Jerry wrote:
“David - isn't ... well ... just a teeny weeny bit hysterical to equate Europe with totalitarianism, loss of freedom, and the end of democracy? Irresponsible even.”
- Perhaps its the end of the kind of democracy we’ve been used to. The Italian President spelled it out earlier this year when saying the EU is not a superstate but instead “a new form of democracy”.
If we really do now have a new form of democracy, don’t you think people should be asked whether it’s okay with them?
Just to demonstrate I’m not talking out of my arse, Jerry, one concrete example of this new democracy that worries me… Paragraph 12 of last week’s EU ‘mandate’ confirms the European Council’s “transformation into an institution”.
So what?
The European Council has formerly been an informal body composed of individual heads of state (and, more recently, foreign ministers too). In becoming a formal institution, the EU Council now shares the same objectives as the EU Commission, Parliament and Court of Justice - namely to promote the EU’s “values; advance its objectives; serve its interests, those of its citizens and those of Member States; and ensure the consistency, effectiveness and continuity of its policies and actions".
What’s there to worry about?
Read it again. The words are in that order on purpose - they're reiterating the EU pecking order. When meeting at the EU as part of the European Council, Gordon Brown will now be required to serve the interests of the EU first, the EU citizenry second and the UK third. When meeting as part of the EU’s ‘cabinet’ then, his primary loyalty will have to be with the EU, not the people at home who elected him.
That’s one aspect of our “new form of democracy”. Maybe it’s a good thing, maybe it isn’t. I doubt we’ll have a chance to vote on it though. |
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 |