Laughed out of Court

It appears that the combined guffaws of the massed ranks of the bloggosphere, press and even some MEPs has done for the preposterous idea that MEPs be fined if they don't turn up to listen to Barroso.

So we have the Bureau deposing after the Conference of President's proposed. Oddly enough many of those on one sit on the other. Equally odd is the information that the original idea was proposed by Buzek, supported by Daul and Schulz. After that discussion ended.

The rest of the discussion was a general, "How to ensure better attendance at debates" sort of stuff, and was broadly supported in the room. This measure was however very much not supported acros the board but merely agreed by the top table.

Buzek tried to excuse things by suggesting that he was forced to act by the Commission,

They demanded a particularly high attendance during this unprecedented debate,"

But the Commission denies this stating instead that,

"The commission does not decide and does not meddle with the internal rules of the parliament," said spokeswoman, Pia Ahrenkilde-Hansen.

Whatever happens the whole things is a complete farce.