transparent. Writing recently in Le Monde, the main thrust of his argument was that, since the French and Dutch people had rejected the Constitution, its key elements should now be broken up into treaties and signed off at government level.
In d’Estaing’s own words, changes to the Constitution would only be “cosmetic”. Making clear the mechanism for doing this, he stated:
“The most innovative elements will be the object of simple amendments to the Maastricht and Nice treaties. The technical improvements would be regrouped into a bland and painless treaty. The sum of these texts will be presented to parliaments, which will vote on them separately. Thus public opinion will be led to adopt, without knowing it, the proposals that we dare not present to them ‘directly’.”
Get that? The future course of the EU – the future course of 27 countries – dare not be presented to the people directly. It’ll be done in stages, behind the scenes.
Last week’s negotiations set a ‘mandate’ for the next stage, to be discussed in an Intergovernmental Conference in July. |
| Topic | Date Posted | Posted By |
| Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ? | 23/06/07 18:27:00 | David Giles |
| Re:Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ? | 23/06/07 18:42:00 | Jerry Makides |
| Re:Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ? | 23/06/07 18:46:00 | Jan Jarvis |
| Re:Re:Ireland to hold Referendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ? | 23/06/07 18:49:00 | David Giles |
| Re:Re:Re:Ireland to hold Referendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ? | 23/06/07 19:06:00 | Helen Fogarth |
| Re:Re:Re:Ireland to hold Referendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ? | 23/06/07 19:10:00 | Jan Jarvis |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Ireland to hold Referendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ? | 23/06/07 19:17:00 | David Giles |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Ireland to hold Referendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ? | 23/06/07 22:02:00 | Jan Jarvis |
| media manipulation | 23/06/07 22:18:00 | Jerry Makides |
| Re:media manipulation | 25/06/07 11:18:00 | David Giles |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Ireland to hold Referendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ? | 25/06/07 12:23:00 | David Giles |
| Re:Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ? | 24/06/07 09:24:00 | Peter G Boardman |
| Re:Re:Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ? | 24/06/07 10:21:00 | Peter John |
| Re:Re:Re:Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ? | 24/06/07 22:03:00 | Richard Greenhough |
| Re:Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ? | 25/06/07 12:36:00 | Will Watson |
| Re:Re:Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ? | 25/06/07 13:46:00 | Richard Greenhough |
| Re:Re:Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ? | 25/06/07 13:54:00 | Helen Fogarth |
| After Iraq, can we trust Blair anymore ? | 25/06/07 14:28:00 | David Giles |
| Re:After Iraq, can we trust Blair anymore ? | 25/06/07 14:49:00 | Jonathan Bingham |
| Re:Re:After Iraq, can we trust Blair anymore ? | 25/06/07 17:09:00 | David Giles |
| Re:Re:Re:After Iraq, can we trust Blair anymore ? | 25/06/07 17:24:00 | Will Watson |
| Re:A form of democracy | 25/06/07 17:44:00 | Richard Greenhough |
| Re:Re:A form of democracy | 25/06/07 17:56:00 | Will Watson |
| Re:After Iraq, can we trust Blair anymore ? | 25/06/07 17:50:00 | John Mc Cann |
| Re:Re:After Iraq, can we trust Blair anymore ? | 25/06/07 17:53:00 | Richard Greenhough |
| Re:Re:Re:Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ? | 25/06/07 14:31:00 | Will Watson |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ? | 25/06/07 14:37:00 | Fraser Pearce |
| A shift in sovereignty | 25/06/07 14:54:00 | Fraser Pearce |
| “The proposals that we dare not present to them directly” | 25/06/07 15:11:00 | Fraser Pearce |
| “Psychological terrorists” and the “new form of democracy” | 25/06/07 15:29:00 | Fraser Pearce |
| Britain has not had a Referendum on Europe since 6th June 1975 | 25/06/07 18:12:00 | David Giles |
| Re:Britain has not had a Referendum on Europe since 6th June 1975 | 25/06/07 19:53:00 | Guy Lambert |
| Same old conservatives | 26/06/07 09:15:00 | Stephen Thornton |
| It's not about the Conservatives | 26/06/07 11:27:00 | Fraser Pearce |
| Re:Same old conservatives | 26/06/07 13:19:00 | David Giles |
| Re:Re:Same old conservatives | 26/06/07 14:00:00 | Stephen Thornton |
| Re:Re:Re:Same old conservatives | 26/06/07 16:53:00 | David Giles |
