EU president

[dicktimber]

Just take a look at this.
Why was it not reported in the Press over the last couple of days or did I miss it?



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bypLwI5AQvY

 

[Argee]

It was all over the TV news and he was on "Question Time" last night, doing it again.

Ray

 

[dicktimber]

I am spending too much time in the shed!!!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[jorgoz]

What an ego-tripper

 

[Jake]

Such a crass embarassment, still leopards and spots I suppose.

 

[Chris_belgium]

Have to admit, it did sting a little , Belgium is in fact a non nation or something along those lines?

 

[duncanh]

One comment on Radio4 the day after it happened - he's doing his utmost to be obnoxious (apparently he's done similar before) so that he gets thrown out and can come home claiming that the EU doesn't want GB there. Apparently he's planning to stand for parliament at the election and this would give him more ammunition in his campaign.

 

[jorgoz]

Chris, a non nation, as this eloquent git points out, is maybe what's needed to point some of those big nation ego's in the same direction ?

I'd rather have a quiet, more enlightened soul, WORKING behind the scenes than a pompous pineapple like that deciding what's best for Europe. And it's ofcourse not his fault that the Greeks doctored their books.

And where's our bloody sence of pride of being Belgian ? In a lot of countries around the world Belgians are regarded highly. More so than those noisy, know-it-all Dutchies, drunk Brits , hoity toity Frenchies, only 1 language speaking Italians, overly nervous Spanish folk, anal retentive Germans :lol: ,.... But i like'm all :wink:

 

[Chris Knight]

It's unfortunate his unpleasant manner will probably cause people to overlook an important point - that Baroness Ashton was unelected and indeed never has been. It truly is the triumph of bureaucracy over democracy.

 

[jeffinfrance]

unfortunately though.......he is quite right. europe is fast on its way to being completely standardised. imagine a federation of states that accumulated all the worst aspects of life in those individual states, then take away all the best things from life in those individual states. that is the europe of the not too distant future.

 

[studders]

What actual power does he have, if any, and if he's unelected how did he get to be there?

 

[Digit]

In answer to your first question, they are still arguing that!
In answer to your second question, nobody knows, it was all done behind locked doors.
We do not know if there were any other candidates, if so who, if there was a vote, if so what was the out come.
Democracy?

Roy.

 

[Jason Pettitt]

The other candidates.

The shiny new EU presidency is elected by member states - majority vote qualifies. Said President serves a 2 1/2 year term, renewable once. The president chairs the EU summits and represents the views of the Council on the international stage, but has no particular 'powers'. (Good to see you all read the Lisbon Treaty - hohoho). If I remember rightly Van Rompuy was particularly popular precisely because he wouldn't upstage nation states.

 

[Digit]

The shiny new EU presidency is elected by member states

The shiny new president was elected by the EU commissioners. The EU commissioners are appointed to their office by the ruling party of the state they represent.
They are not elected by the populace of that state, they are political appointees.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Commissioner

Roy.

 

[Jake]

The shiny new EU presidency is elected by member states

The shiny new president was elected by the EU commissioners. The EU commissioners are appointed to their office by the ruling party of the state they represent.
They are not elected by the populace of that state, they are political appointees.

Both of the Presidents (new and old types, Barroso and Rompuy) are elected by the Council, i.e. the Prime Ministers etc of the member states. I think the Parliament has a say in the Commission President (Barroso) as well. The Commissioners do not.

The new President is not much more than a titular figurehead, the replacement for the rotating 'presidency' which went from country to country every six months.

Not much bogeyman to be found in the role.

 

[Digit]

sorry I got my terms wrong. He was appointed by the heads of state.
I find it rather odd that our government which is opposed to a non-elected upper chamber should support any form of un-elected legislature.
But that's politics.

Roy.

 

[Jake]

sorry I got my terms wrong. He was appointed by the heads of state.
I find it rather odd that our government which is opposed to a non-elected upper chamber should support any form of un-elected legislature.
But that's politics.

He isn't a legislature, and has no legislative powers, so the only politics involved are yours.

 

[Jason Pettitt]

The Council doesn't have legislative power.

~edit~
No, after you...

It is gosh darned confusing though.

 

[Jake]

I don't think that's what he meant, as the Council members obviously have electoral legitimacy through their national democratic processes.

 

[Digit]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of ... pean_Union

The Council is one of the two legislative bodies in the EU,

I dunno, that's what it says there. And if they don't what do they get paid for I wonder.

It is gosh darned confusing though.

Isn't it?

Roy.