Van Rompuy, a new Brezhnev Doctrrine

Herman van Rompuy was speaking to a mixed bag of national and European Parliamentarians in Brussels today, in his speech he said something that chilled me to the bone.

national parliaments keep their budgetary sovereignty, at least as long as national policies do not threaten the financial stability of the whole.

It has dark echoes of the Brezhnez Doctrine, issued after the Prague Spring of 1968.
This is what Brezhnev said,

The peoples of the socialist countries and Communist parties certainly do have and should have freedom for determining the ways of advance of their respective countries. However, none of their decisions should damage either socialism in their country or the fundamental interests of other socialist countries, and the whole working class movement, which is working for socialism. This means that each Communist party is responsible not only to its own people, but also to all the socialist countries, to the entire Communist movement.

Of course the language is different. And of course we are talking the European not the Soviet Union.

But, but...

The similarities are frightening.

Lets rewrite the Brezhnev piece with slight amendment,

The peoples of the Member States certainly do have and should have freedom for determining the ways of advance of their respective countries. However, none of their decisions should damage the fundamental interests of the European Union and the peoples of Europe. This means that each National Parliament is responsible not only to its own people, but also to all the other member states, to the entire European movement.

Eu suggests outrageous interference in national democracy

Nick Malkoutzis, the Deputy Editor of Kathimerini's English Edition has just reported on a Reuters story that has hit the wires. As he says,

If #eurozone makes this demand, it's unprecedented interference in another country's democratic process. This is all leaving v bad taste.

EU officials are now briefing thusly,

"There are proposals to delay the Greek package or to split it, so that an immediate default is avoided, but not everything is committed to,» one official briefed on preparations for a euro zone finance ministers call later in the day told Reuters.

"They'll discuss the options,» he said, adding: «There is pressure from several countries to hold off until there is a concrete commitment from Greece, which may not come until after they've held elections."

Or essentially we are thinking of delaying the full payment, despite the assurances and the vast cuts being made that has driven Greece into a 7% contraction of GDP in the last quarter until after the elections.
IE. Vote for whom we approve, or you can be damned. Looking at my last post, Van Rompuy's

European leaders, when in difficulty, will do whatever it takes to maintain the euro and the financial stability of the eurozone

begins to make sense.

HvR John Donne, undone

We are told (way too often) that the best thing about the President of Europe, that shadow in the room, Mr van Rompuy is that he is a published poet.

If so how can he justify this, PC, bowdlerising of one of the great poems of all time? Talking to a Chinese audience he said this,

“No man is an island. Every man or woman is a part of the main.” This is more true then
ever!

Gaaah, Donne's Meditation XVII

No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;

But that is hardly the worst of this speech. It is disarmingly honest, mind bogglingly delusional in equal parts and then just scary.

The honesty

The euro is not a sudden economic experiment.
Not sudden: because it is based on fifty years of preparation.
Not purely economic: because the euro is, at bottom, a political project.

Well yes, it is a political project, without political legitimacy. That of course would require democratic consent, something never asked for, and never granted.

Delusional

Together, we are 500 million Europeans, living in a prosperous, stable and free continent.

Interesting on a day the Commission reveals the following statement,

Euro area and EU27 GDP down by 0.3%

And the downright scary,

Therefore a period of crisis, such as the one we are living through now, does not distract us
from our sense of direction and from our goal: “more Europe”.

More Europe eh? And how are we to bring this about? By all means necessary it seems,

In the current crisis, beyond the money involved, it is a common European destiny which is at stake. That is why you should keep this political motivation in mind to understand why European leaders, when in difficulty, will do whatever it takes to maintain the euro and the financial stability of the eurozone.

Errrr... Whatever it takes! What does that mean?

Political leaders are showing real courage, in all member states, to convince their parliaments and public opinions of what is at stake. Some governments were forced to resign for taking unpopular decisions, but all the new ones are committed to adopting and implementing reforms.

Oh right, yes they were forced to resign... by whom perchance. By the EU and the IMF and teh Troika, not by their own people.

