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Spiffor
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CPA - Evil Clone brigade
Nov 2001
time: 06:32
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quote:
Originally posted by Sprayber
I get the impression that the EU is an attempt by European nations to create a mini-United Nations. One in which only they can be apart of. Same lofty goals and with the same determination to keep it from ever meaning much of anything when it conflicts with national interests. |
On economic matters, the EU is a very serious thing. member-states have no sovereignity at all when it comes to trade negociations, and they all have to follow the EU's common position. Individual government shape this common position by haggling, but once it's decided, everyone has to stick to it. This is why the EU is generally strongly for open markets worldwide, but still keeps agro subsidies - you can say it's the result of a French-British (or more precisely, a compromise between countries favorable to free-trade, and countries rather opposed to them).
Countries that use the Euro as their currency have no sovereignity at all in their monetary policy. The aims of the Central Bank have been carved in stone at some EU meeting, and everyone has to abide by the decisions of the Central Bank, which follows those aims.
Wim Duisenberg in the past, and now Jean Claude Trichet are the leaders of the ECB, and are as important to all Europeans as Alan Greenspan to you Yanks.
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Monk
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I don't think we're in Brønshøj anymore
Jan 1970
time: 06:32
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I could be wrong of course but I think Europeans like the idea of having a larger political unit but are secretly determined to keep national power for as long as possible.
Correct. Now, the European governments, on the other hand...
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BeBro
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of the Krauts
Mar 2000
time: 06:32
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quote:
Originally posted by Sprayber
I could be wrong of course but I think Europeans like the idea of having a larger political unit but are secretly determined to keep national power for as long as possible.
That or the goverments are delibertly going slow to let people get used to the idea of their nations slowly turning into mere provences.
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The problem is that there are so much different views what the EU should be - for some it should be a superstate, for some a lose union, some go rather for the economic aspects, some for the political - and then there are the pure Euro idealists who simply like the project of a unified Europe.
It is not even clear between the single govts. what the course should be (and that will not change soon), so every decision is only done after a long search for a compromise, and often that compromise is not the best solution.
However, IMO there are clear reasons for the EU, despite all its problems with bureaucracy, lack of transparency, sometimes also lack of democracy in certain decision-making procedures. I also think we don´t have big alternatives as Europeans, I certainly cannot imagine a Europe that goes back to the pre-war situation without any elements of supranational politics. That would mean a lot more serious political or economical conflicts within Europe than those we have now in the EU.
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C0ckney
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Big Up The Macedonian Massive
Apr 2000
time: 05:32
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quote:
So far, the Common Foreign and Security Policy (I have no idea what the English acronym is) belongs to what is called the "third pillar" of the EU, i.e its organization doesn't share anything with the rest of the EU's organization. There is a man at its helm, named Javier Solana. The thing has basically no other use than to articulate European foreign policies when possible (i.e when there is a consensus among European countries, but when there are differences on technicalities), and to express the common European positions on foreign policy when there is one.
You'd hav heard much more of Javier Solana in January / February if the EU had a common stance over the war in Iraq. Since it didn't happen, Mr Solana's power was to call for European countries to try solving their differences. OMG these frigging Eurocrats have so much power! How is that acceptable for my nation-State !?!
The constituion attempts to bring this very powerful position in the "first pillar", i.e. the EU as we know it, with a Commission, a Council of Ministers, a Parliament and all this. It is specifically stated in the Constitution that any stance from the European minister of Foreign Affairs will require unanimity from every national government. As such, his action will be limited to unimportant tasks, like some intervention in Africa or somesuch. |
the thing is, the new italian draft makes foreign policy decisions made by QMV. which means that for example if a situation like the one leading up to the iraq war arose again, then the UK could be outvoted and prevented from acting by countries like belgium, austria, greece and malta! (and of course the 'real rulers' france and germany). why would any nation, especially one as powerful as the UK, accept a situation whereby it could not act in its own national interest and instead be dictated to by countries which simply do not matter on the world stage?
quote:
That or the goverments are delibertly going slow to let people get used to the idea of their nations slowly turning into mere provences. |
sadly that is exactly what is happening 
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29-11-2003 00:14
Attachment: 
). so either they're all wrong, or you are, i know who my money's on...
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