Germany: The one country that the EU needs more than it needs the EU. Eurosceptics in Ireland and the UK seem to be delighting in the fact that Germany (as mention in the WSJ here) may be rapidly losing patience with the Euro and the EU generally. There is talk of a return to the Deutschmark, and if the Euro goes, surely the EU as a project will find itself beached. But what fascinates me is this: Eurosceptics have always alluded to the idea of a united Europe dominated by France and Germnay and an EU elite. So, supposing that the European project does fail, and the EU disintegrates. Supposing Germany decides to cast off the shackles of the EU and stand as a free, totally independent nation once again. Should we be afraid? Not in a Dad’s Army type way. Modern Germany is a solid... Similar posts

The EU: Flawed but vital. I feel about the EU the same way that British monarchists feel about the Royal Family. It’s a gut instinct thing, informed by my reading of history but also by the fact that it just makes sense to me. The way that some of my fellow Irish citizens feel about a united Ireland. Yet I can’t help feeling that such is the adolescent approach to political debate in this country, it’s almost impossible to criticise aspects of the EU without getting called a eurosceptic, which I’m obviously not. There are, nevertheless, things about the EU I don’t like. 1. The prickly approach to criticism. It is not anti-EU to criticise the EU, yet I have been savaged by pro-Europeans for daring to admit that some things don’t work. To say, as some... Similar posts

You say Tomato, I say you Fianna Fail F**king bastards! Fine Gael’s attack on the suggested Commission scrutiny of national budgets is infuriating to people like me, who should be natural FG voters. The fact is, our currency is in big trouble because there has not been enough scrutiny and peer review of national budgets, and we know damn well that if FG were in government now they would have no problem with this proposal. FG can’t keep opposing things just because Fianna Fail suggest it. They just can’t. The country has just witnessed an exciting and fascinating electoral contest next door, and an exciting outcome. Meanwhile, our chief opposition party is still engaged in a school yard jersey pulling level of politics. It’s time for FG to grow up. We can’t... Similar posts

Image via Wikipedia Today I had the joy of joining members of the European Movement Ireland in part of their schools roadshow on the European Union. Today we visited Colaiste Mhuire in Crosshaven. Leading the show was Andrea Pappin, the Executive Director, and she was joined with by Billie Sparks, the Education and Advocacy Director. I stood quiet in the coner! We were dealing with transition year students. Andrea started off the workshop by explaining about the history of the EU and the rights we have as EU citizens. She did all this in ordinary English! Then the main part got under way. The class were split into four groups: The European Commission The European Parliament Council of Ministers Lobby Groups The Council of Ministers were split between the French, Irish and Polish... Similar posts

Lucinda Creighton TD: I am delighted to welcome the former EU ambassador, Mr. John Bruton, and Mr. Alan Dukes. Both men were formerly Members of these Houses and Ministers. They are very welcome and we are pleased to have them in attendance. I invite Mr. Dukes to address the committee first, followed... Similar posts

Debate on Terms of reference of the review of the interim arrangements in the Houses of the Oireachtas implementing the powers conferred by the European Union Act 2009 In attendance: Mr. Alan Dukes Mr. John... Similar posts

Image via Wikipedia My last post had a quick look at what the Con/Lib Agreement said on Political Reform. Now look at what should be a what the Agreement says on the EU. As a Euroblogger I probably should have done this first! The UK will not join the Euro. No surprise there. They will try to limit the Working Time Directive in its application to the UK. The 1972 European Communities Act will be amended so that any proposed future Treaty that transferred areas of power, or competences, would be subject to a referendum on that Treaty. Basically the idea of the Irish Crotty Judgement incorporated into UK Law. The Sovereignty Bill is only a maybe. The basis will be “examined” They will press for the European Parliament only to have one seat, in Brussels. I hope they will... Similar posts

This was a disappointing election for Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats. As David Schneider tweeted, “Was the whole LibDem thing something I dreamed in the shower?”. With 63 MPs at the dissolution of the Commons on 6 May, they returned with only 57.  These included a few high-profile losses, such as Lembit Öpik in... Similar posts

One thing that is emerging from the Greek crisis is the fact that running a multi-state currency where any component can go hogwild just is not going to work. Both Ruairi Quinn and Simon Coveney, on A Week In Politics last night, suggested that we have to move towards some sort of Brussels ratification of Eurozone national budgets (and actual figures, given the Greek situation. Don’t forget, in the early 1980s FF under Haughey were fiddling the books too) before member state parliaments sign off on them. Although this would be a surrender of a certain degree of national sovreignty, I personally wouldn’t have a problem with another pair of eyes been run over the national books.... Similar posts

Greece: Mugged by reality. Watching a news report on the demonstrations in Greece, I was struck by the comments of one of the demonstrators, a teacher, who pledged that they will strike for years if necessary ”until the IMF and the European Union are out of Greece” This really struck me, because it made me wonder as to whether the Greek people have quite grasped their situation. Admittedly, it was only the remarks of a single Greek, but quite chilling in what it suggested. She seemed to believe that the cuts were because of some sort of EU/IMF diktat (you know, the way we lend 110 billion euro for a laugh) as opposed to the fact that her country had basically maxed out its credit card and was now furious that other people will not pay the bill. Are we, as the EU, going to... Similar posts

