The EU Commission on democracy

This interview on BBC Newsnight – is a modern classic. The EU Commissions vice president Margot Wallström tries to explain why ignoring the Irish no to the new EU Treaty is the right and democratic thing to do...



Below you will find a transcript, whith the quotes that ought to haunt Ms Wallström...

GE = Gavin Esler, BBC Newsnight
MW = Margot Wallström

GE: ...and I'm joined now from Brussels by Margot Wallström, vice president of the European Commission. And your boss, José Manuel Barroso said that the treaty isn't dead, the treaty is alive. Can you explain to voters what they have to do to kill it?

MW: (3s pause) I think, first of all, if we are serious about democracy I think we have to understand why the Irish people voted no. That must be, sort of, the first stage, and this is what the Irish, and what we will contribute to, to do until the heads of states and governments meet.

GE: Presumably they voted no because they don't like the treaty, but you boss is saying...

MW: Well, you don't know that!

GE: ...will go on. I'm just asking you: what would they have to do not to have it?

MW: I think you just have to find out and that the Irish government will make the analysis and we will also, through the Eurobarometer, try to find out more.

GE: ...but are there anything?

MW: ...exactly as we did after the French and the Dutch votes as well. And the answers were very different actually, if you compare what the voters in France and in the Netherlands said, so thats the...

GE: Well they said no! ... but is there anything voters could do...

MW: ...first stage and then they'll have to discuss what to do.

GE: But is there anything voters could do to get rid of this treaty? ...in a democracy?

MW: In a democracy, then you listen to the concerns, and you see is there anything we can do to meet those concerns? What, exactly, was it that they were worried about and made them say no?

GE: ...but you see...

MW: And the political leaders have invested so much political capital and time and energy to try to get a new machinery, to make the EU work better. So ofcourse they will not give up easily. They will try to find...

GE: ...right...

MW: ...a way forward because we need to make it more democratic and more open... and more effective.

GE: ...but do you see, the fundamental problem here is that many voters throughout Europe think that the EU is an undemocratic imposition. And they don't object to membership of the EU, they just object to the way it's been run and things are imposed on them. And when voters say no you say we gonna go on and on and try find a way to make you say yes.

MW: No. I think that what we have done here is ofcourse that member states decide themselves on how they want ratify a new treaty. All the leaders have ofcourse signed up to this particular treaty and in Ireland, according to the national constitution, they have to have a referendum. And if there is 18 member states having said yes...

GE: Without asking the voters!

MW: ...and one member state said no, then I think all member states will want to have a say in all of this and ofcourse you have to analyze why there was a no. Is there anything we can remedy? Is there anything that can be corrected? And that analasis has to take place first of all.

GE: But to go back to the point: for the voters, the only voters that have had a say on this treaty. The only ones, the Irish voters. Very intelligent, very well informed people. Quite a big turnout. They said no and yet the process still goes on. So therefore... That is absolutely what people mean by the democratic deficit.

MW: But lets leave it to the leaders to discuss whats to do in a situation like this. And remember, the problems, they have not gone away because the Irish have said no. The problems of a european union with a democratic deficit, with a number of new challenges, with 27 member states and not 12, and with a machinery that was designed for 12 and not 27 the problems have not gone away. And this is still what we expect our political leaders to tackle. If we want to be effective fighting climate change or dealing with high oil prices then we better equip the European Union to do that. Effectively and more democraticly. And that was the starting point of this whole discussion and I think thats where we have to focus our efforts right now.

GE: Ok. Margot Wallström, thank you very much for joining us from Brussels.

Feel free to spread this transcript.

Tax Havens

The Democratic Deficit revisited

A few weeks ago the European Parliament voted on the Telecoms Package.

At the last minute the EP managed to stop parts (created by the copyright lobby) of the package aimed to filter the internet and to close down internet access (without judicial process) for people engaged in e.g. file sharing. So far, so good.

