The European Parliament: now with balls!

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Pekka
power away from local governments -> more power grabbing for france and germany. Don't believe so? Yeah, at the end the cycle goes there. Nay sayers of course will deny this, but then again, they are always french, or germans, or TRUE EUROS.

Not necessarily saying this action was bad itself. Euros love bureocracy. I don't.

I believe I am the "nay sayer" here. And yes, I happen to be French. However, my love for supranational institutions such as the European parliament is not overwhelmingly shared here. If anything, my opinions would be more commonplace in Belgium, which is the one TRUE EURO country

And don't forget: France and Germany = individual countries. There's a reason why Chirac and Schröder disliked so much the idea of sending only one Commissioner (instead of two), and why Chirac wanted so strongly a Frenchman at the ECB.

[Pekka]

Yes, Belgium is a TRUE EURO country if I need to stereotype.

"There's a reason why Chirac and Schröder disliked so much the idea of sending only one Commissioner (instead of two), and why Chirac wanted so strongly a Frenchman at the ECB."

Exacto. And who do you think will lobby through these? It's like two conmen working together, whiel they might not be the best friends and agree all the time, they are criminals and so they join forces to kill other people so they can continue their individual crime sprees without being caught and sentenced. Of course, France and Germany are not conmen or criminals . Their governments though are.. .... they're evil. And their agendas now can have more ground than before. Why would I love this, if this is agasint our national interests? For Europa? Even if it's against national interests? Ich don't think so .

[DanS]

I don't know as this is good news.

One possibility is that he believed that he could get his current slate approved, but that it wouldn't have the "concensus" that he thinks is required to do business in the EU. If this is the case, then this only demonstrates the limits of the necessity of concensus (which I think is a BS way to run government institutions in any event).

[alva]

and the Liberals would have done

They were going to vote 'NO' but not by a very large margin
50 No
37? Yes
? undecided

Can't recall the exact numbers nut it was on the news yesterday evening.
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Belgium, which is the one TRUE EURO country

Ahhhh that's because it's not a real country.
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Great thread title btw

[Tripledoc]

It may be right that consensus is not neccesary in a single governmnet to run it effectively. But with Europe you have 20 governments who have agreed to deposit soveriegnty in the Union. Therefore consensus is politicially important, to prevent secessionist movements from gaining power. Especially because the EU lacks the force to implement non-consensus policies.

[The Mad Monk]

Red rubber bouncy balls?

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Tripledoc
What will happen the commision propose another candidate who is more in line with the socialist faction.

Will this new candidate then not be attacked by the conservative faction?

They won't propose somebody who is too much in line with the Socialists. The new guy(s?) will be bland, in order not to piss the MEPs enough that they vote against the Commission.

[Pekka]

Consesus Schmonsesus, EU is corrupt, there's just no way around it. So there's corruption everywhere, but then you add the SUPERbureocracy and the SUPERlovers, TRUE EUROS and few big countries that have agendas and you get what? That's right you think you got mousse but it was diarrhea and you took a bite of it.

[Combat Ingrid]

Pekka, I don't see how more power to the European parliament would imply more power to Germany+France.
They have only 99+77 seats out of 731 = 24%.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by DanS
One possibility is that he believed that he could get his current slate approved, but that it wouldn't have the "concensus" that he thinks is required to do business in the EU. If this is the case, then this only demonstrates the limits of the necessity of concensus (which I think is a BS way to run government institutions in any event).

Completely agreed. It shows there's a need for a boss (the Parliament) and a servant (the Commission). I still wonder why Barroso felt he was in any position to decide. He is merely in the position to execute the orders of other institutions.

[Pekka]

Combat Ingrid, be careful, you are defending the Great Satan!

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Combat Ingrid
Pekka, I don't see how more power to the European parliament would imply more power to Germany+France.
They have only 99+77 seats out of 731 = 24%.

Besides, I find it funny that Pekka rants about more power to France when the Europarli does something, considering that Pekka has exactly TWICE more say than me in the Parliament. That's right: one Pekka = two Spiffors.

[alva]

Mr Barroso

Thank the English for appointing him, our guy wasn't good enough for them.

Though he said recently he would have kicked his sorrow butt back to italy.

[Combat Ingrid]

Originally posted by Pekka
Combat Ingrid, be careful, you are defending the Great Satan!

[laurentius]

Well, Spiff you know Barroso gets his cards from the Prime Ministers of the Union. So he kinda had to play to the very end because the PMs in this case berlusconi didnt give him an alternative to play with. So he had to appear strong and pray for the best.


oftopic:
Im getting tired of all the Super-this Super-that bs.