Jean-Claude Juncker became EC president one year after being more or less forced to resign from his position as president of Luxembourg, following a spying scandal involving the country’s intelligence service. In any country this would usually be considered the point at which your political career dies a quiet death. But the EU welcomed him aboard.
He was cleared of any wrongdoing. He was strongly criticised for focusing on his European work and neglecting his presidency in Luxembourg.
In 2006, the elected prime minister of Slovakia was instructed by Brussels to clamp down on political extremism and repress certain ways of thinking. That same year, the prime minister of Poland was forced by Brussels to declare that his government was not homophobic or anti-Semitic, and that it would not bring back the death penalty. And in 2011, the EU pressured the Hungarian government into rethinking its new constitution.
Too dam right.The new succession countries were well aware of the high standards expected of them on joining the EU. The EU does not tolerate racism, fascism, homophobia, anti-Semitism and so on. You join the club you have to abide by the rules. All these countries willingly joined the EU, all continue to enjoy EU membership.
The EU’s risk-averse regulations are the scourge of innovation – and many are downright barmy. The price of oven gloves shot up this year after EU officials decided they would impose rigorous testing to ensure that they could withstand temperatures of up to 200 degrees centigrade. In 2010, EU officials suggested banning diabetics from driving. Luckily, this ridiculous rule was never enforced.
Goodness gracious me, CE marked oven gloves that actually work
– why would anybody object. My understanding of the diabetics issue was that it was partly about UK MEPs trying to get the EU to raise the basic EU driving standards up to the full UK standard. In the UK diabetics who repeatedly hypo (ie their diabetes is not under control can have their licenses withdrawn.
When it comes to ignoring the democratic will of its member states, the EU has form. Its rejection of the Greek No vote in 2015 is just the tip of the iceberg. After Ireland voted to reject the Lisbon Treaty in 2008 it was forced to vote again. Under heavy pressure and borderline financial blackmail, it voted to wave it through the following year. This was the second time the Irish had been forced into a do-over. In 2002, a second referendum was held on the Treaty of Nice, after it was originally rejected in 2001. In 2005, the French rejected the EU Constitution, which was then promptly rebranded the Lisbon Treaty and pushed through the French parliament in 2009 by then president Nicolas Sarkozy.
Lets hope we too get the opportunity to vote again. Now that people can see what BREXIT is about, they surely must be given the opportunity to change their minds.
European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker rejected British Leave voters’ capacity for independent thought by claiming we’d been brainwashed by ‘40 years of lies’. According to Juncker, the vote showed ‘something was wrong in Britain’.
Millions of people in the UK agree with him. And here you are Dazza spreading lie after lie.
Many in the Remain camp claim that leaving the EU is simply a xenophobic excuse for closing borders and stopping immigration.
Most REMAINERS are well aware that it will make no difference to immigration. Which begs the question of why the LEAVE campaigns campaigned on immigration. More lies. It’s not an issue.
Africa gets it in the neck,
It’s not surprising considering that that is the tradition of many of the EU members (particulary the UK). Not to mention the G8 (now the G7) as well. The EPA deals need to be re-negotiated with certain African, Caribbean and Pacific state.
Having finally come to terms with his lack of appeal to the electorate, he took the next logical step: the unelected position of European commissioner for transport in 1995. The EU, temple of anti-democracy, will always provide a home for unpopular politicians.
Mr Kinnock was appointed to his position by the then Prime Minister - John Major