These Euro-nationalists never learn. They simply refuse to believe that most people don’t want an integrated Europe. (For ‘integrated Europe’ read ‘superstate’).

Now they’re cut up that some member states are ‘slower’ than others. They don’t want the pace of integration to be dictated by the slowest mover. They talk of ‘moving forward’.

It’s as if the Nice and Maastrict Treaty debates never happened. Are these people stupid? Or deaf? Or just incredibly dishonest?

 They propose treaty after treaty which centralises power away from nation states. They have tried to give the EU an single identity on the world stage. The dizzier ones dream of European armies, competing with the Americans and spheres of influence.

All the while it has become clear that ordinary Europeans are becoming increasingly disenchanted and estranged from the silly nation-building exercise that the EU has become.

The EU constitution has become a shambles. 

Firstly, the convention that was called to draft it was a joke. It was completely unrepresentative. The three Irish members sent were all Nice Treaty yes-men despite the opposition of a huge part of the Irish population to this treaty.

They were charged with simplifying the various treaties that make up the EU. They failed.

They were charged with coming up with clear principles on just what powers the EU should have. They failed.

They were charged with producing something durable that wouldn’t have to be amended every two years. They failed. (The constitution isn’t even durable enough to get itself approved in the first place.)

The reason for this shambles is that the European political elite is completely out of touch with the people of Europe.

And it’s all clear in the language that they use. Their understanding of ‘forward’ is shared by very few. 

Most reasonable people can see that a centralising EU is a “BACKWARD” move. And most reasonable people would like each country to decide economic and political questions for themselves.

You cannot have a single speed Europe because to do so with rob Europeans of the democratic right to shape their local areas and regions.

So if the Germans and the French want a single-speed run to a Euro superstate, let them get on with it.

And let the rest of us Europeans travel our own roads at our own speeds.

EU Meddling

Our man in Europe, David Byrne, backs our smoking ban and wants to fight smoking at the EU.   

Now this is what I don’t understand. What has smoking got to do with the EU? What is wrong with the nation state that it can’t handle local smoking policy? What principle is involved in this interference with local democracy? 

None. No principle at all. There is no area of life that is beyond the pointless interference of the EU.

And the proposed constitution won’t change this either.