The rest of the speech is characterised by Herman telling the Chinese that the EU/Europe and China are remarkably similar.

What as in anti-democratic autocracies that drive through policies against the wishes of the people?

One interesting snippet. China should support the EU, because it is not the US. Or at least that is how I read this little comment,

Europe and China share a wish to live in a multi-polar world. A world which is "united in diversity", where we work together to find global solutions to common problems.
A world not dominated by one currency alone. That is why “a currency for Europe” is vital for you, too.

What is Herman Van Rompuy smoking?

I only ask because he has been tweeting some excerpts fromn his speech this evening at the Berlin Humboldt Univerity. "Europe in 2012: The road ahead". And I am struggling to work out what he means.

Please release him from his toil

Ambitions writ large

My friend and your Herman Van Rompuy has been letting his ambition show again. This time to a collection of the EU diplomatic corps in Brussels,

Firstly, as regards economic convergence, we need to examine for instance whether to go beyond the so-called "sixpack" in terms of further macroeconomic surveillance, and how to strengthen the Euro Plus Pact.

Secondly, in terms of fiscal discipline, should we go further in terms of the automaticity of the sanctions provided for under the Excessive Deficit Procedure? Should we provide, in extreme cases, for further sanctions (such as a suspension of voting rights or structural funds) or power for a central authority to intervene in national budgetary procedures?

Thirdly and finally, in terms of economic union, is there a need for harmonisation in certain areas such as taxation or even some social fields? Should there be a form ofmutualisation of public debt? What further regulations are needed for the financial sector?

Make no bones about it, this is the way that the EU is thinking. Common Tax, common debt, more financial regulation and common social policies.

All this in order to achieve something with the language that takes Banker jargon to a new level,
"We have come a long way from the empty or de-credibilised tool-box I discovered when I took office two years ago"

Errr, a de-credibilised tool box?

Tin Foil Hat Alert : Masons meet EU Presidents

This event is taking place today

Amusingly the press release to go with it rather fails to mention the Masonic aspect of the whole affair.

Today Commission President José Manuel Barroso received leading representatives of philosophical and non-confessional organisations at the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels for a meeting which he co-chaired together with Jerzy Buzek, President of the European Parliament, and Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council. Participants discussed the promotion of rights and liberties in Europe's neighbourhood and in the European Union itself.

You would be none the wiser reading this now would you?
However out of 16 invitees 10 are Lodge bosses, alongs side the Humanist association.

But reading this one might be a little concerned that the Freemasons are now in it.

The representatives of philosophical and non-confessional organisations welcomed the EU’s engagement to promote and protect democratic rights and liberties inside the European Union and beyond. They expressed their readiness to work side by side with the European institutions to promote democracy, pluralism, the rule of law, human rights and social justice which are indispensable in democratic societies.

Oh no we can't

I missed this last week, but this is how the European parliament advertised the big set piece debate on European Government.

And here is the text that accompanies the image

Herman Van Rompuy

"Deepening economic union by mutualising public debt"

In his view, there are three main courses of action on the road to economic governance in the EU: strengthening economic convergence, improving fiscal discipline and deepening economic union.

And some of the methods being envisaged to carry out these actions are hard-hitting: suspension of structural funds to enforce fiscal discipline or deepening economic union by mutualising public debt between Eurozone members.

“We need fiscal discipline and economic integration focused on growth,” Van Rompuy explained, “not just to punish the sinners but also to link our policies, to demonstrate that we share a common destiny.”

And what about the issue of sovereignty in all this?

The President of the European Council tackled that question head-on: “We need to acknowledge that this means a sharing of sovereignty for all members of the eurozone.”

Deepening Economic Union by ensuring that everybody is broke.

Van Rompuy's Delusions revealed in grammar

Our president, the not so quiet 'assasin of Nations' that bag of charisma and foresight Herman Van Rompuy reveals all just by his use of tense in his speech today.