Now, it turns out, the European Commission seems to have removed all references to this EP-decision in its working papers – preparing the Telecoms Package for a second reading in the EP or an OK in the Council. This we where not supposed to know. But the document leaked out...

It is not to bold to guess that this is the work of the French EU presidency and its friends in the copyright lobby. They simply will not take no for an answer. Not even a clear no from the EP.

(Personally, I am pro copyright. But I will not accept mass survilance, limitations in citizens rights or give up the freedom of the internet. And I think it is a really bad idea to use laws to save an outdated business model.)

Read more and find the relevant links at icmpecho.com.»

Gordon Browns Downfall, Part 2

Gordon Browns Downfall

Lex Orwell: Wiretapping Sweden

The web documentary Wiretapping Sweden, about the new Swedish survilande law, is now on the net. See it above or at www.wiretappingsweden.com.

Lex Orwell, part 2

Per Bylund is writing about the new Swedish surveillance law on Lew Rockwell.com.

Lex Orwell

Sorry about the relative silence on this site.

You get kind of paranoid in these days when the government is trying to legally break into your mailbox. The debate on "national security" and integrity has been enourmos the entire summer, in the UK, in Germany and especially in Sweden.

As for myself, well I'm now being investigated for espionage for taking on the government on the new Swedish snoop law – "Lex Orwell".

My doings have resulted in some international media. Please read the full story by Einar Du Rietz at Center for the New Europe and in The Local...

CNE 1 | 2 | 3
The Local 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

Tax Competition

Flat Tax

Swedish NSA to wiretap all phones & internet

Read the full story here...

The EU Treaty of Lisbon (A Trailer)

Patrick Moore on Nuclear Energy

"Other than hydroelectric energy—which I also strongly support—nuclear is the only technology besides fossil fuels available as a large-scale continuous power source, and I mean one you can rely on to be running 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Wind and solar energy are intermittent and thus unreliable. How can you run hospitals and factories and schools and even a house on an electricity supply that disappears for three or four days at a time? Wind can play a minor role in reducing the amount of fossil fuels we use, because you can turn the fossil fuels off when the wind is blowing. And solar is completely ridiculous. The cost is so high—California's $3.2 billion in solar subsidies is all just going into Silicon Valley companies and consultants. It's ridiculous."

Environmentalist and Greenpeace co-founder Patrick Moore in Newsweek.

Link»

Newseum

A new, larger Newseum, or News Museum has finally opened in Washington D.D. Apparently a must on my next visit to the US, and on top privately financed with tickets starting at $20– something that hopefully will reduce the hour long waiting lines that are far too common outside the »free« museums in the capital.

A map over the world, I’m told, categorize countries by non-free press (red), semi-free press (yellow) and free press (green). I’m anxious to find out the colour of the western countries. Sweden controlling print press with subsidies, most countries having governmental TV-channels, the EU countries banning certain opinions and even putting people in jail for questioning the Holocaust. Not to mention the US, where any non US citizen under the visa waiver program is required to pledge not to report to any foreign media outlet. Or maybe that’s gone? I’ll see on my next visit. Until then, if you’ve already been there, send me a note and tell me what the map looks like!

Link»

But... do we need one?

A salary of around € 270,000, a chauffeured car, a housing allowance and a personal staff of around 20. This is some of the stuff taxpayers will have to pay for the new EU President. To begin with.

"However the commission is not expected to mention the EU president's salary in its first budget draft for fear of upsetting the current ratification process of the EU treaty - particularly in Ireland which is to have a referendum" according to the EU Observer.

Link»

One Europe, One Culture, One History?

The European Parliament last week adopted the report »Sharper focus needed on European cultural heritage«, written by Portugese MEP Vasco Graça Moura (EPP-ED).

Now, what does »sharper focus« mean? Well, the EP Press Release is a little... diplomatic.

But if you read the report you will find that it says that we have one European culture, that we should adopt one cultural agenda and that there should be one curriculum on European history in schools.

