Thursday 22 October 2009

No Chair for Blair?

From "Irish Independent"
http://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/sarkozy-upsets-blairs-bid-for-eu-presidency-1916592.html

Tony Blair's chances of becoming the first EU "president" nose-dived yesterday when President Nicolas Sarkozy distanced himself from the former prime minister's undeclared campaign for the post.

Governments in Benelux and Austria oppose Mr Blair for other reasons. They still remember his role in appearing to divide Europe into pro- and anti-Bush camps before the US-British invasion of Iraq in 2003. They object, in principle, to any British figure taking the post while the UK remains outside the euro and the common, passport-free borders established on the continent by the Schengen agreement.

Comment: "Independence Cymru" favours adoption of the Euro and passport-free borders. Ireland has the Euro and presumably Scotland will. Furthermore Britain should not remain outside the Schengen Agreement.

3 comments:

Pelagius said...

Good for you on this one. With you all the way. I see Jill Evans MEP is against this warmonger too. She may support Mary Robinson.

One point of correction, though. The vacant post is President of the Council of Ministers. This represents the member state governments only and, of course, meets in secret.

Parliament has its own President and so does the Commission. If the Treaty of Lisbon is finally adopted, parliament will take power from the Council of Ministers, which is why the Brits don't like it.

an soc said...

Tony Blair has already paid for the post, by surrendering Britain's rebate.

Pelagius said...

an soc, away with this British nationalist drivel. The UK's so-called rebate - which goes directly to the UK Treasury and is used to fight wars - robs Wales of billions of EU grants and loans due to the lack of UK matched funding. That's why other nations like Ireland do so well out of EU policies.