Axis of Quibbles

Seems the EU is not quite Utopia and comity is fast disappearing amidst the elbowing for control:

Fischer warns of constitution power struggle Joschka Fischer, Germany's foreign minister, has warned Poland and Spain that they risk splitting the European Union unless they back down in the power struggle over the new EU constitution.

Mr Fischer warned that the constitution, due to be finalised next week, would be a failure unless member states agreed a new voting system, giving big countries such as Germany more power.

Mr Fischer believes the "double majority" voting system, opposed by smaller countries such as Spain and Poland, is vital to stop the EU decision-making process from seizing up.

Double majority? A few member states with twice the power? This is the sophisticated Republic/Commonwealth model we should immulate?

Referendum demands from Helsinki to Athens

"Let the people decide on the EU Constitution in fair referenda" will be the message of the European Referendum Campaign (ERC). The message will be spread by activists from Helsinki to Athens, and Lisbon to Bucharest.

The ERC is supported by 250 organisations from 28 European countries - representing more than 4.5 million members. The organisation is demanding that the EU Constitution be decided by referenda in all the countries concerned.

Whoa! Vox Populi? Democracy theatens to break out in Europe. Maybe not.

States that reject treaty may have to leave EU, says Prodi Denis Staunton in Brussels

The president of the European Commission, Mr Romano Prodi, has said any country which rejected Europe's new constitutional treaty might have to leave the European Union. In an interview with The Irish Times, Mr Prodi says that one member-state cannot be allowed to sink the treaty.

"Taxation is a national matter in all the fields that are under national discipline but in the fields that are under European discipline, you must have a European-level decision. In this case, it's not between citizens and member-states but between citizens and the proper authority. That is, in this case, the European Union," said Mr Prodi.

The PROPER AUTHORITY. ...the one with double voting weight for a few member states.

Monti hits at 'selfish' Paris and Berlin

Mario Monti, one of the European Commission's most senior members, said yesterday a selfish Franco-German alliance had "killed" the EU's stability pact.

Mr Monti told Financial Times Deutschland the Franco-German axis could not always be trusted to act in the general European interest.

The EU competition commissioner said France and Germany appeared to think they were too powerful to be bound by the eurozone's fiscal rules.

His comments will fuel the debate about the future division of power between the EU's big and small countries, which will reach a peak at next week's Brussels summit, when leaders try to agree a new constitution

The decision was widely condemned for sending the signal that larger member states can do what they want when it suits them.

Selfish?! Surely a mistake has been made! France is the epitome of sophistication and civilization...is it not? This wouldn't quite as enjoyable if not for the overblown rhetoric and nose rubbing we've received from our "betters" in Europe.

Posted by feste at December 4, 2003 05:15 PM | TrackBack