Seventeen eurozone countries signed-up forthwith, the remaining countries are inclined to do so but will consult their Parliaments first out of sheer democratic animal spirits. Except for the United Kingdom, whose Prime Minister displayed the brutal reality of Executive power in the United Kingdom's so-called democracy by refusing point blank to accept the greater interest of the European Union, or indeed of the United Kingdom, over that of his party's unity. A democratic leader would have consulted his country's Parliament on Lisbon Treaty changes.
Not even his government coalition's survival was at stake; there is a European majority in the UK Parliament. Cameron put at risk the economic security of most of Europe for a Conservative party faction. He wasn't defending City interests, despite his protestations, for City interests require the highest levels of representation within the EU and he has certainly lost that. Nor could anything prevent greater EU surveillance over the City's 'light touch' regulation; those glory days are gone. EU business will be regulated and (to a far greater extent than might have been with the UK properly represented) transacted within the core EU from now on. And it is impossible to imagine the European Union taking any repatriation of powers to the UK seriously after facing down the UK on an issue as important as the Euro itself.
Let us hope Cameron has the courage of others' anti-EU convictions and leaves altogther; there's nothing but a price to pay and Union meddling in the UK's internal affairs left for the UK in Europe now. No reason to stay and every reason to go.
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6 comments:
We will leave and the price will IMHO be well worth paying.The EU is increasingly undemocratic and unaccountable and push ALWAYS comes to shove.You can also bet that what ever our opinions the CITY has told the UK to pack it's bags and is caling us a cab.
It's not at all clear that the UK hasn't already left, Chief. Consider this quote from the Brussels statement (this is the final paragraph):
"Some of the measures described above can be decided through secondary legislation. The euro area Heads of State or Government consider that the other measures should be contained in primary
legislation. Considering the absence of unanimity among the EU Member States, they decided to
adopt them through an international agreement to be signed in March or at an earlier date. The objective remains to incorporate these provisions into the treaties of the Union as soon as possible.
The Heads of State or Government of Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Sweden indicated the possibility to take part in this process after consulting their Parliaments where appropriate."
So, I would hazard that this will be enacted in national Parliaments, having been incorporated (by fair means or foul, I also hazard that the routes and texts have already been identified and drawn up) into the EU treaties well before next March. Before Christmas might be optimistic but gosh they could get a lot done over the Christmas hols.
I do hope Cameron really wanted out, because that is where he is; and only a lost vote of confidence (and meeting the requirements of the fixed term parliament provisions, pathetic as they are) stand between him and a general election.
It is worth repeating: there is a parliamentary majority for remaining in the European Union, and the population at large wouldn't bother to turn out in great numbers for any referendum on membership or no. Cameron's position is very questionable.
I'm sure not even the keen Europeans in parliment want to have their budget controled by Brussels (in reality Germany). After all it means they have no real power, and for many it means Germany has won the peace.
Anon. It was Hitler and National Socialism that was the enemy, not Germany.
I've perhaps got the wrong end of the stick here but didn't we say "we want no MORE EU legislation designed to marginalise the City vs. New York etc, and in return for that assurance we will support BOTH the EU and your immediate treaty needs" and when considered against the immediate and urgent needs of the EuroZone, Germany and France chose the City over the needs of Europe's citizens?
Michel, would you expand on how Germany and France chose the City over Europe's citizens?
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