A renegotiation of EU institutions to suit the Conservatives if they win power is "out of the question" and London risks isolation if it makes such demands, France's minister for Europe said today. The Conservatives have given up on the idea of putting the European Union's Lisbon Treaty to a referendum, but pledged to seek the return of some powers from Brussels to London."It is out of the question to reopen negotiations on the treaty," said Pierre Lellouche, France's secretary of state for European Affairs, on the sidelines of a news conference by President Nicolas Sarkozy."That would require agreement from the 26 other EU members and I don't think for a single minute that will be possible. It was so hard and took so long (to agree on Lisbon) that these institutions are here to stay, probably for decades," he said.
A renegotiation of EU institutions to suit the Conservatives if they win power is "out of the question" and London risks isolation if it makes such demands, France's minister for Europe said today.
The Conservatives have given up on the idea of putting the European Union's Lisbon Treaty to a referendum, but pledged to seek the return of some powers from Brussels to London.
"It is out of the question to reopen negotiations on the treaty," said Pierre Lellouche, France's secretary of state for European Affairs, on the sidelines of a news conference by President Nicolas Sarkozy.
"That would require agreement from the 26 other EU members and I don't think for a single minute that will be possible. It was so hard and took so long (to agree on Lisbon) that these institutions are here to stay, probably for decades," he said.
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.
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.
The Tories said a backlash from Europe "won't make a difference" today as David Cameron was accused by a leading French minister of "castrating" Britain's influence in Brussels. The Conservative leader yesterday promised to try to wrest back powers from the European Union after ditching his pledge to hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.
The Tories said a backlash from Europe "won't make a difference" today as David Cameron was accused by a leading French minister of "castrating" Britain's influence in Brussels.
The Conservative leader yesterday promised to try to wrest back powers from the European Union after ditching his pledge to hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.
Life is gonna get interesting. I might be seeking a european bolthole if these fools follow through on their insanity. keep to the Fen Causeway
The insanity is for real. But if the Tory-tubbies are already this incoherent, their first round is going to be a suicidal TV drama of violence and cat scratching.
What worries me is the prospect of someone like 'Call me Stalin' Hannan getting the top job after a bloodletting, once Dave gets the Tubbies elected.
I'm not sure how solid CallMeDave's power base is. Judging by the short half life of 'leaders' like Hague, and the other one whose name everyone has forgotten already - not very.
But he risks splitting the party to do it. Right now they prefer the prospect of power to bloodletting, but people like Hannan aren't really housetrained enough to stay on the leash for long.
If I can stay my outrage at what the tories will do to Britain, I might enjoy the next few years as both labour and tory party rips themselves to shreds. keep to the Fen Causeway
Cameron bowed to the inevitable. There will not be a referendum about 'Lisbon', he said in London on Wednesday. He defended the reversal with the fact that such a plebiscite would be futile under the current circumstances. "If we wasted everyone's time and taxpayer's money on a referendum that had no effect, I do not think the British people would thank us for it." Instead he promised to fight for the repatriation of powers that previous governments have handed over to Brussels. He wants to renew opt-outs (with regard to social legalisation and the EU charter of rights) and establish new ones (on criminal justice). He also wants to prohibit, by law, the transfer of any power to the EU without a referendum. Protest from euro-sceptics within the party was unexpectedly limited. MEP Daniel Hannan, an arch sceptic, did say he will resign from his post to dedicate himself to campaign for a referendum. But apart from that, protests within the party was limited to anonymous comments in the corridors of the House of Commons. Political commentators say many Tories realise they should not waste their first serious opportunity of regaining power with new quarrels about Europe.
Instead he promised to fight for the repatriation of powers that previous governments have handed over to Brussels. He wants to renew opt-outs (with regard to social legalisation and the EU charter of rights) and establish new ones (on criminal justice). He also wants to prohibit, by law, the transfer of any power to the EU without a referendum.
Protest from euro-sceptics within the party was unexpectedly limited. MEP Daniel Hannan, an arch sceptic, did say he will resign from his post to dedicate himself to campaign for a referendum. But apart from that, protests within the party was limited to anonymous comments in the corridors of the House of Commons. Political commentators say many Tories realise they should not waste their first serious opportunity of regaining power with new quarrels about Europe.
My sense is that, now that the Sun has huffed, puffed and surrendered on Europe, the Mail's heart isn't in it. "Cameron's big EU climbdown" (surely the word is "betrayal" or "treason" in Mail-speak?) was confined to pages 14 and 15. Sometimes you have to retreat from an unholdable Dunkirk. [...] Dave's six-point plan for protecting British sovereignty from the fantasy of a federal Europe will waste a lot of time and win a few concessions that will have to be paid for with concessions elsewhere. It's called negotiation. We've been here so often before; we all know the moves. Yes, the EU does encroach on all sorts of things, though nowhere near as much as the Eurosceptic analysis insists. It has certainly intervened this week in ways that ought to help create a more competitive British banking sector - so helpfully that George Osborne has welcomed the commission's move and said it was his idea first. [...] Cameron says he does not want a fight with the EU. I believe him; he's not daft. He wants the EU to be an association of member states, not a federal state - which it isn't. From banking to Basra, Britain has usually gone its own sweet way under Labour - as it did under the Tories. Brussels interferes chiefly in open market matters, under the treaty Margaret Thatcher signed, the Single European Act of 1986, the one the Hannans and Carswells never include in their lists of wicked referendum-free treaties Britain signed.
[...]
Dave's six-point plan for protecting British sovereignty from the fantasy of a federal Europe will waste a lot of time and win a few concessions that will have to be paid for with concessions elsewhere. It's called negotiation.
We've been here so often before; we all know the moves. Yes, the EU does encroach on all sorts of things, though nowhere near as much as the Eurosceptic analysis insists.
It has certainly intervened this week in ways that ought to help create a more competitive British banking sector - so helpfully that George Osborne has welcomed the commission's move and said it was his idea first.
Cameron says he does not want a fight with the EU. I believe him; he's not daft. He wants the EU to be an association of member states, not a federal state - which it isn't. From banking to Basra, Britain has usually gone its own sweet way under Labour - as it did under the Tories.
Brussels interferes chiefly in open market matters, under the treaty Margaret Thatcher signed, the Single European Act of 1986, the one the Hannans and Carswells never include in their lists of wicked referendum-free treaties Britain signed.