The various instances of complete lack of self awareness, both on his own part and on that of the institution he leads are legion. (Go and read the speech here if you want, if you have a clue about economics, please ensure that you are away from any co-workers, definately not safe for work. The sound of your hollow laughter might disturb digital networks).

I highlight merely this,

So the Euro Plus Pact has been made consistent with, and builds upon, existing instruments like the EU 2020 Strategy, the European Semester, Integrated Guidelines, the Stability andGrowth Pact and the new macroeconomic surveillance framework.
All these policies -- from the new Stability and Growth Pact to the Euro Plus Pact -- will work in the same direction: pushing Member States towards these reforms. Lagging countries - big or small - will be spotted by the markets and can be hit by sanctions. The time of complacencies is over. We learned these lessons, the hard way. The crisis was arough teacher.

Leave aside the plethora of failing institutions/strategies/projects/roadmaps/six packs and what have you and look at that last sentance.

Notice that it is in the past tense.

The crisis was a rough teacher

Yes, that's right. Was!!!  He, the Haiku-weilding mountebank thinks that the crisis is over. Finished. The lessons have been learnt.

'Phew' he seems to be saying 'that was tough but it is all right now'.

What he doesn't realise (OK he knows full well but wants to lie to us) is that what we have had so far is merely Grendel.

The monster's mother hasn't even arrived at Herot yet, but when she does, Van R and his cohorts will fain find a Beowulf.

Ask me no Questions I will tell you no lies

Interesting new attempt to harness the net by Herman Van Rompuy our President.



You know what to do....

Maybe we should call it DampRag-o-Vision?

The EU to last "Forever"

Oh dear dear Herman Van Rompuy. In a flight of his famous poetic fancy he has penned a Haiku in honour of Europe day.

A corona of stars / Rolling over the deep blue sea / Together forever

OK, we know that Haiku is a formal structure, we know it has limited scope, but "together forever"?
Isn't that a tad optimistic, isn't it a tad '1000 year'?

Nobody meets nobody

Now here's a thing

Oh Herman.. Will you sign this for me

I mentioned yesterday about Herman van Rompuy calling Nigel Farage ridiculous.

I have now learned a little bit more about what was going on.

Herman has a number of journalists around to write a puff piece about the release of his new book.

"What I did on my holidays in 2010"

"Dear Members of the Btruusels Press corpse.." he starts, and how right he is. I am told that there was a scrum of journalists around him trying to get signed copies of the tome.

They are dead, from the gut up.

What is Herman hiding?

Nigel Farage, the UKIP leader has just recived an answer to a question he posed to Council President Herman van Rompuy. If brevity is the soul of wit, we have just discovered that Herman is one of the funniest men in the world.

Either that or we have him bang to rights. You decide.

First cast you mind back to a story broken by Bruno Waterfield in the Telegraph about the posssible misuse of public assets by Van Rompuy and his family.

Aides for Mr Van Rompuy admitted to The Daily Telegraph that he used official cars and chauffeurs to take him, his wife, four children, two of their spouses and two grandchildren more than 162 miles to France to catch a holiday flight in August.

The story went on,

Officials have told The Daily Telegraph that use of chauffeurs and cars for the benefit of Mr Van Rompuy's family would "seriously bend the rules" in the other Brussels based EU institutions, such as the European Commission or Parliament.
"There are strict rules for Commissioners taking drivers on a mission outside Belgium and on private use of cars. Using chauffeurs and cars for family trips is not permitted," said a Commission official.
A European Parliament spokesman said that the use of official cars for "shopping, or taking family on holidays and that kind of stuff" is not allowed.
Nigel Farage, Ukip's European leader, said: "Preposterous. Mr Van Rompuy is delusional about his importance, but ever so keen to take up the trappings of power. Why are we forking out for chauffeurs for a Eurocrat's grandchildren so they can go on holiday?"

If what Bruno alleges is true and this happened in national politics there should be hell to pay. If Cameron was to do something similar the media and opposition would be frothing, rightly in my view about this cavalier approach to official cars, and this arrogant appropriation for private use of the trappings of office.

