The Barnier blueprint

Missed this yesterday, but the New York Times didn't. Michel Barnier wandered off his normal brief to give a comprehensive view of what he feels the EU should be, and interesting reading it makes. Sounds all so good,

Citizens need to be told the truth. The truth about where we are headed. The truth about what we are within this union. And about what we are not.

We are a continent where every people, every religion and every opinion is respectable and respected.

But it appears that he doesn't mean these grand words as to him not all opinion is respectable or respected. The speech starts by taking a pot shot at Timo and the True Finns, for doing so well in their elections.

Only a few days ago, in Finland, and a few months ago, in France, over 20% of those countries’ citizens cast their votes for extremist and populist movements which are seeking to retreat behind their national borders. In other words, they are seeking to bring an end to the European project.

and uses that as a call to arms (quite literally) for Europe,

It is the reason we need to move towards a truly European defence policy.

60 years on, work on a European defence community needs to be restarted, if necessary through the “structured cooperation” which is now possible under the Lisbon Treaty. A true military staff structure, systematically bringing together research efforts and resources, and favouring European products when purchasing equipment. All of this goes far beyond the necessary, but insufficient, cooperation between France and the United Kingdom, or between Germany and Sweden.

The EU needs to set up a permanent capacity to plan and carry out operations in the way suggested by Poland, Germany and France.

Given the way that the Cameron crew are diminishing our own armed forces it might be that the British Government endorse this view. But to me it speaks volumes of the naked ambition of the Eurocrats.

Elsewhere he decides that an EU wages policy is necessary as well as beggar your neighbour taxation options.

there will have to be rules on bonuses and the highest salaries which, at a time when 10% of Europeans are unemployed, are simply unjustifiable. A tax on financial transactions will have to be set up.

Immigration is no longer a matter for the nation, or the people who already live there,

we need to work together to build a true common asylum system in Europe, one which gives tangible form to our European values of humanism and solidarity. In 2010, 223 000 decisions on applications for asylum were taken. Europe has a duty and the means to offer this solidarity. On its own, no Member State will be able to achieve what we must achieve together.

To be successful, we need to have a strong and humanist Community policy on immigration and integration. A policy which respects human dignity and allows the free movement of people without causing a brain-drain in developing countries. Those are our values. Those are our traditions.

These are pour traditions? Can this silly man actually point to this tradition in any of the 27 nation states of Europe? Can he? Really? then let him do so.

Oh go and read the whole thing, and understand once again that it is not the Eurocrats who lie and hide their plans, but merely our own political elite too fearful of the popular voice to admit to it.