Colours of Euroscepticism

Bad game

euroscepticism — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:23:21 +0000

The differencies among the members of the new EP eurosceptic group called European Conservatives and Reformist are more fundamental than observers has supposed. At least in the theme of the Lisabon Treaty they can act as one. But it is not true any more.

“According to reports in the British press, the ECR’s Polish leader Michal Kaminski signalled support for the Lisbon treaty, which is strongly opposed by the UK Tories, the largest national contingent in the recently formed group.
Leader David Cameron, who has promised a referendum on Lisbon, withdrew his 25 MEPs from the centre-right EPP group to form the anti-federalist ECR after the June elections.
However, Kaminski told the Law and Justice Party’s website earlier in the year that the treaty “guarantees Poland’s sovereignty”, according to reports in the Observer.” has stated The Parliament.

That sad news for two men. More important fact is, that this fundamental divide line in a new group is a challenge for the chief of the British Conservatives David Cameron. Is he really the leader of the strongest party in the group, or is he only a puppet of a populistic Polish party?

And it is a sad news for Czech right-wing senators who are going to challenge the Lisbon Treaty with the Constitutional Court.

Last man standing

euroscepticism — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:20:31 +0000

Czech President Václav Klaus wants to sign the Lisbon Treaty as the last. It is a novelty. After completing a ratification in the Czech Parliament he stated that he would wait until the second Irish referendum. Now he has issued many more conditions. “The Irish have not voted again. Poland has not signed the Lisbon Treaty, and Germany has not signed the Lisbon Treaty. So I am not the last Mohican who is fighting against all,” he said.

In other words, it means that he would sign as the last from the group of three Central European recultant presidents Köhler, Klaus, Kaczyński. Anyway, it has to be said that there is big difference between the position of Köhler and Kaczynski on the one hand and the position of Klaus on the other hand.

Köhler´s position is the most transparent: he suspended the act of signature until the German Constitutional Court decides if the Lisbon Treaty colides with the Basic Law. “Given the urgent applications waiting to be heard, the president is respecting a request of the Constitutional Court,” his office said. It is the same story like with the European Constitution. Moreover, both cases Köhler assured he is willing to sign the treaties.

The position of Kaczyński is less transparent (in Poland the treaty has been approved by the Parliament and there is not any Constitutional Court´s hearing) but it is still logic. “For now, the treaty question is pointless. It’s hard to say how it will end,” said Kaczyński after teh collapse of the ratification in Ireland. Anyway, later he said, he would have been willing to sign if the Irish have said Yes in the second referendum.

The least transparent position is the Klaus´s one. Contrary to the searching of legal arguments against the treaty in the offices of Köhler and Kaczyński, Klaus simply plays a political game without any respect to the above partial office he holds.

It is really shameful conduct. Klaus has decided to play a last-man-standing game. Abroad he hopes that something wrong will happen in Germany, Ireland, Poland or the UK, home he supports maverick Senators who are willing to issue the second complaint against the treaty to the Czech Constitutional Court.

Tories in dire straits

euroscepticism — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:13:27 +0000

Until recently, it has been easy to be a Eurosceptic Tory. Far from power, the British Conservatives have easily adopted hard-line Eurosceptic stances. However, David Cameron and his party are very near of the government now. It is likely that Cameron would become a new British PM next year. Therefore, the party has to face its Eurosceptic promises and tell a nation what is a real European programme and what has been only Eurosceptic populism.

Especially for Cameron it is really hard. He promised a referendum about Lisbon treaty, but now he is trying to avoid a clear pledge that he would do it as a new PM next year.

A few days ago Mr Clarke, the most pro-European Union member of David Cameron’s shadow cabinet, clearly said that the referendum is no option for Conservative elite: “If the Irish referendum endorses the treaty and ratification comes into effect, then our settled policy is quite clear that the treaty will not be reopened.”

Instead of the referendum he has recommended a new opt-out from European legislative, propably in social and employement issues: “But it has also been said by David Cameron – and he means it – that it will not rest there and he will want to start discussing the division of competences between member states and the European Union.”

There will be an essencial row over the referendum among the Conservatives. Clarce is not a typical Eurosceptic Tory, and the majority of the party supports more Eurosceptic figures like William Hague, the shadow foreign secretary. Moreover, the Conservatives have seen a recent success of radical Eurosceptics from UKIP, who have won the second place in the EP´s election in the UK. And the Conservatives know very well, why UKIP has succeeded. Its leader Farage said it clearly: “Public opinion has moved in our direction and I think the lack of a referendum in the UK is part of that.”