So Farage asked a question on the 20th October, at which point it took 8 days to get to the Council,

Is the following, as reported in the Daily Telegraph(1), accurate and, if it is inaccurate, what is actually the case?

‘Aides for Mr Van Rompuy admitted to the Daily Telegraph that he used official cars and chauffeurs to take him, his wife, four children, two of their spouses and two grandchildren more than 162 miles to France to catch a holiday flight in August.

His official motorcade was then waiting for the family group to bring them back to Brussels from Paris when they returned from their private vacation, thought to be in the Caribbean.

The cost of an equivalent trip, hiring three S-class Mercedes cars and drivers from the Brussels based “Belgian Limo” company, would be over GBP 4 000.’

If this is not the case, what are asserted to be the correct facts?

Now the rules governing Parliamentary Questions are quite rigid viz

Other questions (non-priority questions) shall be answered within six weeks of being forwarded to the addressees.

So an answer came back on the, lets see the 1st of December, no lets be nice an allow the first 8 days, the answer came back on the 9th December. Nope not then, the answer came back on the 14th January. To be fair the answer has to be translated into allthe languages of the EU, all 22 of them so these things take time. So given it has taken them ten weeks to come up with an answer you would have thought that it would be a good one wouldn't you. You would be right. Here it is (and brilliantly it is only available on the Parliament's website in Danish)

This document is not available in your language. Please choose another language version from the language bar.

Parlamentariske forespørgsler og spørgsmål

4. januar 2011 P-8951/2010
Svar
Det tilkommer ikke Rådet at kommentere artikler i pressen.

We do have a paper version of the answer though,

P-8951/10
Reply
(4 January 2011)

It is not for the Council to comment on articles appearing in the press.

Eh? Run that one past me again, they don't comment on what is in the press! Then what on earth are this lot for, the Council Press team (they even have two on media monitoring - what do they do? Scan the international press to find out what they are not going to comment upon?)

Nicolas KERLEROUX
Head of the Press Office
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 82 39 GSM +32 (0)475 36 96 76
Fax +32 (0)2 281 80 26
nicolas.kerleroux@consilium.europa.eu

SECRETARIAT

Cécile MONIN

Tel. +32 (0)2 281 63 19
Fax +32 (0)2 281 80 26
press.office@consilium.europa.eu

Dominique COCHARD
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 51 56
Fax +32 (0)2 281 80 26
newsdesk@consilium.europa.eu

Patricia SIDAROUS
(CSDP: Common Security and Defence Policy)
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 76 40
Fax + 32 (0)2 281 80 26
presse.psdc@consilium.europa.eu

SUPPORT TO THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL PRESIDENT

Jesús CARMONA

Deputy Spokesperson of President Herman Van Rompuy
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 95 48 GSM +32 (0)475 65 32 15
Fax +32 (0)2 281 80 26
jesus.carmona@consilium.europa.eu

Carla VALTORTA
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 63 98
Fax +32 (0)2 281 80 26
press.president@consilium.europa.eu

Pilar GONZÁLEZ MURILLO
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 58 78
Fax +32 (0)2 281 80 26
press.president@consilium.europa.eu

PRESS OFFICERS

François HEAD
Economic and Financial Affairs; General Affairs and Foreign Affairs
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 60 83 GSM +32 (0)475 95 38 07
francois.head@consilium.europa.eu

Mary BRAZIER
General Affairs and Foreign Affairs
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 51 83 GSM +32 (0)477 97 08 74
mary.brazier@consilium.europa.eu

Stavros PETROPOULOS
Common Security and Defence Policy
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 83 48 GSM +32 (0)475 75 38 81
stavros.petropoulos@consilium.europa.eu

Céline RUIZ
Common Security and Defence Policy
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 93 33 GSM +32 (0)472 93 20 92
celine.ruiz@consilium.europa.eu

Jochen MÜLLER
Justice and Home Affairs; Coverage of press issues related to coordination in countering terrorism
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 89 14 GSM +32 (0)477 97 42 24
jochen.mueller@consilium.europa.eu