| Re:What we voted on in 1975 | 26/06/07 14:19:00 | Richard Greenhough |
| The devil's in the detail | 26/06/07 16:40:00 | Fraser Pearce |
| It maybe called a Treaty but its the same Constitution | 26/06/07 20:38:00 | David Giles |
| Re:It maybe called a Treaty but its the same Constitution | 26/06/07 21:56:00 | John Mc Cann |
| Re:Re:It maybe called a Treaty but its the same Constitution | 26/06/07 22:20:00 | David Giles |
| Re:Re:Re:It maybe called a Treaty but its the same Constitution | 26/06/07 23:01:00 | Jerry Makides |
| Re:It maybe called a Treaty but its the same Constitution | 27/06/07 08:57:00 | Guy Lambert |
| Responding to Jerry: “The end of democracy” | 27/06/07 12:17:00 | Fraser Pearce |
| Responding to Jerry: “totalitarianism” | 27/06/07 12:27:00 | Fraser Pearce |
| Responding to Jerry: “Loss of freedom” | 27/06/07 12:36:00 | Fraser Pearce |
| Responding to Jerry: The EU, prosperity and peace in Europe | 27/06/07 12:54:00 | Fraser Pearce |
| Re:Re:It maybe called a Treaty but its the same Constitution | 27/06/07 12:59:00 | David Giles |
| Re:Re:Re:It maybe called a Treaty but its the same Constitution | 27/06/07 13:17:00 | Fraser Pearce |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:It maybe called a Treaty but its the same Constitution | 27/06/07 15:55:00 | Guy Lambert |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:It maybe called a Treaty but its the same Constitution | 27/06/07 18:02:00 | David Giles |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:It maybe called a Treaty but its the same Constitution | 27/06/07 18:53:00 | Fraser Pearce |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:It maybe called a Treaty but its the same Constitution | 27/06/07 21:39:00 | Guy Lambert |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:It maybe called a Treaty but its the same Constitution | 27/06/07 21:47:00 | John Mc Cann |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:It maybe called a Treaty but its the same Constitution | 27/06/07 21:52:00 | David Giles |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:It maybe called a Treaty but its the same Constitution | 27/06/07 22:03:00 | John Mc Cann |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:It maybe called a Treaty but its the same Constitution | 27/06/07 22:54:00 | Guy Lambert |
| Legal opinion wanted | 27/06/07 23:16:00 | Peter John |
| Re:Legal opinion wanted | 27/06/07 23:40:00 | John Mc Cann |
| Re:Re:Legal opinion wanted | 28/06/07 09:57:00 | Fraser Pearce |
| Re:Re:Re:Legal opinion wanted | 28/06/07 10:52:00 | Fraser Pearce |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Legal opinion wanted | 28/06/07 12:36:00 | Colin Jordan |
| The threat to the British Constitution and Parliament | 28/06/07 17:46:00 | David Giles |
| Re:The threat to the British Constitution and Parliament | 28/06/07 22:33:00 | Guy Lambert |
| Re:Re:The threat to the British Constitution and Parliament | 29/06/07 00:05:00 | David Giles |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Legal opinion wanted | 29/06/07 11:08:00 | David Giles |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Legal opinion wanted | 29/06/07 12:22:00 | Fraser Pearce |
| A Good Week to Bury Really Bad News | 29/06/07 17:59:00 | David Giles |
| Labour Party calls for Referendum | 30/06/07 17:22:00 | David Giles |
| Trade Union calls for Referendum | 11/07/07 20:24:00 | David Giles |
| Re:Trade Union calls for Referendum | 16/10/07 22:02:00 | David Giles |
| Re:Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ? | 04/07/07 19:35:00 | Peter G Boardman |
| Re:Re:Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ? | 04/07/07 20:36:00 | Helen Fogarth |
| Re:Re:Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ? | 04/07/07 22:25:00 | Will Watson |
| Re:Re:Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ? | 05/07/07 08:25:00 | Peter John |
| Re:Re:Re:Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ? | 05/07/07 18:46:00 | David Giles |
| EU to pay Wine Producers to give up producing bad wine | 06/07/07 18:14:00 | David Giles |
| For Guy: France, Germany and the stability pact | 12/07/07 11:19:00 | Fraser Pearce |
| Re:For Guy: France, Germany and the stability pact | 12/07/07 12:22:00 | Guy Lambert |
| Britain's Seat on the UN Security Council | 05/08/07 20:07:00 | David Giles |
| Re:Britain's Seat on the UN Security Council | 05/08/07 20:29:00 | Colin Jordan |
| Re:Re:For Guy: France, Germany and the stability pact | 06/08/07 15:12:00 | David Giles |
| Can we trust Gordon Brown on this issue ? | 15/10/07 18:36:00 | David Giles |
| Referendum | 17/10/07 09:22:00 | Brendan McCarthy |