European politicians have expressed relief after David Cameron withdrew the threat of a referendum on Britain's place in Europe, but some have said they are puzzled over his plans to renegotiate terms of membership.Members of the European parliament said that in some cases Cameron appeared to be asking for opt-outs that already existed - in the charter of fundamental rights and criminal law.In the case of employment law, they said there was almost no chance Britain's European partners would approve an opt-out as it would be seen as giving the UK an unfair advantage in attracting foreign investment."We have had 10 years of institutional debate and now is the time to talk about practical co-operation. We don't need another 10 years of institutional debate," said Elmar Brok, a German MEP and a senior member of the centre-right political alliance that the Conservatives have recently left.Martin Schulz, the leader of the EU parliament's socialist grouping, said: "All member states including the UK have ratified the treaty. If Cameron is talking of renegotiating it has little to do with reality and much more to do with election campaigning."
European politicians have expressed relief after David Cameron withdrew the threat of a referendum on Britain's place in Europe, but some have said they are puzzled over his plans to renegotiate terms of membership.
Members of the European parliament said that in some cases Cameron appeared to be asking for opt-outs that already existed - in the charter of fundamental rights and criminal law.
In the case of employment law, they said there was almost no chance Britain's European partners would approve an opt-out as it would be seen as giving the UK an unfair advantage in attracting foreign investment.
"We have had 10 years of institutional debate and now is the time to talk about practical co-operation. We don't need another 10 years of institutional debate," said Elmar Brok, a German MEP and a senior member of the centre-right political alliance that the Conservatives have recently left.
Martin Schulz, the leader of the EU parliament's socialist grouping, said: "All member states including the UK have ratified the treaty. If Cameron is talking of renegotiating it has little to do with reality and much more to do with election campaigning."
it has little to do with reality and much more to do with election campaigning
Yup !! Speaking to the deranged wing of the tory party
ooops redundancy. Speaking to the deranged wing of the tory party keep to the Fen Causeway
The Conservatives were accused by the French government tonight of "castrating" Britain's position within the EU by adopting an "autistic" approach that would take Britain off the radar.Speaking to the Guardian, Pierre Lellouche, France's Europe minister, described as "pathetic" the Tories' EU plans announced today, warning they would not succeed "for a minute".Giving vent to frustration across the EU, which has so far only been expressed in private, Lellouche - who said he was reflecting Nicolas Sarkozy's "sadness and regret" - accused William Hague, the shadow foreign secretary, of a "bizarre autism" in their discussions.He said: "They have one line and they just repeat one line. It is a very bizarre sense of autism."Lellouche, one of the most Anglophile members of Sarkozy's government, made his remarkable intervention after David Cameron outlined a fresh Tory approach to the EU in the wake of the full ratification of the Lisbon treaty.
The Conservatives were accused by the French government tonight of "castrating" Britain's position within the EU by adopting an "autistic" approach that would take Britain off the radar.
Speaking to the Guardian, Pierre Lellouche, France's Europe minister, described as "pathetic" the Tories' EU plans announced today, warning they would not succeed "for a minute".
Giving vent to frustration across the EU, which has so far only been expressed in private, Lellouche - who said he was reflecting Nicolas Sarkozy's "sadness and regret" - accused William Hague, the shadow foreign secretary, of a "bizarre autism" in their discussions.
He said: "They have one line and they just repeat one line. It is a very bizarre sense of autism."
Lellouche, one of the most Anglophile members of Sarkozy's government, made his remarkable intervention after David Cameron outlined a fresh Tory approach to the EU in the wake of the full ratification of the Lisbon treaty.
LOLZ!!! The fact is that what we're experiencing right now is a top-down disaster. -Paul Krugman
And the second-place winner gets to be head of the Conservative party for two weeks. The fact is that what we're experiencing right now is a top-down disaster. -Paul Krugman
I nominate this case, The Unstamped Letter in The Outbox (4 Nov 2009), for MSNBC broadcast premiere, 2010 season. Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
"I have told William Hague: go away for two to three years, in your political economic situation you're going to be all by your self and you'll come back. Go ahead and do it. That is my message to them ... You want to be marginalised? Well, you go for it. But it's a waste of time for all of us," the French minister said.