Azadeh SHARAFSHAHI
Coreper II issues; Summits
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 31 95
azadeh.sharafshahi@consilium.europa.eu

Xavier PAVARD
Agriculture and Fisheries
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 83 52 GSM +32 (0)477 99 17 10
xavier.pavard@consilium.europa.eu

Víctor FLAVIÁN
Competitiveness (Internal market, Industry, Research and Space)
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 67 15 GSM: +32 (0)473 64 03 90
victor.flavian@consilium.europa.eu

Miriam VANČOVÁ
TTE (Telecommunications and Energy)
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 97 76 GSM +32 (0)473 64 03 77
miriam.vancova@consilium.europa.eu

Reinhard SCHMIDT
TTE (Transport)
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 88 47 GSM +32 (0)479 95 50 86
reinhard.schmidt@consilium.europa.eu

Susanne KIEFER
Environment; Education, Youth, Culture and Sport; Development Cooperation
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 94 42 GSM +32 (0) 473 92 33 08
susanne.kiefer@consilium.europa.eu

Jérôme UNTERHUBER
Budget; Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs,
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 53 94 GSM +32 (0) 473 92 36 28
jerome.unterhuber@consilium.europa.eu

Dana MANESCU
Crisis management mechanisms; Coordination of the Council public sessions, Videostreaming
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 44 77 GSM +32 (0) 473 92 34 77
dana.manescu@consilium.europa.eu

Zoltan SZELES
Management; Projects
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 31 94
zoltan.szeles@consilium.europa.eu

RESEARCH and DOCUMENTATION

Helena GOMES
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 70 40
helena.gomes@consilium.europa.eu

Reinhard SCHMIDT
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 88 47
reinhard.schmidt@consilium.europa.eu

Evi LIASKOU
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 52 72
evi.liaskou@consilium.europa.eu

CENTRAL SECRETARIAT

Bienvenido PICAZO RUIZ
Tina GROSVENOR
Rita PIOVANO
Anna MADEJ
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 63 19
Fax +32 (0)2 281 80 26
press.office@consilium.europa.eu

PRESS CENTRE

Margarete GILOT-KÖHLER
COUNCILS, COREPER II/EUROPEAN COUNCIL

Tel. +32 (0)2 281 65 50 Fax +32 (0)2 281 85 41
margarete.gilot@consilium.europa.eu

Valerie GOLDSMITH
COUNCILS, COREPER I/PHOTO DEPARTMENT/EUROPEAN COUNCIL

Tel. +32 (0)2 281 89 69 GSM +32 (0)476 76 21 56
Fax +32 (0)2 281 50 65
valerie.goldsmith@consilium.europa.eu

Ana Paula PONTE

Tel. +32 (0)2 281 61 51 or +32 (0)2 281 83 99
Fax +32 (0)2 281 85 41
ana-paula.ponte@consilium.europa.eu

Yvonne VESTBERG
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 66 62 or +32 (0)2 281 83 99
Fax +32 (0)2 281 85 41
yvonne.vestberg@consilium.europa.eu

Technical assistants

Giuseppe FULVO
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 64 16
press.office@consilium.europa.eu

Giuseppe ANCONETANI
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 83 08
press.office@consilium.europa.eu

Stavros SPYRIDONOS
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 88 18
press.office@consilium.europa.eu

AUDIOVISUAL

Counsellor, Head of sector

Isabelle BRUSSELMANS
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 57 13 GSM +32 (0)475 75 34 06
Fax +32 (0)2 281 80 26
isabelle.brusselmans@consilium.europa.eu

Audiovisual production and publication/Multimedia library/Coordination/
Editing

Andrea DESORMEAUX
Maria BRIANCHON
Alexandre MARX
Pavel KAUCKY
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 67 16 GSM +32 (0)477 97 35 52
Fax +32 (0)2 281 80 26
andrea.desormeaux@consilium.europa.eu
presse.audiovisuel@consilium.europa.eu