In the words of Sweet Virgin Mary: Come again!?!

I don't even dare to think what this translates into in German...

The report was adopted by the EP with 533 MEPs voting in favor and 68 against. 22 did not vote at all.


(This report has stirred up a rather lively discussion on my Swedish blog.)

Linking

As this is a new blog – links would be appreciated.

The blog can be reached at the following web addresses:

www.theembeddedcitizen.com
www.theembeddedcitizen.co.uk
www.theembeddedcitizen.eu
www.theembeddedcitizen.blogspot.com

Merci!

Small is Beautiful

Micro Credits are gaining momentum again, according to an article in the International Herald Tribune.

This way to, entirely privately, or in cooperation with governmental financing (which most often is not necessary, but hey, why say no to free money) help people into independence instead of dependence is one of the best formulas the last decade.

Maybe that’s why it’s also looked upon suspiciously by old style foreign aid people. After all, there’s money t be spent. In Sweden, a ruling by parliament prohibits the government from spending less than on percent of GDP annually on foreign aid.

Link»

Cheers!

And good luck.

Wednesday, the constitution for the newly liberated Kosovar republic was signed, just awaiting final ratification by the new parliament.

Some of my friends are Kosovo-Albanians, so I might be a bit biased, but above all, it’s a splendid opportunity to see if a small independent Balkan country can manage real liberty. Good luck, and cheers, or Gezuah, as the locals say!

What the French are up to...

Information is beginning to leak on the French governments plans for its EU Presidentcy.

Among other things, they want exceptions from Free Trade Agreements – when it comes to culture, including film and TV.

The reason is to protect and to promote "domestic" culture.

In other words: To the French, what makes culture important is where it is created, not the content!

Cultural protectionism is a term that comes to mind.

The French approach is an narrow minded and arrogant dismissal of other peoples thoughts, creativity and creations.

Baguette!

EP: No Internet Ban

Today the European Parliament voted about banning people envolved in File Sharing from the Internet.

Yesterday, the French government made an last minute appeal to the Parliament to accept such a ban. (It is no doubt something they would like to introduce in France. And in the EU, during the French Presidency.)

But with 314 votes to 298, the European Parliament decided with MEP Fjellners motion not to ban people from the Internet.

MEP: Don't ban people from the Internet!

The Bono Report presented to the European Parliament suggests that people engaged in activities like file sharing should be banned from the Internet. (One can wonder how that is going to be enforced.)

The idea of banning people from the Internet is supported by French President Sarkozy, among others.

But in the European Parliament, there is resistance against this ill thought out proposal. Among others, Swedish MEP Christopher Fjellener (EPP-ED) is putting up a fight. In a Motion for Resolution he writes...

"Calls on the Commission and the Member States to recognise that the Internet is a vast platform for cultural expression, access to knowledge, and democratic participation in European creativity, bringing generations together through the information society; calls on the Commission and the Member States, therefore, to avoid adopting measures conflicting with civil liberties and human rights and with the principles of proportionality, effectiveness and dissuasiveness, such as the interruption of Internet access."

Shortly we will know what the EP decides.

"Harmonisation"

France is planning to push forward plans for a common EU company tax base during its six-month term at the bloc's chair, starting in July. And this will be the first step towards "harmonisation" of tax rates.

One might ask what the point with free movement in the EU will be – if everything is going to be exactly the same everywhere.

Especially as the EU tends to adopt the worst practice on different areas within the union, when "harmonising".

Link»

More bad news for Doomsday Prophets

"Propagandists for global warming were very excited last September when Arctic ice-cover, at 3 million square kilometres, hit a record low. They have been strangely silent, though, about the latest data (see the Cryosphere Today website) which shows that, after the northern hemisphere's coldest winter for 26 years, ice-cover is now 14 million sq km, a million more than this time last year."

Christopher Booker in The Daily Telegraph.

Link»

Will she ever learn?

Once again, Hillary Clinton has been caught stretching the truth a bit to far.