Hurricane Watch for a rudderless EU Council?

The Nice Treaty, which is now the most recent and therefore defining instrument of the conglomeration of once free nation states we know as the EU, sets in stone the schizophrenic mindset of Europe's then political leadership. The Nice Treaty and therefore the existing EU is lumbered with a fudge over the dilemma of the unified Germany's considerably larger population of 82 million versus the next largest nation states all with under 60 million people. After the Nice IGC, Germany's weighted vote in the European Council, remained at 29 (identical with that of France, Britain and Italy) with provision for an apparently ineffective and fudged double majority mechanism while the extra number of German voters was rewarded with extra seats in the severely neutered European Parliament. As was later pointed out on Ironies this compromise did little to overcome the fact that as the EU's most populace member state the voter in Germany has far more power to determine the future course of the EU than any others - this remained particularly true given the power of the Franco/German axis operating under the terms of the Treaty of Paris. Now that the German electorate has effectively dished democratic responsibility for effective government in their own country, the inbuilt safeguards of their constitution acting as intended to forestall strong leadership, has the one remotely democratic pillar of the EU - the EU Council- not also been rendered inoperative for the duration of the German leadership crisis? I believe that the answer to the above question must be yes and that the EU cannot now function while its largest member state remains effectively leaderless. Even were a grand coaltion to be formed in Germany, the early calling of its general election, the constitutional question marks this action raised and the end result seems certain to deliver nothing but uncertainty for the EU for the next year or two. Should not the present President of the European Council, Tony Blair, be NOW proposing a strategy or offering some thoughts on the best way forward for the viscous coagulation of once independent nations known as the EU?

EU Crisis deepens

The EU had been stymied pending the outcome of the German elections. The uncertainty now caused by the understandable reluctance of the German electorate to vote for their own promised painful medecine resulting in electoral stalemate looks set to ensure that the institutional sleepwalking of the summer months will continue well into the 'fall'. German investor confidence plunged today, read from this link, other indices seem bound to follow. One analysis of the known problems may be read from here, predictions as to future developments are difficult to find. The earlier apparent cohesion of the EU federalist line provided an easier target for attack by proponents of democracy as protected by the nation state than the crisis-ridden organisation so visble to all since the French and Dutch referenda. This blog has been comparatively quiet of late, there being little to add to the EU supporter's own inner torment and anguished attacks. I plan to now resume recording these events more closely. Tony Blair, currently President of the confused and corrupt conglomerstate remains silent and inactive as the storm clouds gather - what Katrina did for George W - could the fallout of an EU or Euro crisis do for B-Liar?

We told them so!

Quote of moment must be the closing sentence of London's The Times leading article today: "Democracy yesterday suffered a grievous defeat in a court whose contempt for sovereignty verges on the criminal." The full surprised response on but the latest loss of national sovereignty may be read by clicking here.

Unelected EU Commission gains powers to criminalise all

Comment on the decision as reported in the Daily Telegraph from this link. The ruling from the European Court of Justice as reported by the totalitarian conglomerstate itself may be read from here. The opening paragraph and press release heading make particularly chilling reading and are quoted below.

Court of Justice strengthens democracy and efficiency in European Community lawmaking

In a landmark ruling today, the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg decided that the competences of the European Community to protect the environment also include the power to require Member States to ensure such protection through criminal sanctions for serious offences. The Court annulled a Council Framework Decision adopted in 2003, reserving this competence to an intergovernmental decision under the “third pillar”. The Court thereby supported the position of the Commission. The judgement concerns a particular environmental legislation, but it sets an important precedent for Community law in general.