At a public conference in Brussels last month The European Council Commission President Herman Van Rompuy, said directly electing the European Commission President at the 2014 EU elections would "organise the disappointment in advance". He went on to say that electing his own successor would be "even more absurd".
He was speaking at the self-appointed Future of Europe Group which consists of the foreign ministers of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Spain.
The 11 ministers had made a proposal to increase the democratic legitimacy by suggesting each political party nominates a top candidate for the next EP elections who would also stand for the post of Commission President.
Van Rompuy rejected the idea saying:
“I said it in New York: you give this man or this woman a huge legitimacy. But if you keep the same competence for the top job, you organise the disappointment in advance,”
What he means by that poli-speak is unclear to me. He continued: "If this is not going hand in hand with large powers for the Commission, then forget it."
During his speech he said "There are no 27 egoists around the table."
That's when I realised, once again, the EU is not for the good of the many but the few.
source
…the EU is not for the good of the many but the few.
ReplyDelete…and that is why I am so disillusioned by the SNP’s blustering and blethering insistence that an independent Scotland be part of this nonsensical bureaucratic gravy-train.
Let’s just get the hell out of the EU, and the sooner the better.
Seconded.
ReplyDeleteCR.
Every time I see your lovely doggie I smile JRB. The bad news is that I've more to come this week re the EU.
ReplyDeleteThirded Ranty. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm rather hoping the SNP are saying they things they do about the EU in the context of their policy of not 'rocking the boat.'
ReplyDeleteAfter 2015/6 we'll be well be given the choice.
Not keen on it myself any more.
Let's see how well they react to the Spanish Fly in their ointment.
ReplyDeleteperhaps they have other pots for Balm's?
"But if you keep the same competence for the top job, you organise the disappointment in advance,"
ReplyDeleteSounds like "I am an idiot and if you elect me I will still be an idiot so I may as well remain an appointed idiot"
Seems that we would be well out of both rancid circuses, once clear we should with common sense be able to have Scotland Free and beholden to no other country and competently able to come to honest bilateral agreements which are to the benefit of all.
ReplyDeleteOne prays that this will be the future for Scotland.
Voting for the country to remain in slavery is stupid.
You get the chance of freedom, do what every other people and country
have done, TAKE IT.Just hope we have Statesmen up to and able to use it to the benefit of Scotland and its people. You won't get another chance.
I rather hope that too pa_broon, but somehow I think they really believe full membership will benefit us.
ReplyDeletePerhaps Crinkly, perhaps.
ReplyDeleteMy translation too WY. Strange way to talk really, even in poli-speak.
ReplyDeleteVery true Apogee, we won't get another chance.
ReplyDeleteJRB, Captain Ranty, et all...
ReplyDeleteIt is the SNP's stance on EU membership that will ensure a No vote in 2014. There are too many reasons to be sceptical of the "European project" for sceptisism to be dismissed as "Little Englander nonsense". This is yet another reason.
Agreed Alan.
ReplyDeleteSigned 'et al' :)