Imagine drafting a controversial proposal. Among its key recommendations is a new job. With a mixture of persuasion and muscle the proposal is accepted. The job has an attractive title but it turns out there is little agreement over its precise role. So only after the signature pens have been put to paper do the real discussions begin as to how the job will be defined. This is the curious case of the president of the European Council. As European leaders expect the last country, the Czech Republic, to sign the Lisbon Treaty, attention turns to not just who will fill the post of president but what this person will actually do. The job spec, as laid out in the treaty, is spare on detail. The president of the council shall "chair it and drive forward its work". He/she "shall endeavour to facilitate cohesion and consensus within the EC".
This is the curious case of the president of the European Council.
As European leaders expect the last country, the Czech Republic, to sign the Lisbon Treaty, attention turns to not just who will fill the post of president but what this person will actually do. The job spec, as laid out in the treaty, is spare on detail. The president of the council shall "chair it and drive forward its work". He/she "shall endeavour to facilitate cohesion and consensus within the EC".
The French president is honest, suggesting that no one has decided what job it should be: "Should there be a strong and charismatic President or one who searches for consensus and organises the agenda?"
The French president is NOT honest, he is spinning. What could the obligatory "chair it and drive forward its work" possibly entail if not what Sarko pretends to be one of two opposed options?...
And Gavin Hewitt doesit himself.
"The president of the EC shall... ensure the external representation of the union on issues concerning its common and security policy." That last sentence has been taken to define the post.
"The president of the EC shall... ensure the external representation of the union on issues concerning its common and security policy."
That last sentence has been taken to define the post.
Taken by whom? Taken by Big Presidency proponents. And he continues:
The president will be the face of the European Union.
Except you placed an end point where there was none, amd 'forgot' to quote what follows...
policy, without prejudice to the powers of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
If the article wouldn't pain itself to be neutral on Blair, I would say, blatant. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
President Vaclav Klaus of the Czech Republic was transformed this weekend from a Eurosceptic hero - "the last man standing", whose opposition to the Lisbon Treaty might save Britain from its tentacles - to something verging on a traitor. He has caved in, say opponents of the treaty; perhaps even been "got at" by EU threats to marginalise his country. President Klaus is now expected to sign the document, completing its Europe-wide ratification. And that means that the Lisbon Treaty will be in force when a future Conservative government comes to power (if it does). To put it simply: Mr Klaus's signature makes the prospect of a British referendum on Lisbon vanishingly small. David Cameron made his position plain as long ago as June 2008, when he told an audience in Harlow, Essex: "We may have to say, well look, we're not happy with this situation, here are some of the powers we'd like to have back. But we can't give you that referendum on the Lisbon Treaty because it's already been put in place across the rest of Europe."
To put it simply: Mr Klaus's signature makes the prospect of a British referendum on Lisbon vanishingly small. David Cameron made his position plain as long ago as June 2008, when he told an audience in Harlow, Essex: "We may have to say, well look, we're not happy with this situation, here are some of the powers we'd like to have back. But we can't give you that referendum on the Lisbon Treaty because it's already been put in place across the rest of Europe."
Article 50 1. Any Member State may decide to withdraw from the Union in accordance with its own constitutional requirements.
1. Any Member State may decide to withdraw from the Union in accordance with its own constitutional requirements.
Government prepares for constitutional clash The government is prepared for a constitutional confrontation with President Václav Klaus if he persists in blocking the Lisbon treaty, the magazine Respekt reported on Monday. It says the government is considering asking the Czech Constitutional Court to rule whether President Klaus can continue to refuse signing the EU's reforming treaty if his current demands are met and the court rules that the treaty is not in conflict with Czech law. Respekt says the government would ask the court's permission for the prime minister to ratify the treaty if it ruled against the president. The government is prepared to inform EU leaders of its stance at a summit at the end of this month, it adds.
The government is prepared for a constitutional confrontation with President Václav Klaus if he persists in blocking the Lisbon treaty, the magazine Respekt reported on Monday. It says the government is considering asking the Czech Constitutional Court to rule whether President Klaus can continue to refuse signing the EU's reforming treaty if his current demands are met and the court rules that the treaty is not in conflict with Czech law. Respekt says the government would ask the court's permission for the prime minister to ratify the treaty if it ruled against the president. The government is prepared to inform EU leaders of its stance at a summit at the end of this month, it adds.
So Cameron is left dangling in the worst of all possible europes. One where he can't have his lisbon referendum (he was really banking on Ireland voting no) but having provided too much encouragement to those europhobes hwo want him to make trouble.
