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| Europe |
| EU paving the way for 'European empire' |
| 2009-10-31 |
| European Union leaders have cleared a major obstacle holding up the massive Lisbon reform treaty, paving the way for a new-look EU with its first-ever president. At talks in Brussels, the leaders approved a proposal to satisfy a last-minute demand by Czech President Vaclav Klaus for his country to win an opt-out from the EU's charter of fundamental rights. The Czech Republic is the only one of the 27 EU nations, which has not ratified the treaty -- which some critics say is a threat to the sovereignty of member-states', and will turn the bloc into "an empire the size of Europe." "I am happy to say that the European Council, this evening, has been able to take a decision and agree on what has been asked for by the Czech government and the Czech president," said Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt. "We have moved the last political obstacle to ratification," said European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, after a summit working dinner. Klaus angered his EU partners when he sought an opt-out from the treaty three weeks ago, after Prague's parliament had already ratified it, in what his critics took as a fresh attempt to delay its adoption. The move was to ensure the treaty will not allow ethnic Germans forced out of the former Czechoslovakia after World War II, for Nazi collaboration, to reclaim their property. The last technical obstacle remains a court appeal against the treaty by a group of Czech parliamentarians, many from the party Klaus founded. The Czech Constitutional Court is set to rule on it on November 3. With the Czech problem out of the way, attention has also turned to candidates to become the first EU president, with former British premier Tony Blair a front-runner, along with Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #9 Emperor Fop the first? I keep getting a picture somewhere out of Munchausen. |
| Posted by: notascrename 2009-10-31 21:58 |
| #8 Empire? Please. Just more bureaucracy and more empty suits to represent it |
| Posted by: European Conservative 2009-10-31 19:12 |
| #7 I'm sure Putin is very upset. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2009-10-31 15:46 |
| #6 Am I the only one for whom the word "empire" conjures notions of an unruly collection held together by force? Whereas "nation" suggests peoples who consider themselves a single group and are willing (at some level) to sacrifice and fight for each other. I'm curious whether the "man on the street" in Tours or Dortmund thinks himself more European than French or German. We already know what the elite think. |
| Posted by: James 2009-10-31 12:02 |
| #5 Violence down the road will come of this. Striving for empire was one of the big themes of the 20th century. It's like deja vu all over again! At least it will keep the History Channel in business. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2009-10-31 10:59 |
| #4 OK, but only one seat at the table for you guys |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-10-31 10:35 |
| #3 Violence down the road will come of this. |
| Posted by: NCMike 2009-10-31 07:24 |
| #2 EU paving the way for 'European empire' Islamic Republic of Eurostan. |
| Posted by: Woozle Uneter9007 2009-10-31 02:21 |
| #1 A threat to the sovereignty of the member states is the entire idea. A continent-wide nation, led by the Council of the Wise, is the idea. That pesky democracy needs to be laid down, shown ridicule, and eventually removed altogether. This will be easier considering Europe's new population from other continents. |
| Posted by: gromky 2009-10-31 01:31 |