Hard to give an advice. On the one hand, the Conservatives are bound by a promise over the referendum, on the other hand, it would have been a sign of absolute amaterism and inconstancy in the British politicy toward the EU, if they had really delivered it.

Where the hell is the rest?

euroscepticism — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:25:47 +0000

Immediately after the European elections the British Conservatives, the Czech Civic Democrats and the Polish Conservatives has started looking for possible partners in a new Eurosceptic group in the European Parliament. The Eurosceptics had done very good results in many countries, but, anyway, it could not help this new Eurosceptic alliance. Why? Because these three big parties are looking for standard democratic and non-extremist partners, not radical negators of the European Union. Such category is, however, very slim in the new EP. Searching for moderate Eurosceptic conservatives all over Europe thus reminds waiting for saviours of such risky British-Polish-Czech project.

The new Eurosceptic alliance knows what will be goals of a new group. It would deal on a European level with problems such as energy security and a reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, Zahradil, ODS EP election leader, said. On the other hand, the EU member states would continue to control taxes, social and health affairs and other matters. We even know the name of the group – according to the Polish Conservatives it could sound “European Conservatives and Reformers”.

However, we don´t know the most important thing. Who will make this group except these three parties? According to the EP rules, the new alliance has to be consist of MEPs from seven different countries. Where the hell is the rest? The truth is that the British and the Czech Conservatives are afraid of making alliance with extremists. Therefore there is not a plenty of moderate partners. Their proposed partner in Bulgaria failed to win a seat. The Swedish eurosceptic June List party fell just below the 4 per cent threshold and has not any MEPs.

The Conservatives from the Czech Republic and UK have to option for less confortable partners if they still wanted to create the new group. Guardian has speculated: “Two Latvian parties which won three seats between them are candidates. The ethnic Polish MEP in Lithuania will probably join. The big winner in Estonia, Indrek Tarand, an independent and TV talkshow host viewed as a libertarian, could also sign up.The fiercely anti-immigrant and Eurosceptic Danish People’s party, which won two seats, is a further contender. And in Flanders in Belgium, the rightwing libertarian List Dedecker (one seat) would bring the number of participating countries to eight.”

Wow, it certainly will be really powerful, homogenic and stable power which shows a brave new future to the European Union!

Are really the elections to the European Parliament unnecessary?

euroscepticism — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 17:56:33 +0000

The Czech president, an outspoken European eurosceptic, Václav Klaus should be satisfied. Again, he has been able to cause an outrage among European politicians with his eurosceptic stances. Only a few day before the beginning of the EP elections, he stated that these elections were only “halfvoting“. The French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner repeated that, by his statement, Klaus tried to demolish Europe . Finally, Klaus struck back that Kouchner is “demolishing” a democratic discussion in the EU. And, of course, as usual in Klaus´s disputes, he considers Kouchner´s remark “unbelievable“.

Well, that is only a description of one of Klaus´ provocative European games. However, let´sfocus on the subject of Klaus´s provocation. Generally, he is right that the EP elections are not fully valuable – MEPs have no legislative initiative, there is nothing like a single European nation of which this body could be an adequate representation. But we know (and Klaus certainly knows it as well) that power of MEPs lies in the opportunity to issue directives which are then binding for the members of the EU.

From this point of view only a silly observer can state that the EP elections is only “halfvoting” – keep in mind the EU telephone roaming, the EU budget, the EU energy policy, the EU consumer protection policy etc. These themes are sometimes more important for our everyday life than laws about foreign policy discussed in national parliaments.

Klaus´s criticism as usual didn´t offer any sensible solution. According to him the EP should be transformed in another WEU assembly (i. e. more or less a “talking club” without any power). However, he knows that it is a proposal that could have been relevant in 70s or 80s, but certainly not now. He even knows a real solution to this “halfvoting”. His eurosceptic colleague Roman Herzog, a former German president, has recently found only one remedyto current “democratic deficit” in the EU – according to him, the European Parliament should be turned into a proper legislative assembly – calling this an “urgent requirement.”

But we in the Czech Republic know that Klaus cannot propose such logical remedy of “halfvoting” to the EP. That could empower the legitimacy of the EU, in contrast, Klaus´s long-term policy toward the EU aims to destroy this European community by all means.