I may hate the tories and their attitude ot europe but I look forward to being vastly entertained as they twist in the wind on it. keep to the Fen Causeway
As secret negotiations continue across Europe over the new Lisbon Treaty 'top jobs', the dominant European centre-right is waiting for the left to make its move and propose "credible candidates" for the position of High Representative for Foreign Affairs. José Manuel Barroso famously said that there are 'good socialists and bad socialists', when, during his grilling in the European Parliament before securing a second term as Commission president, the Parliament's centre-left group insisted on obtaining the EU foreign affairs minister job envisaged under the draft Lisbon Treaty (EurActiv 10/09/09). Barroso's statement alluded to the fact that the socialists failed to name any candidates for the position, and he insisted that candidates eventually proposed by the left would not be automatically given the job simply by virtue of being a socialist. Consequently, the European left's strategy has been to push strongly for a centre-left politician to be given the new job of High Representative (HR) for Foreign Affairs, in part capitalising on the good record of Javier Solana, a Spanish socialist, as foreign policy chief.
José Manuel Barroso famously said that there are 'good socialists and bad socialists', when, during his grilling in the European Parliament before securing a second term as Commission president, the Parliament's centre-left group insisted on obtaining the EU foreign affairs minister job envisaged under the draft Lisbon Treaty (EurActiv 10/09/09).
Barroso's statement alluded to the fact that the socialists failed to name any candidates for the position, and he insisted that candidates eventually proposed by the left would not be automatically given the job simply by virtue of being a socialist.
Consequently, the European left's strategy has been to push strongly for a centre-left politician to be given the new job of High Representative (HR) for Foreign Affairs, in part capitalising on the good record of Javier Solana, a Spanish socialist, as foreign policy chief.
The high-ranking centre-left source told EurActiv that "the Socialist family has a number of well-qualified names" for the HR job, though he would not name names. Speculation has been mounting that if their Blair strategy fails, the British Labour party may push to have current UK Foreign Minister David Miliband installed as HR. Rumours also abound in France that Sarkozy may push for former centre-left Minister of Foreign Affairs Hubert Védrine.
Rumours also abound that Kouchner wants the job. Védrine would be a great deal more authoritative and compentent (and so much less of a grandstander).
I saw him interviewed on French TV last week. For various reasons, I couldn't follow the interview in detail, but it was not assumed that he was a candidate for the post of HR. I did catch the main point he emphasized, which was that Europe's foreign policy should be led by the Britain-France-Germany troika. In which he's probably right on the Sarko line.
Governments and national parliaments must cooperate with the European institutions in communicating EU policies to the public if citizens' trust in the European Union is to be improved, Siim Kallas, a vice-president of the European Commission, told EurActiv in an interview. Asked what more can be done to boost citizens' confidence in the European project, the former Estonian prime minister said his "heretical view" is that "it goes via governments". "If national governments exercise, in their country, cheap criticisms of the European Union, then no-one can overcome this," said Kallas, explaining that "it's impossible to establish direct links from Brussels to Estonia or France, circumventing national governments". "For national parliaments it's the same. If national elites are exercising an anti-European attitude, then citizens will take this attitude. If national parliaments and governments are pro-European, then citizens are pro-European as well," he declared.
Asked what more can be done to boost citizens' confidence in the European project, the former Estonian prime minister said his "heretical view" is that "it goes via governments".
"If national governments exercise, in their country, cheap criticisms of the European Union, then no-one can overcome this," said Kallas, explaining that "it's impossible to establish direct links from Brussels to Estonia or France, circumventing national governments".
"For national parliaments it's the same. If national elites are exercising an anti-European attitude, then citizens will take this attitude. If national parliaments and governments are pro-European, then citizens are pro-European as well," he declared.
The EU on Sunday (18 October) used the book fair in Frankfurt to launch its online digital library of official documents issued in the last 50 years. The EU's so-called digital bookshop puts more than 12 million scanned pages online, to be downloaded for free by anyone interested. The oldest document is a 1952 speech by Jean Monnet which inaugurated the High Authority of the Coal and Steel Community, later to become the EU. "The digital library frees the memory of the European Union tied to paper since its beginning," EU commissioner for multilingualism Leonard Orban said.
The EU's so-called digital bookshop puts more than 12 million scanned pages online, to be downloaded for free by anyone interested. The oldest document is a 1952 speech by Jean Monnet which inaugurated the High Authority of the Coal and Steel Community, later to become the EU.
"The digital library frees the memory of the European Union tied to paper since its beginning," EU commissioner for multilingualism Leonard Orban said.
The EU has said that it intends to soon start talks to replace its partnership agreement with Moldova, with the aim of creating a successor that would act as "a powerful tool to promote deeper co-operation and approximation between Moldova and the EU". Carl Bildt, the foreign minister of Sweden, said on Friday during a visit to Moldova that the "the EU decision to start negotiations testifies to the progress made by Moldova in implementing reforms and its commitment to continuing on the reform path". The announcement comes during a period of substantial change in Moldova, where the Communist government was removed from power in April in elections that were judged to be free and fair by international observers.
Carl Bildt, the foreign minister of Sweden, said on Friday during a visit to Moldova that the "the EU decision to start negotiations testifies to the progress made by Moldova in implementing reforms and its commitment to continuing on the reform path".
