All Hail the new.....EU-president?

[Meshugger]

The EU suddenly has a President, did i just miss a referendum....no wait i didn't. Some other guys just decided it.

 

It feels like i am part of a very silly, silly...silly monty python scetch. I mean, even the newly "elected" Foreign minister is a british baroness for pete's sake. Nobility at the very top of power, doesn't that ring some serious alarmbells among countries that do not have a monarchy, especially among the french?

 

Ok, they have almost zero executive power, but still, it is like the most self-evident truth has zinged the heads of the EU-countries: Since the friggin french revolution, since the times of Voltaire, people have taken for granted that no power should be without representation. This isn't the EU any more, it is the first step to a poor mans version of the old USSR, a system of bureaucracy, govern by imbeciles that aren't harmful, just silly and incompetent.

 

You guys in the US have it good, really good. You have clear separation of power, different branches in the house of congress. A president elected in a direct referendum, and a supreme court that adheres to constitution. We have none of that. Yes, you americans may point and laugh

[Gfted1]

[Wrath of Dagon]

Our Supreme Court does not adhere to the Constitution, but I agree we're better off than the EU.

[Meshugger]

Our Supreme Court does not adhere to the Constitution, but I agree we're better off than the EU.

 

I rephrase it better then: "The Supreme Court takes judicial decisions according to what power the constitution lets them and uses it as a framework for its decisions" Better?

 

Anyhoo, this is just silly, and dumb.

Edited November 19, 2009 by Meshugger

[Wrath of Dagon]

Nah, still not really accurate. How about "A Supreme Court which claims to adhere to the Constitution, while giving lectures about how judges in reality set policy". But we're rather far off topic, I agree the unelected bureaucrats running the EU is a really, really bad idea.

Edited November 19, 2009 by Wrath of Dagon

[Lare Kikkeli]

No I think we're in a much better hands with faceless bureaucrats leading the EU instead of charismatic, crazy religious neocons. To each their own I guess.

[Deadly_Nightshade]

No I think we're in a much better hands with faceless bureaucrats leading the EU instead of charismatic, crazy religious neocons.

 

And I would agree!

[213374U]

Faceless bureaucrats? You know this is the candidate endorsed by Sarkozy and Merkel, right?

[Rostere]

I guess the representatives will be elected by the populace once they gain some amount of actual power, probably after another 10 years of costly negotiations in the EU-bureaucracy.

[Rosbjerg]

Yeah this is silly, but didn't your national/local media give you a rundown on the Lisbon treaty? This move has been in the works for a few years now, it's not exactly surprising.. I agree with the alarmbells regarding nobility though, that sounds a little too monarchy'ish to me!

 

Next treaty will probably institute a European Emperor.. that would be beautiful wouldn't it?

[Purkake]

Haters gonna hate etc.

 

[Flouride]

I love it how they just installed a president without actually asking the people who should be the president for the EU. Not that we Finns got to even vote about accepting the Lissabon treaty in the first place. It's good that the politicians know us normal people ain't to be trusted on such matters.

 

Both the president and foreign minister look like they are Reptilians. Clearly V is a true story and now they've started their plan to kill us all! :D

[Purkake]

The president is just the "face" of EU. I don't get what the big deal is. He has less power than the president in most parliamentary countries, like Finland.

 

The President of the European Council is at this point best described as a secretary. He prepares meetings, negotiates with the different parties to reach a compromise if there's a dispute, gives the official statement to the press before and after meetings, ... No real hard power. However, van Rompuy still has lots of room left to fill in his function the way he likes, so he might give the title more standing/power than how it is described now. He could create a blueprint for the following Presidents.

[Meshugger]

This is how they look like (i dunno if you can see this outside finland though)

 

 

The caption says: "These are the new leaders of the EU"

Edited November 19, 2009 by Meshugger

[Walsingham]

Keeping in mind how we are constantly reminded that Muslims should be vocal about opposing terrorism, I'd like to be vocal on behalf of Britain in opposing that no-neck vomit-beast who apparently is the new EU foreign minister.

[lord of flies]

This isn't the EU any more, it is the first step to a poor mans version of the old USSR, a system of bureaucracy, govern by imbeciles that aren't harmful, just silly and incompetent.

Hello there.

 

All governments rely on the consent of the governed. This doesn't apply "just" to democratic leadership. When the Shah ruled Iran, he ruled with the silent consent of the people; when he lost it, he lost the government. When Kerensky was leader of Russia, he too needed the silent consent of the governed; when he could find no one to defend his leadership, it collapsed.

 

Almost everyone in Europe said, "Yes, we will accept the further entrenchment of the rule of capital in our nations."

 

The things some leaders fear the most is the people. A strike? A protest? I do not even need to say how the government responds. They are afraid, because they know that without firing a shot, the people can collapse them. Because every soldier who fires a shot and every police officer who beats a civilian is a human being, who can be convinced. Who can be forced into non-action.

One of the slogans they learned during their trainings was:

Edited November 20, 2009 by Fionavar

[Oner]

This is how they look like (i dunno if you can see this outside finland though)

 

img

 

The caption says: "These are the new leaders of the EU"

*physical resistance failed*

*Oner petrifies*

[Calax]

This isn't the EU any more, it is the first step to a poor mans version of the old USSR, a system of bureaucracy, govern by imbeciles that aren't harmful, just silly and incompetent.

*looks at kennedy and bush dynasties*

 

I see more parallels to the US than the USSR. Of course, I don't exactly know how the USSR worked.

[lord of flies]

Of course, I don't exactly know how the USSR worked.

Great.

[Hell Kitty]

Leaders should be judged by how attractive they are. Good job, Obsidian Forum Community.

[HoonDing]

Bad news for Belgium. Now that **** Leterme will be back as prime minister.

[Walsingham]

Because every soldier who fires a shot and every police officer who beats a civilian is a human being, who can be convinced. Who can be forced into non-action.

One of the slogans they learned during their trainings was:

[Meshugger]

Some further info about this president of ours (translated from swedish):

 

"The 62-year old belgian christian democrat Herman Van Rompuy will be the first president of EU. He is sceptical to a free economy, but likes regulation. He is a federalist. He dislikes Turkey.

 

Van Rompuy will recieve a salary of 350 000 euro (~500 000$) per year. Thus, he will more than double his income compared to his previous job, and more importantly, he will get a higher salary than President Obama. He will have a staff consisting of 22 people to begin with, and a security staff of 10 people. The whole thing will cost taxpayers 6 million euro (~8 000 000$) per year. But ofcourse a there has to be built a presidential counsil as well."

 

The current head of the EU european union, swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt is happy as a child.

 

The swedish prime minister also said that Van Rompuy is the "voice of all europeans".

 

 

....are we now living in a Douglas Adams novel?

Edited November 20, 2009 by Meshugger

[Gorgon]

He's a figurehead, everybody says so. No power in the position. It is a bit strange that they chose a nobody to be a figurehead, but this is the stuff of political compromise.

[Meshugger]

He's a figurehead, everybody says so. No power in the position. It is a bit strange that they chose a nobody to be a figurehead, but this is the stuff of political compromise.

 

I think that it strange that despite the dutch referendum saying no to the Lissabon treay, then the french, then the irish, who somehow later change their minds, and with the rest of us having nothing to say about it, suddenly having a president and a foreign minister representing them all.

 

If anything, they should resign.