I am following the elections in the EU. I use this term on purpose. These are not European elections. Timothy Garton Ash said this. That actually we selecting our candidates to seat in the European Chamber of Deputies (this is me). The name Parliament is misleading too. This is only the 'House of Commons' while the Council of Ministers is 'House of Lords'. Or the other way round.
The problem with the EU is that people try to describe by using parallels to the existing political systems. But like every system, this one is different. The waiting for the Lisbon treaty makes things even more complicated. Which names should we use. Which compentences belong too whom...
I would like to have one day a clear 'narrative' about the EU. Narrative which names things. And if there is no clarity about sth, it uses a language which opens the issue, rather than closing it/lying about the underlying problem.
I got very enthusiastic when following the questions put during the Nice summit, the Laeken declaration was elaborated in 2001. I am afraid that 8 years later we are not much closer to having an answer to the questions elaborated there. Do we need one treaty which would clarify the nature of the EU? For me the answer is yes. Should we call it a constitution? Probably not. But how should we call it then? Should it be a 'statement of principles'. Sounds boring already.
The EU has changed a lot since. I must say I like the major developement - Eastern enlargement. I was always hoping that the EU would clarify what it is after this enlargement, not as a precondition to it. But the shere numbers make me scared. 27. How can you dialogue with 27 MS. If my family had 27 members I am not sure I would remember all names :). How do you seat them around the table? Do you make a separate one for the kids (this is how dealt with such issues during parties). Poor guys who are chairing a meeting. There is no discussion in 27.
Coming back to the elections in Europe. We are approaching a cut off point. Then we shall have a fixed picture of what is EU now. What people think. What careers have they pursued. Do they want to defend their small angle, village, country or do they want to tackle wider subjects - internet: youtube or facebook, problems of fertility, the impact of tourism on economy, how to deal with people who hate what represent current London or New York.
Surely there will be a mix. One third hard working and ambitious, one third just trying to keep about the surface and a third whose ambitions (or lack of it) shall lie outside the European agora. Still this cut off point is important. I am not convincing anybody to vote. I just want to show that it is worth watching the show, even when it turns completely abberant.
I hope that the new Parliament will make some waves in the selection of the next college of Commissioners. I hope for a lot of troublemaking. Because troublemaking means people have to position themselves, which means reading, which means understanding more. I think that the fall of Czech government made huge publicity about what presidency means. So I hope that the post of next President of the European Commission will not be given without fight. I think it deserves this. We deserve this!
So I wait till next Sunday and then: alea acta est! have a good weekend!
The problem with the EU is that people try to describe by using parallels to the existing political systems. But like every system, this one is different. The waiting for the Lisbon treaty makes things even more complicated. Which names should we use. Which compentences belong too whom...
I would like to have one day a clear 'narrative' about the EU. Narrative which names things. And if there is no clarity about sth, it uses a language which opens the issue, rather than closing it/lying about the underlying problem.
I got very enthusiastic when following the questions put during the Nice summit, the Laeken declaration was elaborated in 2001. I am afraid that 8 years later we are not much closer to having an answer to the questions elaborated there. Do we need one treaty which would clarify the nature of the EU? For me the answer is yes. Should we call it a constitution? Probably not. But how should we call it then? Should it be a 'statement of principles'. Sounds boring already.
The EU has changed a lot since. I must say I like the major developement - Eastern enlargement. I was always hoping that the EU would clarify what it is after this enlargement, not as a precondition to it. But the shere numbers make me scared. 27. How can you dialogue with 27 MS. If my family had 27 members I am not sure I would remember all names :). How do you seat them around the table? Do you make a separate one for the kids (this is how dealt with such issues during parties). Poor guys who are chairing a meeting. There is no discussion in 27.
Coming back to the elections in Europe. We are approaching a cut off point. Then we shall have a fixed picture of what is EU now. What people think. What careers have they pursued. Do they want to defend their small angle, village, country or do they want to tackle wider subjects - internet: youtube or facebook, problems of fertility, the impact of tourism on economy, how to deal with people who hate what represent current London or New York.
Surely there will be a mix. One third hard working and ambitious, one third just trying to keep about the surface and a third whose ambitions (or lack of it) shall lie outside the European agora. Still this cut off point is important. I am not convincing anybody to vote. I just want to show that it is worth watching the show, even when it turns completely abberant.
I hope that the new Parliament will make some waves in the selection of the next college of Commissioners. I hope for a lot of troublemaking. Because troublemaking means people have to position themselves, which means reading, which means understanding more. I think that the fall of Czech government made huge publicity about what presidency means. So I hope that the post of next President of the European Commission will not be given without fight. I think it deserves this. We deserve this!
So I wait till next Sunday and then: alea acta est! have a good weekend!
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