The announcement comes during a period of substantial change in Moldova, where the Communist government was removed from power in April in elections that were judged to be free and fair by international observers.
Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi has come under fire after a TV channel he owns secretly filmed a judge who ruled against him in a bribery case. Mr Berlusconi's Canale 5 channel aired footage of the judge taking a walk, smoking and visiting a barber shop. A lawyers' association reported the incident to Italy's privacy watchdog and declared a "state of protest". Earlier this month, Judge Raimondo Mesiano found Mr Berlusconi "co-responsible" of bribing legal officers.
Mr Berlusconi's Canale 5 channel aired footage of the judge taking a walk, smoking and visiting a barber shop.
A lawyers' association reported the incident to Italy's privacy watchdog and declared a "state of protest".
Earlier this month, Judge Raimondo Mesiano found Mr Berlusconi "co-responsible" of bribing legal officers.
Curiously the dossier Vittorio Feltri reports on is amazingly similar to the dossier against Ruggero Orfei produced by Mario Scaramella in March 2006. Just change the names and circumstances, both as false as the Dino Boffo farrago two months ago.
Today the author of the attack on Judge Mesiano apologized, no doubt with an eye on the plummeting polls. He of course threw in the line that he too was a victim of a smear campaign for having "done his job"- whatever that is.
With this there's supposed to be some sort of truce: The free press stops criticising Berlusconi and he will stop his smear campaigns.
All of this is pre-political. Berlusconi expects everyone to play by his rules as some sort of loyal opposition before talking begins. Those who don't will be assassinated by his media. As Helen puts it, it's an offer you can't refuse- although we damn well will refuse.
This of course does not change Italy's systematic non-compliance with EU directives and Strasbourg Court sentences, such as the Riolo Affair vs. Italy judged of July 17, 2008. The court has already condemned Italy for press censorship but Italy, which like all European states is obliged to bide by Strasbourg sentences, continues to ignore the ruling at the expense of State and, further, the reporters and editors who were sued and still must pay damages and trial costs despite the European Court rulings. The intent is to sue dissent off the map with costly trials. Blogs and small editors can't afford to report facts. Riolo is just one of many- and this government is set on making it impossible for reporters and editors to disclose whatever is not agreeable to Berlusconi's gang.
French police have arrested two suspected Eta members, including a senior political leader of the Basque separatist group, officials say. Aitor Elizaran Aguilar is a joint political chief of the group, Spanish anti-terrorism experts say.
Aitor Elizaran Aguilar is a joint political chief of the group, Spanish anti-terrorism experts say.
The designated PM starts consultations today for a new government - Top News - HotNews.ro
PSD leader Mircea Geoana announced on Sunday that the four parties - PSD, PNL, UDMR and the national minorities - do not support Croitoru. They will propose the named PM to hold a common meeting on Tuesday, at the Parliament's Palace, "out of politeness". "It is much clearer that he is being used as a rabbit by Mr. Basescu and that he does not stand any chance to find Romania's Parliament support", Geoana opinionated on Croitoru. PNL, PSD, UDMR and the national minorities announced that they will back the mayor of Sibiu - Klaus Johannis - for the premiership, but the proposal was rejected by President Traian Basescu. The chief of state announced that he designated Lucian Croitoru to form the new Government.
Background. The one pulling all the strings in Romania is popular President Traian Băsescu, who is soon up for re-election. A week ago, he engineered a collapse of the governing grand coalition of his [right-wing] liberal democrats (PDL) and the (post-commie) Soc-Dems (PSD).
Băsescu had free hand in deciding the PM's fate, but went for accepting the no-confidence and choosing a new candidate for PM. The upcoming parliamentary vote on the candidate gives him multiple options to keep control of the government: the Romanian tradition of splitting off individual MPs from other parties, or calling new elections.
But PSD and the former main opposition parties (national-liberals [PNL] and Hungarian minority party [RMDSz-UDMR]) unexpectedly found a common line, and that rather quickly, and stick to it: that ethnic German mayor from a city in Transsylvania, whose person shall secure the votes of the smaller minority representatives too. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
About 450 in 24h. En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma
Slowed down to about 10 per hour... En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma
PRAGUE, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said that his country would continue to back the European Union (EU)'s Lisbon Treaty while seeking to safeguard national interests, according to news reaching here Monday from Bratislava. During a TV program, Fico said his country would act under the principle of neither threatening the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty nor causing damage to the national interests of his country Fico said his country was faced with two options: either to veto in the European Council a Czech proposal of being exempted from a part of the Treaty or to insist that it also applies to Slovakia.
During a TV program, Fico said his country would act under the principle of neither threatening the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty nor causing damage to the national interests of his country
Fico said his country was faced with two options: either to veto in the European Council a Czech proposal of being exempted from a part of the Treaty or to insist that it also applies to Slovakia.
"Continue to back"? What's he smoking?
