EU politics

[thedarkproject]

I'll be quite glad if the whole European Union project goes belly-up as a result of all the recent wrangling. We have the current EU president saying that the constitution will not be renegotiated - despite France and Holland, quite important countries, voting against it - and in fact claiming that "I really believe neither the French nor the Dutch rejected the constitutional treaty".

Now, as I understand it, the wording of the French referendum was "Approuvez-vous le projet de loi qui autorise la ratification du traité établissant une Constitution pour l'Europe? " which is essentially, 'do you approve of the bill authorising the ratification of the European constitution?' The Dutch version was "Bent U voor of tegen instemming door Nederland met het verdrag tot vaststelling van een grondwet voor Europa?" which Wikipedia tells me means "Are you for or against approval by the Netherlands of the treaty establishing a constitution for Europe?" (Is that right, spillher?)

Both seem pretty clear to me, but no, Mr Juncker - current president of the EU and Prime Minister of Luxembourg, a country right next to France and not far from Holland - is claiming the people didn't vote the way that they did. Whether you are for the European Union or against it, is that the sort of politician you want in power - one who refuses to take not one but two national referendums seriously?

And on top of that we have the French saying that they want the EU to stop paying Britain's rebate, which was created to offset the fact that we get very little back in terms of agricultural subsidy, yet are utterly unwilling to make any concessions with regards to the disproportionate amount of such subsidies that go to their farmers. France isn't a poor Eastern European country, it's just one that refuses to reform its industry and is happier for others to subsidise it.

Why do we do all this? It seems like a tremendous waste of cash and a source of limitless antagonism, over someone's impractical utopian dream.

Comments

[soldatengrab.livejournal.com]

I have to add, this constitution, should remove itself from what it is, and work as an american style (horrific to say I know) constitution, guaranteeing certain freedoms and rights to citizens of europe and binding them together, under the same flag, as brothers.

[lost-in-moose.livejournal.com]

Yes ok, a lightweight upper legal set of principles that ensure basic human rights, and a harder more closely defined set of laws that uphold those principles but tailored at the national level for each country.

Thus ensuring that national differences and opinions are respected but at the same time enforcing decent human behaviour with the reward being better trade arangements that benefit those within the EU.

The problem is that isn't what the EU constitution proposes. Thus it is cack.

[soldatengrab.livejournal.com]

agreed, so we are all in favour then, bring in the EU constitution of human rights!

[njaard.livejournal.com]

The US has a bill of rights guaranteeing us various rights that my stupid government is more than happy to ignore when it suits them.

The UN decrees fundamental human rights that all of our governments ignore whenever it suits them.

[thedarkproject]

The problem is, where do you stop with the rights? I'm sure many European countries would be happy to say "Humans have the right to not be asked to work more than 35hrs per week", knowing full well that they generally meet this requirement and Britain does not.

(Incidentally, I am actually in favour of shorter working hours, but not in favour of a majority across Europe imposing a rule upon us here.)

As you imply, we should probably concentrate more on enforcing the rights we already set up. The amount of hypocrisy shown during the Iraq war was very sad. (eg. parading of Iraqi prisoners was considered a useful tool to end the resistance, but any parading of alliance prisoners brought frenzied mentions of the Geneva Convention from our politicians.)

[lost-in-moose.livejournal.com]

I'm in favour of shorter working hours and higher national minimum wage! Whilst simultaneously lowering the dole!

All in favour of 4 day weeks and servants we can all afford say aye! :D

[lost-in-moose.livejournal.com]

Well kinda, i mean i'm in favour of the Carrot and Stick approach for getting people to agree and abide by some kind of convention on human rights, but like Njaard pointed out the UN already has that and we ignore it, especially the US and UK with the whole holding prisoners without charge thing.

My problem with the EU Constitution is that it isn't about human rights, it's to wide ranging and affects too many things that are the basis of our various nations diversity.

I think that in it's current form it would be bad for the UK and most of the rest of Europe to signup too. Too wide ranging in scope whilst also removing the ability for individual nations to veto the parts of it that dont suit their culture.