10 December 2008
Do the Eurosceptics really want the veto?
Tory Eurosceptic MP Daniel Kawczynski suggested, in the House of Commons yesterday, that Greece should not be allowed to veto the accession by Macedonia to the EU while the issue of the name “Macedonia” remains unresolved. (The Greeks famously object to the use of the name Macedonia, which they claim belongs only to the region of northern Greece governed from Thessaloniki.)
Does Daniel Kawczynski realise the mistake he has made? The reason why Greece can exercise this veto is because the major changes to the EU, such as amendments to the treaties and the admission of new members, are made by unanimity. Each one of 27 member states has to agree before anything substantial can be done.
Daniel Kawczynski might object that the Greeks are being unreasonable or inconsistent in their view, but that only reinforces the point. Unanimity requires that each member state agrees to a proposal, on its own terms. It is not for anyone else to judge why a single member state might choose to block a decision; all they can do is accept it.
To assert that Greece should not be permitted to block Macedonian membership of the EU is to chip away at the rights of the member states, including the rights of the UK, within the EU system. Is that what Daniel Kawczynski really wants?
Does Daniel Kawczynski realise the mistake he has made? The reason why Greece can exercise this veto is because the major changes to the EU, such as amendments to the treaties and the admission of new members, are made by unanimity. Each one of 27 member states has to agree before anything substantial can be done.
Daniel Kawczynski might object that the Greeks are being unreasonable or inconsistent in their view, but that only reinforces the point. Unanimity requires that each member state agrees to a proposal, on its own terms. It is not for anyone else to judge why a single member state might choose to block a decision; all they can do is accept it.
To assert that Greece should not be permitted to block Macedonian membership of the EU is to chip away at the rights of the member states, including the rights of the UK, within the EU system. Is that what Daniel Kawczynski really wants?
Posted by Richard Laming at 15:33
Mr. Laming, you are just another hypocritical bureaucrat. The Greek veto not only broke the Interim Accord between the two countries, but its position on the name of Macedonia and the genocide and ethnocide of the Macedonian minority in Greece is against all that Europe is supposed to stand for.
It's because of political manipulants like you that people in Macedonia are starting to lose faith in the EU, and the EU itself is just a handicapped and incapable giant.
Thank you Mr. Kawczynski, our people really appreciate your moral stand in these for us very difficult times.
George
@George : I guess that you misunderstand what Richard is writing. I am convinced that he believes too, as I do, That no state shoud have the right to veto anything.
What is surprising here is that a British nationalist, who does oppose the federalists' views most of the time actually agrees with us that unanimity is actually a bad thing for the Union.
Post a Comment
Back to the top