Tel. +32 (0)2 281 78 20 Fax +32 (0)2 281 80 26
presse.audiovisuel@consilium.europa.eu

Tel. +32 (0)2 281 63 21
alexandre.marx@consilium.europa.eu

Tel. +32 (0)2 281 77 36
pavel.kaucky@consilium.europa.eu

Technicians

Wim MINTEN
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 71 65
wilhelmus.minten@consilium.europa.eu

Jussi VIRTANEN
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 58 61
jussi.virtanen@consilium.europa.eu

Luis Enrique BARQUILLA
GONZÁLEZ
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 54 65
luis-enrique.barquilla-gonzalez@consilium.europa.eu

Toufiq ZIOUI
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 71 16
toufiq.zioui@consilium.europa.eu

Photo

Christos DOGAS
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 71 15 Fax +32 (0)2 281 50 65
service.photo@consilium.europa.eu

Tashana BATISTA
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 63 49 Fax +32 (0)2 281 50 65
service.photo@consilium.europa.eu

Enzo ZUCCHI
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 73 47 Fax +32 (0)2 281 50 65
service.photo@consilium.europa.eu

Mario SALERNO
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 71 88 Fax +32 (0)2 281 50 65
service.photo@consilium.europa.eu

BUDGET / PROJECTS / INTERNET

Etienne SNYDERS
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 64 30
etienne.snyders@consilium.europa.eu

Fernando FRAGUEIRO
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 81 23
fernando.fragueiro@consilium.europa.eu

Laura di ROSA
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 73 67
laura.dirosa@consilium.europa.eu

Antonio FERNÁNDEZ GÓMEZ
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 64 52
antonio.fernandezgomez@consilium.europa.eu

MEDIA MONITORING

Johan SLOTBOOM
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 55 05 Fax +32 (0)2 281 53 35
hans.slotboom@consilium.europa.eu

Joaquín NOGUEROLES GARCIA
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 20 74 Fax +32 (0)2 281 53 35
joaquin.nogueroles-garcia@consilium.europa.eu

Carlo CUMBO
David HEALY
Roberto SALVI
Veronika CAVAGLIERI
Christina PÖSSINGER
Jamal BANI
Katrien LUYTEN
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 63 19
Fax +32 (0)2 281 53 35
media@consilium.europa.eu

Oh, by the way, we are asking some follow up questions,

What are the rules governing the use of offficial cars by officials working for the European Council and their family members?


Is The President of the Council covered by these rules?

What are the rules governing the use of official cars by the President of the European Council.

We expect the answer...  by mid summer....  in Maltese

Van Rompuy's chief visier pours scorn on Hungary

Richard Corbett, the former dire, bean-counting Labour MEP has slated the Hungarian Presidency in the current edition of European Voice (£),

I was curious to read your special report on the “Hungarian Presidency of the EU” (16 December 2010-5 January 2011). There is, of course, no such thing!
Hungary merely chairs one of the EU institutions, not the EU as a whole. You (and others) may wish to elevate the Council (and its president) above all the others, but I dare say that the presidents of the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament may have other views.
The rotating presidency of the Council was always an over-rated function. It is short-term, without executive powers, and inherits a pre-set agenda. Since the Lisbon treaty, its prime minister no longer chairs the European Council, its foreign minister no longer speaks for the EU on the world stage, nor even chairs the foreign-affairs configuration of the Council.
Special supplements about new member states are welcome, but do not imply that they are suddenly in charge!

Van Rompuy's website lists Corbett's responsibilities as,

Institutional Issues
Relations with the European Parliament and the National Parliaments
Relations with the Committee of Regions and the Economic and Social Committee

Which carries the suggestion that he should now a little bit about diplomacy. Obviously not. I initially wondered if he was a tad tired and emotional when he wrote the above.

I mean is this an official statement from Van Rompuy's office to the Hungarian Presidency? And if so I was the speaker of the Hungarian Országház I would be demanding his head on a plate.