Thanks to LeftAtTheCross for this report on the lecture on the EU and its global ambitions held by the Ireland Institute as part of a series of lectures on imperialism in the 21st century. I think his points raise some interesting questions about the left’s attitude to what imperialism actually is, and what its relationship to Ireland might be. There was a decent crowd at this event last night, maybe 40 people. The subject was EU neo-imperialism. In particular Kevin McCrorry’s talk was very detailed and over-ran somewhat, to be cut short by Deirdre Uí Bhrógáin of the CPI who was chairing the meeting (to the annoyance of many of the audience). The big question for me however, which wasn’t addressed, is what is the alternative to the EU? Leave aside the neo-imperialistic... Similar posts

EU regulations rarely make for either good reading. And for the fairly large number of people whose holidays over the last week were somewhat longer than expected, recital 14 of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 February 2004 establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights, and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 295/91 may make for rather depressing reading:"As under the Montreal Convention, obligations on operating air carriers should be limited or excluded in cases where an event has been caused by extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken. Such circumstances may, in particular,... Similar posts

Aidan is buzzing. He’s like a kid in a toyshop. I, on the other hand, am just about keeping my excitement under wraps. We’re sitting in the first and, to my knowledge, only Dublin bar to offer the “unique” pull your own pint experience. Aidan thinks it’s amazing. Pulling our own pints. God above. What next? I’m not quite so enthusiastic. I think its a gimmick. They’re making me do something that’s normally done for me by someone else? Yippee, when we’re finished here, can we clean the toilets? Read the rest of this article... Similar posts

After reading this headline MEPs set course to re-open Lisbon treaty Queue lots of shouts of “nooooooooooooo” from me. It is a headline from the European Voice, about MEP’s on the constitutional affairs committee voting for an IGC on the Lisbon Treaty. This is all about the extra 18 MEP’s that are to be elected under Lisbon Treaty Rules, but weren’t as the election was under Nice Treaty Rules. You get that? So to add these MEPs we need to revise the treaties. This can be done two ways. Either a new Treaty, which will do more than just deal with the parliament, cause I know someone will want to change something else, or it can appended to the Croatian Accession Treaty. If it is a seperate treaty it will probably mean yet another referendum here in Ireland... Similar posts

Lucinda Creighton, Fine Gael’s European Affairs Spokesperson, tonight (Thursday) described recent comments by President Mary McAleese in support of Turkey’s EU membership application as fundamentally flawed. She said that the Government’s continued vocal support for Turkish EU membership was misguided and showed the government to be out of touch with the wishes of the... Similar posts

Everybody who’s worth listening to when the subject is the politics of the UK now seems certain that Gordon Brown will visit Her Majesty the Queen tomorrow morning and seek her permission to call a general election for May 6th, one month from tomorrow. Britain has suffered under Labour Government for what will be, on election day, thirteen years and five days. During that time, Government has expanded to the point where it now accounts for more than half (52%) of all British economic activity – up from a mere 34% when the Conservative Party was last in office. As the state has expanded, so has personal freedom contracted – a development chronicled daily by Alex Deane and his team at the excellent Big Brother Watch. Government debt is out of control, industrial relations... Similar posts

On St Patrick’s Day, while we were engaging in national celebrations, the European Commission was addressing the accession of the EU to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). For those who are not familiar with the history of this issue, the European Convention is the basis of human rights protection across Europe and is under the custodianship of the Council of Europe (an organisation of 47 Member States including all EU Member States). The EU has long harboured an ambition to join the Convention. However, in 1994, a decision of the European Court of Justice (Opinion 2/94) declared that the EU could not join the Convention without an explicit treaty basis allowing it to do so. In the absence of such a basis in the EC and EU Treaties, accession would have to wait.... Similar posts

The internet has really influenced a lot of shoppers nowadays. In fact, a number of online shoppers from the country of Ireland have spent big percentage doing online transactions based on the 2009 Eurostat statistics update. The Eurostat statistics report posted on its most current issue about the State of the Net report, the turnover of e-commerce outlets accounts for 26% of enterprise return to Ireland. This 26% is considered as the highest percentage among the 27 countries of the European Union. Some of the countries included are Finland and Sweden with 18 %, Czech Republic, Germany and Britain with 15 %. The entire European Union average is 12%. Within the last three months, 29% of Irish online shoppers purchased or ordered goods and services via the internet. On the other hand,... Similar posts

Our President Mary McAleese is on a state visit to Turkey.  We knew what was coming in advance.  She has issued that "Ireland" supports Turkey's membership of the European Union.  You would think our President would check with her people first because we might say otherwise.  Turkey is triple trouble with regards entry in  to the European Union.  The distinct difference of culture, its super large population, and the fact that 95% of the country is not even considered part of the European continent.  Mary should reaffirm that she supports Turkish ascension.  Love how she was super quiet on the Armenian holocaust... Similar posts