EU 'must be federal state with elected president'
By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard in Strasbourg
THE European Commission is considering radical plans for an elected
president and a federal constitution to bind the European Union closer
together before the next round of enlargement.
Michel Barnier, the European commissioner in charge of reform, has given
warning that the EU will slide into crisis, becoming "unpopular", "useless"
and "incapable of decision-making" unless Europe's leaders rise to the
challenge and draft a visionary document as the basis for the next
constitutional treaty in December.
At a meeting with fellow commissioners in Strasbourg, M Barnier said the
status quo was not sustainable. The only question was whether the EU should
be a "federal" state in the conventional sense, modelled on the United States
or Germany, or whether it should pursue the goal of political union through
other means.
"Everybody knows that Europe's current institutions can't work with 30
countries," he told The Telegraph after the meeting. "If we can't find the
courage to change the mechanism, we're going to face a general blockage of
all EU activity. The British Government sees this too, and I'm confident that
they will accept the need for fundamental change in the end."
M Barnier insisted that he was speaking in a "personal capacity" at the
meeting, but his proposals have acquired a quasi-official status, as part of
the commission's working text for this year's Intergovernmental Conference.
The plans buttress ideas put forward last month by Joschka Fischer, the
German Foreign Minister. M Barnier, a neo-Gaullist who has served as France's
minister for Europe, conceded that Britain would have "serious difficulties"
with his proposals for an abolition of the national veto in "all areas of
policy".
Under the plans, Britain would lose the veto in the fields of gender and race
discrimination, immigration and asylum and all tax policy and social
regulation "necessary for the proper functioning of the single market".
"What's the point of creating an economic world power if we deny it the means
to co-ordinate fiscal and social policy?" asked M Barnier.
Britain has already drawn a line in the sand on the question of majority
voting, with a pledge to fight to preserve its veto over taxation, defence,
immigration and border controls. The Government has the power to block all
treaty changes but risks incurring the wrath of its EU partners if it uses
this too aggressively.
Francis Maude, the shadow foreign secretary, said the Barnier proposals
showed that "the EU superstate agenda is alive and well" and the Government
must "stop pretending".
M Barnier said the creation of the euro entailed a "federal logic", arguably
requiring a new federal structure with a directly elected president and a
bicameral parliament with full legislative powers. It would also have a
"supreme court" to act as guardian of a "simple, clear constitution" that all
the children of Europe could learn by heart.
The revamped commission should have a directly elected president to give it
"democratic legitimacy", with a vice-president in charge of foreign policy
and defence and powers to dissolve the European Parliament.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/et?ac=002147872928433&rtmo=gwblglnu&atmo=KKKuKuxM&p
g=/et/00/6/15/weu15.html
<A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A>
DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER
==========
CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic
screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are
sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis-
directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with
major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought.
That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and
always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no
credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply.
Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector.
========================================================================
Archives Available at:
http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html
<A HREF="http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of
[EMAIL PROTECTED]</A>
http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/
<A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A>
========================================================================
To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Om
