Macron, the French President, has a not so subtle trick up his sleeve with his plans for reform of the eurozone. That being that he’s presenting it as a two speed Europe – those who want the further integration can have it, those who don’t need not sign up. But that’s not what will happen at all, those centralising plans will apply to everyone whether they want them or not.
In terms of his actual public plans they’re just more of the same. We should solve the problems of too much Europe by having more Europe:
The French president wants:
to create a post for an EU finance minister.
to establish a joint eurozone budget.
to institute a body tasked with overseeing bloc-wide economic policy.
The disaster which is the euro and eurozone itself is precisely an excess of centralisation. The very idea of having the same currency – and thus the same monetary policy – for such disparate economies is ludicrous where it isn’t positively evil. That Depression – in fact, it’s worse than the Great Depression was in the US – in Greece is entirely to be put at the foot of the euro. Not the initial collapse perhaps, but the fact that it is still ongoing is entirely to do with the existence of the euro.
We’re not going to solve the problems of having such centralisation by having more centralisation now, are we?
But then here comes the not so subtle trick:
Macron envisions a two-speed Europe which would allow countries that want to work towards further integration to go forward with such measures while others can choose to maintain the status quo.
In terms of monetary union reforms, Macron believes a separate parliament comprising elected members from eurozone countries would allow them to decide on matters that do not concern EU member states that have yet to adopt the euro.
That eurozone parliament will obviously be the one driving that greater centralisation. Appointing the members from current national parliaments will nicely allow only those on side with the project to be chosen. So, the public plan is that greater centralisation in the eurozone and those outside it don’t have to do it.
The trick? Everyone outside the euro, other than us and possibly Denmark, has already agreed that they will join it at some time. It’s written into the accession treaties. So, whatever centralisation is currently voluntary will become forced, won’t it?
Sorry, but this is how the EU really works which is why we’re going to be so much better off out of it.
So this ‘separate’ parliament will just be another gravy train used to bribe politicians in euro countries to jump on board for their own self-interest.
And it will need seperate staff and likely it’s own buildings and be another travelling circus. I wonder what the eventual public capital of the unified Europe will be or if they will maintain the illusion of moving it around for fairness sake etc
To be fair, they could put it in Strasbourg and then the other one could stay in Brussels.
That would probably reduce the overall cost, since the buildings are already there and the current ludicrous shifting would stop.
Granny’s Boy is a bigger master of self delusion than even Fatfuck Murphy. Does he think the remaining population of White Europe are all fools? They may have been asleep but are waking up. The race is against time and childish chicanery such as Macron’s is a weapon so feeble the Global Elites need hardly waste time and money on it.
I thought when UK wanted 2-speed Europe it was unthinkable (may even have changed the referendum result) and now its flavour of the day?
Makes me wonder if for all the bluster the EU is glad to have the pesky UK leave and was quite happy to do nothing to help it stay so they could go full speed ahead
The above is an old quote of mine Twatty. Dearime didn’t steal it– you did. Because it is far above anything you could writ. Which is why the OCD-type C&P. Also it is an ANTI-EU paragraph. Are you for Brexit Twatty? Cos your fat mate Spud isn’t. Have you checked with him what you are allowed to say? Because you don’t want him telling Mummy what a naughty boy you’ve been.
In the original United States of America (and “United States” meant “United Nations”), each Nation’s two members of the upper house were appointed by that Nation’s legislature. This was to ensure that the new government remained an agent of the Nations and not a power unto itself. Wrecked over a century ago, and the suggestion by students of history that we take U.S. Senator off our ballots and give the power back to our equally unprincipled but more amateurish state houses, is always a non-starter. If you know how a central government will accrete power to itself, there is no… Read more »
Three of the four top posts in the EU Commission are held by Germans and one by a drunk Luxembourger. The French wanted the EU to be a Franco-German empire, not the Fourth Reich. So Macron wants another top post created (to be filled by Frenchman, naturellement), and, of course, Barnier to replace Juncker. Having two out of five top Commission posts would assuage French feelings of inferiority to Germany amd allow the French to delude themselves that they are equal partners in leading the EU. Meanwhile, the French will be like a largely powerless mahout perched on the back… Read more »
Then screw Strasbourg. Put it in the Papal palace in Avignon.
@Theo,
Re: Franco-German empire
France was given the IMF this time. Next time it may reverse.
Germany “entitled” to more EU posts as France has UN Security spot.
The IMF and UN security council are insufficient for the preening vanity and insecurity of the Enarcs, Pcar.
@Tim Worstall
Why, why, why have you Removed Latest Articles from home page and no link to it?
Bad move, quick ease of reading & navigating is more important than show lots.
Remember El Reg doing what you’ve copied? Complaints made and readership down.
They partially relented by adding “This Week” buried in footers – readership continues to decline (alexa)
Dittoes, main page looks very different today; no way to be sure of reading all the posts except to walk through the previous/next chain. I don’t care what’s tops in each category by any criterion.
+1
The new site is a bloody mess.
If you put identical threads on your blog and here every day this site would be ignored.
Agree, big mistake