Reason to leave the EPP (number 93)

Three quotations from the EPP document celebrating 50 years of the EU:

"The economic integration of the continent of Europe had always been seen as a first step on the path towards political integration and the building of a reunified Europe founded on the values of freedom, democracy and peace."

"In a globalised world, the Member States can no longer be effective on an individual basis.  They must work together with respect for solidarity and subsidiarity.  The nation state can no longer deal with the modern challenges alone.  As a result, the prospect of European integration must under no circumstances be abandoned; on the contrary, it must be strengthened."

"As far as the EPP family is concerned, there is no alternative to the deepening of European integration.  The commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome is therefore not a look back to the past, but the confirmation of a project for a shared future."

Access a pdf of the EPP paper here.

Comments

[Richard Hyslop]

This particular doccument was actually drawn up by the EPP-ED. The ED bit of course contains our Conservative MEPs. I wonder if any of them were consulted before it went out in THEIR name!

[Mark Wadsworth]

Isn't that reasons number 93, 94 and 95?

[George Hinton]

-------------------------------------------
"The economic integration of the continent of Europe had always been seen as a first step on the path towards political integration and the building of a reunified Europe founded on the values of freedom, democracy and peace."
--------------------------------------------

Just exactly whose reunification are these bunch of prize prats talking about? --Napoleon? Kaiser Wilhelm? Adolf Hitler? Charlemagne? or some other despot, dictator or megalomaniac i've forgotten/omitted. Or is it that they have dreams of the Communist Empire and the recreation of a nomenklatura that can conveniently ignore the people and rule by fiat, whilst enjoying thr fruits of leadership.
We do not need 93 reasons to leave the EPP or EU, just the ONE.
It's hardly surprising that this coterie of prize dip-sticks always ignore the case of Norway, Iceland, Lichtenstein or Switzerland when trying to make the case for a dictatorial and fascist EU superstate.

[Richard Weatherill]

Our continued membership of "the EPP family" (which I can only assume is meant to include the ED as well) is an amazing DISgrace.

[Paul Oakley]

The first paragraph quoted from the document is of course absolutely correct. As Arthur Salter said in 1931:
"The United States of Europe must be a political reality or it cannot be an economic one".

The EPP is telling us nothing we didn't know already. The only surprise is that the UK powers-that-be persist in deceiving themselves and us that we can somehow influence the project.

[James]

I'm curious why the quotation refers to building a 'reunified Europe'.

As I presume George Hinton is suggesting, the only times Europe has been unified in the past has been through conquest by dictators. Is this the utopia that this quote is referring to?

[Merde]

It is disgraceful that this toilet paper is funded by our taxes and seems to have the endorsement of the leadership of the Conservative delegation in Brussels. Is this yet another example of Timothy Kirkhope going native?

[Josh]

I thought a globalised world called for smaller states. That's what the SNP say.

[Tom]

More important surely is that everytime anyone has tried to unite Europe it has involved conflict to establish or conflict to dismantle it. This whole concept is utter madness.

[sjm]

Strange, all those European States that fought so hard to throw off the yoke of the Holy Roman Empire, and then the Austro-Hungarian Empire, are now begging to be part of a similarly undemocratic fiefdom.

[Alistair]

One only has to read a selection of posts here to see that the Tory Party remains exactly the same organisation of swivel-eyed Europhobes as it was pre-Cameron.

Cameron can pretend as much as he likes to be a "moderate". His actions on EPP and open threats to Europhile MEPs give the lie to the idea that the party has changed.

Cameron's farcical attack on UKIP was a smokescreen to hide the fact that his own policies are almost identical to the "fruitcake" party.

So what does that make him.

[Id]

So, Alistair, exactly what is your argument in favour of remaining in an ever expanding European Union to the complete disadvantage of your own nation?

And, as ever to an obviously blinkered Europhile, why is any discussion of changing a self-evidently failing, marxist-derived institution so terrible that you have to use base insults instead of reasoned debate? Ah yes....because your case makes no rational sense!

