FOLLOWING THE EUROPEAN UNION

I appreciate the quality line of discussion in this thread. It also introduces me to topics not explored in our regional papers. Thanks again.

0 Replies

Quote:

Prague - An ally of eurosceptic Czech President Vaclav Klaus launched a political party that aims to campaign against the European Union's Lisbon Treaty and run in June's European Parliament polls. The party's leading founder Petr Mach, 33, a former aide to the president, chairs the Centre for Economics and Politics, a free- market thinktank founded by Klaus.
Mach said his Free Citizen's Party is not a branch of the pan- European Libertas movement, established by controversial Irish businessman Declan Ganley, but is ready to cooperate with it.

... ... ...

Source/Full report: dpa via Earth Times

0 Replies

The big question: how serious is the poltitical unrest on the continent and can it be calmed?

0 Replies

Switzerland said "Yes" again their a pro-European path:

Polls closed at noon local time on today in Switzerland and a majority of voters agreed to renew an agreement allowing European Union citizens to work in Switzerland, and vice versa. The referendum also enlarges Switzerland’s relationship with the EU by including the new EU states Bulgaria and Romania in the agreement.

Nearly 60% of votes are 'pro' according to first official results released through the Swiss news agency ATS.

0 Replies

This past Sunday, Europe voted for its parliament. The turnout was the lowest ever; the moderate left lost badly; the center right more or less held their ground; big gains for extremist parties, especially on the right.

Overview of the results

Commentary in the Economist

1 Reply

@Thomas,

Are the US and Europe permanently out of phase with each other ?

2 Replies

@georgeob1,

So it seems.

Now the European liberals cannot go fingerpointing on reactionary Americans... and right wing Americans cannot go ablast on those
"Socialist" Europeans.

That is the only good outcome of those terrible Euroelections.

1 Reply

By the way, where is nimh now that we need his electoral graphs?

1 Reply

@fbaezer,

Well I wouldn't want to permanently give up bashing Europeans.

Why do you believe the result is terrible? It seems to me that the outcome is merely symptomatic of the fact that the EU has been accumulating power and rationalizing its structures and processes, and doing so through executive and administrative processes (i.e. the Lisbon Treaty) instead of (and occasionally in defiance of) electoral processes. The voters may merely be expressing their dissatisfaction with an excessively self-absorbed institution.

1 Reply

@georgeob1,

georgeob1 wrote:

The voters may merely be expressing their dissatisfaction with an excessively self-absorbed institution.

I don't think so.

At least, it wasn't done in general nor in all 27 countries.
Mainly, in my opinion, it was often a vote totally not directed to the EU-parliament (and that's what was the election about) but
- against local/regional/state governments
- against the 'mainstream' parties in countries' parliaments
- against the government
- a combination of all.

Why, George, do you think that the EU-parliament is "an excessive self-absorbing institution"? Any examples (besides the two parliamentary locations)?

1 Reply

@Walter Hinteler,

Walter Hinteler wrote:

Why, George, do you think that the EU-parliament is "an excessive self-absorbing institution"? Any examples (besides the two parliamentary locations)?

My comment wasn't addressed to the EU Parliament specifically, but rather to the institution as a whole. The regulatory and legislative reach of the EU government into the lives on people across the continent has increased substantially over the past decade, and I assume there might be some reaction to the effort to implement the current/next stage of growth of EU governance through a treaty designed to bypass the previous electoral process.

I recognize that the conventional wisdom is that the election result represents a degree of dissatisfaction with existing national governments. Certainly to a degree this is true. However, it seems likely to me (a fairly distant observer) that there may be more to it than just that.

1 Reply

@georgeob1,

georgeob1 wrote:

My comment wasn't addressed to the EU Parliament specifically, but rather to the institution as a whole. The regulatory and legislative reach of the EU government into the lives on people across the continent has increased substantially over the past decade, and I assume there might be some reaction to the effort to implement the current/next stage of growth of EU governance through a treaty designed to bypass the previous electoral process.

Well, it was the election for EU parliament. And that institution really is one of the most powerful legislatures in the world.

The Commissioners of the EU Commission (the "government") are appointed by the member-states; the President by the EU-Council and then
officially "elected" by the European Parliament.

1 Reply

Realistic as hell, George wrote:

Well I wouldn't want to permanently give up bashing Europeans.

In that hobby, George, you give the full measure of your true potential..

1 Reply

@fbaezer,

My take on the European elections is here:

A depressing morning after in Europe

2 Replies

@georgeob1,

Well, it's certainly a novel, and somewhat disconcerting experience to have to look at US politics in envy, wishing our politicians showed the kind of ambition and at least moderately left-looking vision the Obama administration is demonstrating.

I think this is the first time in my life that I like the look of American politics better than that of European politics - a lot better, even. You guys have overtaken us, for example in dealing with the economic crisis. Europe's in a right-wing rut.

0 Replies

@Walter Hinteler,

Walter Hinteler wrote:

[.................The Commissioners of the EU Commission (the "government") are appointed by the member-states; the President by the EU-Council and then
officially "elected" by the European Parliament.

Walter - do you really mean what you say " President [is appointed] by the EU-Council and then officially "elected" by the European Parliament" as a comedy line, or as description of the truth?

I know it to be the truth, which would account for the indifference of EU voters: the EU Parliament rubberstamps the candidate already shoehorned in to the President position, right? Reminds me of old Soviet elections, where 99.99% of voters would "then officially elect" the Politburo's candidate! As a noted German author once noted, under communism, if you don't like the results of the election, you have to get a new people Smile

1 Reply

@nimh,

Depressing indeed, nihm.

(georgeob1, this is what I meant by terrible results)

1 Reply

@fbaezer,

fbaezer wrote:

Depressing indeed, nihm.

(georgeob1, this is what I meant by terrible results)

Depressing? Terrible results?? Who says Smile

http://media.economist.com/images/na/2009w24/Socialists_Top.jpg

1 Reply

@High Seas,

Well that's a relict from the old ECC times.

And certainly, none of the 27 member states' governments wants to change this.
(The parliament still could say "no", so.)

There nothing similar to communist states: it's no government but a commission (with 27 commissioners), and it's the President of the European Commission ...

Such only can change with the Lisbon Treaty.

0 Replies

@High Seas,

I bet you didn't read nimh's link.

The results are depressing not because of the fall of the socialists (which was expected, anyway) or the rise of the conservatives. They are depressing because of the gigantic surge of the far far right.
And the European far far right is not your typical born-again Christian Huckabee Republican, mind you!

2 Replies

FOLLOWING THE EUROPEAN UNION

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know