What’s with this Juncker bloke being appointed? I bet the pay is good if this guy want the job. I want his job too 😆

Is this Juncker, sound like German WWII light bomber, going to be the first Total “President” of US of Europe?

What possibility is there for Cameron to renegotiate with EU? He is on shaking ground now promising this shite and that shite by trying to be a tough talker.

Time to get out me guess from the EU as the parasitic oxygen addicts are going to pollute my air.

😆

Incomprehensible as ever, chewkw.

Keep up the good work.

Jamie – Freeloader! But we still like him

Incomprehensible as ever, chewkw.

Keep up the good work.

Ya, I think you might have been starved of oxygen … 😆

BBC news

😈

They are all zombie maggots, AK47s are good weapons to sort them out….

…zzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

cynic-al – Member

They are all zombie maggots, AK47s are good weapons to sort them out….

…zzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

True, true … 😆

Why all the questions chewkw ? I look to you for answers, not questions.

I blame Genghis Khan

I think everyone was too obsessed with Nigel Farige and 2 fingers to the contenentals to bother looking at what a non protest vote might actually mean

Made your bed and all that…..

kimbers – Member

I think everyone was too obsessed with Nigel Farage and 2 fingers

Well Farage looks like somebody put their finger up his bottom, and we know chewkw likes having fingers up his bottom, so I guess the question to ask is:

has anyone seen Farage and chewkw in the same room at the same time before…? 💡

Benelli M4 sort them out after hang from spikes in public place.

👿 😆 😐 ➡ 🙄 😈 😆

sbob – Member
has anyone seen Farage and chewkw in the same room at the same time before…?

Why in the same room? 😯

For what? Having a pint?

If it is drinking a pint why not? I would even sit with your president for a pint or two … hell, I would have a pint with anyone even the leader of North Korean or Putin. 😆

For a pint, a fag, and a probe.

ernie_lynch – Member

For a pint, a fag, and a probe.

I wonder if Ms Soubry has been probed herself before because she seem to know how to describe the experience well … 😆

HHhmmmm … probinggggg … 😆

The post has only existed for 50ish years, good to see you’re as well-informed as ever.

Mr Cameron forced a vote on the issue and lost 26-2, with only Hungary supporting him.

😆

chewkw, maybe you shouldn’t drunk post.

jaaaaaaaaaam – Member

chewkw, maybe you shouldn’t drunk post.

He’s not drunk, just a crazy foreigner.
We keep him here like an amusing pet. 🙂

sbob – Member

jaaaaaaaaaam – Member

chewkw, maybe you shouldn’t drunk post.

He’s not drunk, just a crazy foreigner.
We keep him here like an amusing pet.

Ya, it’s very amusing and funny like going to a circus watching the performance.

😆

Edit: I can’t afford to get drunk … too expensive. How much a pint I hear you say?

£2.50-£3.70 in my local. Come join me sometime.

sbob – Member

£2.50-£3.70 in my local. Come join me sometime.

You can still get £2.50 a pint 🙂 … hmmm … not sure the local price here now.

What’s so funny Lifer – that an institution which assumes that it has the right to preach democracy to the world should be so fundamentally undemocratic itself ?

That next month the EU Parliament will go through the ridiculous charade of staging an election in which there will be only one candidate ?

That we know what the result of an election will be weeks before it takes place ?

That “parliamentary democracy” to the EU means simply “rubber stamping” ?

That we would throw our hands up in horror and register our strongest objections if a country such as Russia were to do anything simular ?

TBH the humorous angle of all 5 points isn’t lost on me.

Ernie the president is chosen by people who were elected by people to represent them what is wrong with that?

Just as with the UK system we don’t vote for a PM we vote for am MP who will represent us in parliament and chose to support or not support someone to be the PM.

Well if you can’t see what’s wrong with holding an election next month in which there will only be one candidate and the result is predetermined, then I guess that goes some way in explaining why there is so little faith in the democratic process and why most people across Europe don’t even bother voting for the EU’s pointless rubber stamp parliament.

One candidate with predetermined result … 😯

EU presidency election is like oh … look look the mother crab is trying to teach the baby crab to walk straight … 😆

That lot in the continent are a bit slow aren’t they … they can’t see it coming.

Other nations are evolving towards something better this lot are slowly turning backward restricting the people rights without realising, even hurray Henry can see that

Given that he is pissed by mid-morning (allegedly) it tells you all you need to know. It’s hard to get lower that Barosso, so that is one achievement that can be chalked up……

His bloc/party won the most votes

I thought thats what democracy was all about

rather than wasting votes on ukip/front national/beppe grillo maybe people should’ve paid attention and voted with their heads, for the next likely to win group – socialist democrat whatsits

THM not sure I’d put much weight behind torygraph hatchet jobs

It was quite blatant yesterday wasn’t it, kimbers!!! Still no secret in €-circles but a subtle as a brick from the DT!

Had two French friends over last night – apparently growing feeling in Paris that UK will leave the EU and real fear of plebiscites elsewhere given the likely results.

Even though he is tactically making a bit of a balls up, I think DC is correct to push for EU reform. I am pro EU in its original form (include the fundamental freedoms of movement ie, including labour which most ardent EU fans are scared of) but anti a fixed exchange rate and overly centralised decision making. Sadly, I think the choice will be out or far more centralised power including full monetary and fiscal union since this is required to maintain the € (linking to OP), both of which would be a mistake IMO. Junkers will be a catalyst for both unfortunately.

It’s not an election ffs, the European Parliament votes on whether to accept the nominated candidate or not.

Which is a damn sight more democratic that our upper house, for example.

