BBC Blog Network

User Profile

Damian_Chalmers

Listed below are comments made by Damian_Chalmers between Tuesday, 17th June 2008 and Monday, 8th June 2009.

«Newer
Older»

Eurosceptics triumphant 09:46am on 08 Jun 2009 Mark,

I appreciate you have been up all night but are you looking at the same results as us? I know comparisons with 2004 are difficult, but, according to the results I see, the UEN and IND groupings are currently down on 2004 - so a decline in support across the EU for the Euro-sceptic groupings. Within the UK, the vote for the two withdrawal parties, UKIP and BNP is up by 2%. There is however a greater increase in vote share for parties who are seen as more supportive of the EU. The Green vote is, by itself up higher (2.6%) than UKIP and BNP combined, and there have been significant gains by the SNP. This is an argument for a polarisation of the vote rather than a swing one way or the other pro or anti the EU.
Sarkozy's ambitious agenda 6:11pm on 11 Dec 2008 Mark,

Please look past these accusations of bias. For myself, I find your blog to be humane, dispassionate, informed and extensive.

They say choose your friends well and your enemies better. You have chosen excellent enemies!!

In relation to post 21, and the comparison between the Enabling Act and the Lisbon Treaty, I would note that the EU has adopted Directives 2000/43 and 2000/78, two of the more wide-ranging and progressive pieces of legislation combatting race and religious discrimination in Europe's history. By contrast, the policies of the Nazis on these matters were rather different, and I would be incredulous that the latter were not referred to precisely because of their policies on these matters.

Btw, to some others on this blog, the best way to silence debate about an imperfect organisation, such as the EU, is to accuse all reporters of bias other than those who report about what you want in the way you want. Is that really what you want?
Treaty mired in Irish bog 7:05pm on 17 Jun 2008 Mark,

As I see it, there are three options of which the first two are not really options.

Option 1: Go ahead without the Irish. Legally impossible and politically a non-starter given that the UK and Czechs have indicated their opposition and others would no doubt join them if this got any wind.

Option 2: The Irish have another referendum. The Irish already have opt-outs for abortion and to a certain extent for defence (neutrality). Politically also a non-starter. Turn-out was high and the 'yes' vote was catastrophically low in rural and poorer areas. Domestically, the big Irish story is the latent electoral threat of Sinn Fein which could become magnified exponentially with a second referendum.

Option 3: (a) Bring in almost all the substantive amendments through existing Treaty processes (this is just about legally possible).
(b) Ask the Irish which of these will wear politically for them and create opt-outs/exceptions using existing mechanisms for those they will not go with (including keeping an Irish Commissioner).
(c) All the other States ratify the Lisbon Treaty.
(d) The other States will declare the Lisbon Treaty an amendment of the TEU amongst themselves that does not affect Irish rights etc because of (b). Formally, it will govern the situation in 26 legal systems and the existing TEU the situation in Ireland. This would be lawful on my understanding.

Legally and politically hopelessly opaque and maybe dishonest, but possible and workable. It seems the only option in town given the desire of the majority of governments to continue. It is the option that is possibly British strategy. It is the only one that makes David Milliband's comments intelligible about the necessity for time and everything being dependent on the Irish government (see item (b)).

«Newer
Older»

^ Back to top

BBC MMVI

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites

BBC.co.uk

BBC Blog Network

Find and talk to the BBC's bloggers.

User Profile

Damian_Chalmers