[Paul Oakley]

Alistair is a breath of fresh air as an open proponent of the federalist project. It would be nice if all of his swivel-eyed EUphile colleagues would have similar courage. Come on chaps - make the case for your anti-democratic superstate. I'm sure that the British people would be happy to set aside their inherent scepticism as soon as you have "explained" your plans.

[Dave]

One notices by its' absence the excellent programme about me by that charming gentleman Mr Hitch. Where are the glowing reports which I can share with my chums at the club? Am I to be denied my rightful place in the media? Pray do tell editor........

[Richard]

"So what does that make him."

In touch with the British public? Go on, persuade me that there's public demand for an increase in the powers of the EU.

[Richard Balfe]

Just cool down!!
For most electors this is a non issue and the current leadership has it right. We are not going to leave the EU but we want to get it out of our daily lives. Let it concentrate on it's original mission of a zone in which there is Free movement of "Goods, Capital and Labour"
Remember our best slogan "In europe but not run by Europe"
Finally the electorate does not vote for divided Parties if we want to win we should place this issue firmly on the back burner.

[Paul Oakley]

Wish you were right Richard, but ignoring the EU in the hope that it will go away is as sensible as ignoring cancer. The constitution is very much an issue again.

And "In Europe but not run by Europe"? Sorry, but that's in the same class as being a little bit pregnant.

[ukfirst]

Flying the flag for football

27-03-2007

EU nationalist arrogance

Euro MP's will this week try to make the flying of the EU flag and singing of the EU anthem compulsory in European football championships. An amendment to a report going through the Parliament says, "during the finals of Europe football competitions, particularly the Champions League and the European Championships, the European flag shall be raised and the European Anthem shall be played".

Godfrey Bloom MEP said, "This is just Euro nationalism at its most arrogant. The Euro 2008 finals are being played in Switzerland and Austria. Maybe these fools in Brussels want to annoy the hosts, or do they just not know what they are doing? Haven't they noticed that Switzerland is not part of the EU".

"In this year's Champion's League we had a Russian side playing a Turkish side, neither are from EU. And how would the Norwegians feel if they were forced to run out under a flag that has nothing to do with them?"

The grandstanding is just the latest attempt to create a single European nation in the sporting field first apparent when the EU started to hand out hundreds of flags at the Ryder Cup in 2002.

Mr Bloom said, "For pities sake, lets keep EU nationalism out of football".

Notes
The Ivo Belet report of the future of Professional football will be voted on in Plenary at the Brussels Euro-parliament Hemicycle next Thursday (29th March 2007). The amendment in question is Amendment 25 by Christine Prets.

Euro 2008 http://www.uefa.com/competitions/euro/finaltournament/index.html

[Elaib]

Another reason?
http://euobserver.com/9/23794

The MEPs implicated are Italian EPP members

[Elaib]

Oh yes and Ivo Belet is an EPP member, ref the football story above. (Not sure if he is going to support what is, to be fair, a socialist amendment).

[Traditional Conservative]

Isn't Mr Balfe a Socialist Europhile who left the Labour Party in curious circumstances?

I wonder why?

[Gospel of Enoch]

"In europe but not run by Europe"? Please, not that again... and as for those who say it's not an issue at the ballot box - issues like post office closures very much are. It's just that Camerloon and chums insist on lying about what the EU is responsible for - if they told the truth about what they've signed away, they'd never win another seat let alone another election :-<

[Richard Hyslop]

If it is the same Richard Balfe, then he used to be Labour's longest serving MEP before crossing the floor to us under IDS's leadership. He was a Conservative MEP up until the last European Elections for the London region and still remains involved with the Party.

[Mark Fulford]

A question to those who want us out of Europe: would you prefer the other countries to remain together or would you be happy for the whole thing to dissolve?

[Gospel of Enoch]

I would perfer their peoples to make informed decisions on what was best for them. I would not expect us to say "We know best", but I suspect some would choose to withdraw once they became net contributors...

[Anne Palmer]

Now I know why so many people are not going to vote for the Conservative Party.