“The selection process for president of the European Commission will be different this time round, with Europe’s political groups selecting their nominees ahead of May’s European Parliament election.”

“The Commission president is expected to be nominated at the June European Council summit and confirmed by the Parliament in July.”

“That Juncker was so much more open than the other candidates reflects the fact that he was unseated in last year’s Luxembourg election – he has nothing to lose by openly declaring his intentions. For this reason he was an easy choice for the European Peoples’ Party, which elected him to be their candidate for Commission president at the EPP party congress in Dublin on 7 March.”

http://www.europeanvoice.com/elections-2014-possible-presidents

Your facts aren’t welcome here Lifer. We need to get rid of the undemocratic zombie maggot commu-nazis! 😉

Or maybe let our elected representatives make decisions on our behalf…

Yes lifer dont explain how they came to this democratic decision using various tiers of democratically elected people/representatives to reach a consensus decision just call it anti democratic.

After all
1. No one voted for our PM to be PM but shh
2. Our head of state is there due to birth right
3. In our govt we have unelected peers.

Bloody anti democratic EU eh,

Basically the parliamnet proposed someone – this is actually against the “rules” but a sign of them asserting power.
The elected rules of each country agreed [ – 2 obviously]
the whole parliament votes on it and the main block will vote for their candidate

Unless you want a American style vote for president I am not sure how much more democratic you want the process to be tbh and I would start at ho,me by demanding we vote for either of our own leaders

IMHO THM hits the nail on the head – its either a free market/free trade area with loose connections to enable trade or it is a political state drifting towards a federal system [ clearly it is the later currently] and I doubt it can be returned to the former.

The will for the later exists more in the hearts and minds of politicians in the project than the general population- as shown when they allowed referendum on the treaty.

Lifer – Member

It’s not an election ffs

Well done for noticing. The EU’s most powerful politician is unelected but the EU takes it upon itself to preach democracy across the world. Hypocrisy is a wonderful thing is it not ? No wonder you found the process funny.

Which is a damn sight more democratic that our upper house, for example.

What a wonderful comparison, the UK House of Lords has extraordinarily little power, in fact it cannot block the will of the elected representatives in the House of Commons beyond being a slight nuisance and occasionally causing delays.

In contrast the President of the European Commission has enormous power and unlike the House of Lords the institution he heads can and does overrule the elected House of Commons.

But why chose the “our upper house” as an example, why not our head of state ? After all there are some voting procedures associated with the House of Lords but none whatsoever associated with the monarchy, so presumably that would be an even better example.

Of course the Queen’s power is somewhat limited, it’s certainly a lot less than President of the European Commission, but you don’t seem bothered by awkward detail like that.

Btw how about extending your logic to other contentious areas with regards to democracy – maybe Zimbabwe ? Next time the UK complains bitterly about the election process there perhaps Mugabe could claim “it’s a damn sight more democratic than how the UK chooses its head of state, for example”.

That would make everything fine since we have decided that the relative power of each institution is of no significance when we make absurd comparisons.

And what’s your take on the way the Iranians choose their president – is 6 candidates and no one knowing the result until after the counting ok for you ? Or should the EU show them the proper way to choose a president ?

Democracy is a very good idea when you get the result that you want but not such a good idea when it might give you the wrong result – Tony Blair and other upholders of democracy understand that.

For the record I am not a strong supporter of ‘direct democracy’ but does not mean that I don’t support democracy, every process within a society must be democratic imo.

A rubber-stamp Parliament with an almost comical lack of power, which most people across Europe haven’t voted for, choosing the most powerful politician in an institution which rules over half a billion people, in a rubber-stamping stitch-up exercise where there is only one candidate and the result is predetermined, is not democracy – it’s a farce.

the institution he heads can and does overrule the elected House of Commons [ i assume you mean MEP’s here].

The institution he head proposes legislation that others must pass { like the US of A]….in what sense are you claiming it overrules?
The reverse is true as

The Parliament now has more powers over the Commission and can reject its proposals, although the Commission has little power over Parliament, such as the ability to dissolve it to call new elections.[50]

Its a power share arrangement as modern democracies separate the executive form the legislature. Like the USA for example.

A rubber-stamp Parliament

They proposed the president – I would rather of though the best attack was to point out that within the EU rules this is not their role*- so yes they may well rubber stamp their own decision. 😕

A rubber-stamp Parliament

It wont be 100% for and they can vote it down if they wish – this is just invective.

with an almost comical lack of power

it has exercised a right it does not have and you are calling it comically weak.

which most people across Europe haven’t voted for

all MEP are elected
None of your points here are true or accurate

choosing the most powerful politician in an institution which rules over half a billion people,

In what sense does the president rule?

in a rubber-stamping stitch-up exercise where there is only one candidate and the result is predetermined, is not democracy – it’s a farce

How many votes do you want on the candidate ? the MEP expressed an opinion . the elected heads of the states [ bar 2] voted to have him. the MEPS will vote again. We do not vote in anyway for our PM or monarch.
Bit tabloid, hyperbolic and misleading ernie.

What would you prefer exactly as a method?

The EU is a flawed democracy but so is our own, so are they all. Those who dislike the EU gloss over our own weaknesses as unimportant and over state the EU ones to the point they are misleading.

* Article 17 of the Treaty on European Union, as amended by the Treaty of Lisbon, lays out the procedure for appointing the President and his team. The European Council votes by qualified majority for a nominee for the post of President, taking account of the latest European elections. This proposal is then put before Parliament which must approve or veto the appointment. This is not what happened they [ the leading block wiht a majority in the parliament] proposed the candidate.