However that being said, and despite the mean spirited way in which he says it I cannot believe he was really drunk, and I do believe that he is representing his master's voice. He can hardly suggest that he isn't acting in an official capacity after all. And what he says isn't in itself inaccurate, just nasty. And if anybody knows the dark corners of institutional wrangling it is Corbett.

Van Rompuy, as a Belgian, has a hatred of functional nation states. The Council of Ministers of which Hungary now holds the Presidency is a thorn in the side of the federalists who he represents and his contempt for national interest and the approach that encapsulates the actions of democratic nation states brings him out in hives.

What the Hell is the "Collier du mérite européen" ?

I hope is it big and covered in silver gilt with great enamel knobs. I ask because I have never heard of it before, and it is obviously rather an important award.

It is being handed out by President Van Rompuy,

Luxembourg
17:00 Award of the "Collier du mérite européen" followed by dinner hosted by Prime Minister Jean-Claude Junker

To President Buzek,

Thursday 25-11-2010 - 12:30 - 18:00 Strasbourg -Luxembourg
...
17:00 Receving the award "Le Collier du mérite européen" - Luxembourg

At a dinner organised by Mr Jean Claude Juncker, PM of Luxembourg.


This is an award that has never existed before as far as I can tell. Currently its web existence seems to be solely the multilingual versions of the above links.

So can anybody help? What is the collar for?

We will cut (non-EU) migration.. except we cannot

It isn't much of a claim, but, due to our membership of the European Union and the Corpus Juris it is the best that our benighted government can do. But it cannot even do that.

Today after a meeting in Brussels between Barosso, van Rompuy and the President of the Ukraine is Van Rumpy's statement,

I am very pleased that we can announce today an Action Plan for Ukraine towards the establishment of a visa free regime for short stay travel.

This of course fiollows hard on the heels of the EU's decision about immigration from India, also, famously not part of the European Union.

In the end it may be the case that Cameron and his government might be able to control immigration from the Islew of Man, and maybe at a push the Channel islands, but that is about it.

In the same speech, Van R also makes it clear that those clean living officials in the Ukraine will also have access to any amount of taxpayer funded EU project finance,

We have also been able to sign a Protocol to the current Partnership and Cooperation reement permitting Ukraine access to EU programmes. In practice this will allow Ukraine to benefit from EU programmes in areas such as business and entrepreneurship, information and ommunication
technology and energy.

Because they can be trusted to use our money wisely. Common William, isn't this Foriegn Affairs? Shouldn't you be saying something, or has the Cathy got your tongue?

Van Rompuy's head vanishes up his ...

I am beggining to wonder quite how tone deaf the Eurocracy is? I mean seriously I have just recieved an invitation to go along to an event organised by the EPP, featuring everybody's favourite bank clerk, Mr Heramn Van Rompuy, your President and ours.

Entitled,

“Stability, Security, Prosperity - the future of Europe and the Euro”

One begins to wonder what newspapers the man and his advisors read, The Utopian Times maybe?

If you are in Brussels tonight, go along, laden with rotten fruit.

Eurozone in ‘survival crisis’

Whilst all eyes turn to the Royal wedding, Herman Van Rompuy is concentrating on another thing entirely,

The President of the European Council says the eurozone is in a "survival crisis" as a result of Ireland and Portugal's debt burdens and potential need for bailouts.

The economic bad news just keeps ramping up for both the currency and the Eurozone itself and no amount of future bunting is going to keep the wolves from the door.

Ahead of the euro finance ministers meeting today, van Rompuy said: "We all have to work together in order to survive with the eurozone, because if we don't survive with the eurozone we will not survive with the European Union. But I'm very confident we will overcome this."

I have no doubt it will survive, but at what cost to jobs livelihoods and lives?

Van Rompuy describes the independent nation state as "a lie"

The Bank Clerk is back in his assassin of nations garb.

We have together to fight the danger of a new Euro-scepticism.
This is no longer the monopoly of a few countries.
In every Member State, there are people who believe their country can survive alone in the
globalised world.
It is more than an illusion: it is a lie!

What on earth is he saying here? Is he describing the existence of countries such as Switzerland as a falsehood. In some way, Norway is false?

Truly weird.

Her was talking - dare I say ranting - at the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung in commemoration of the fall of the Berlin Wall. And he has the gall to suggest that those of us who do not share his vision, those who do believe that democracy is something best practised at home, those who, like the majority in the UK who believe that their nation is the repository of freedom and liberty, we are warmongers.

The biggest enemy of Europe today is fear.

Fear leads to egoism, egoism leads to nationalism, and nationalism leads to war (“le nationalisme, c’est la guerre” (F. Mitterrand)). Today’s nationalism is often not a positive feeling of pride of one’s own identity, but a negative feeling of apprehension of the others.

Now Mr Van Rompuy, please let me get this straight. Just because you come from a nation that is tearing itself apart, is indeed a failure as a nation and fits with your description,

The time of the homogenous nation-state is over.

indeed in Belgium's case it never existed, don't think we are all Belgians. My wish to be free of you and yours is not driven by fear. It is not driven by contempt, though I feel that for much of the actions of the EU,. No it is driven by a belief that to have a democracy one needs a demos. A people who consent to be governed by each other. In the EU this does not exist. Thus the EU is not, and will not be a democracy.

My love for my country is untainted by fear of your land, or of Germany, or of Lithuania or anybody. I fear, maybe your bureaucracy and its incessant demands to have ever greater controls over every aspect lives of the citizens of the 27 nations unhappily locked within its borders, but nothing else.

Why should I? I am English.

Thou bleak December wind

From what we can see the dry leaves to be blown from the tree this Decenmber will be the sheaves of papers produced by Mr Van Rompuy and Mr Barroso. You can see from this joint interview that they have what might be called differing opinions as to what will happen at the next European Council meeting in reference to states voting rights,

First van Rompuy makes it clear that he is not going to be providing detail on the German plans,
The questioner points out that in the Council Conclusions plans to strip are not "any more envisaged".

The European Council will revert to this matter at its December meeting with a view to taking the final decision both on the outline of a crisis mechanism and on a limited treaty amendment so that any change can be ratified at the latest by mid-2013.

The President of the European Council intends to subsequently examine in consultation with the Member States the issue of the right of euro area members to participate in decision making in EMU-related procedures in the case of a permanent threat to the stability of the euro area as a whole.

Van Rompy says that the above makes it clear that December is not the time to sort this out. Note 'subsequently', ie it is something on the table.
He says

"The text is very clear, I have a mandate to examine the problem and I will report to the European council but it will not be in December".

Barosso however thinks differently,

"There will be no suspension of voting rights, that's been ruled out, that certainly wont be part of this limited amendment"

So which is it? Will the German requirement for a Treaty change to deal with the fact that the current system for the Euro is hamstrung by its own rules as so effectively described here in the FT,

In terms of substance, the aim must be to overcome the big logical inconsistency of three principles underpinning the euro: “No bail-out, no exit, no default”. The first two are firmly enshrined in the European law. Default is legally possible, but politically unacceptable, at least for now. The EU is simply not in a position to handle the repercussions of a sovereign default.

The incompatibility of those goals lies at the heart of the eurozone’s governance crisis. At least one of those principles will have to be sacrificed.

The “no exit” clause will survive. This leaves bail-out and default. But would a regime that combines bail-out and default satisfy the German constitutional court? While Article 48.6 is part of the treaty the court approved, the court will nevertheless scrutinise whether the new arrangements constitute a power shift, and whether this reduces the Bundestag’s influence.

What seems to be increasingly clear is that Germany's Constitutional Court will rule that the EU is acting illegally. Thus Merkle has to have change, that will satisfy the jurists of Karlsrurh, but to do so will cause consternation amongst the smaller EU countries and trigger referenda in Ireland at the very least, and probably in the UK as well.

Or the EU continues acting illegally, no referenda but Merkle in an impossible position.

Interesting times.

Apropos of nothing. Isn't there something a little 1984ish about the concept of a Permanent Crisis Mechanism?