2012-07-18T10:50:55Z http://www.treffpunkteuropa.de/Courage-and-power-for-the-future-of-Europe,05092#comment14254 2012-07-18T10:50:55Z

<p>There were precious few polls at all in the XVIII century. Several countries still had absolute monarchies or republics with no realistic claim to be democratic. No country that I am aware of had universal suffrage.</p> <p>But now we have democracy, we have universal suffrage, we have polls, we have referenda, we have readily available news media, internet etc. But despite on almost all readings people across Europe becoming steadily more dissatisfied with the unmandated changes in the EU, the elites carry on in one direction regardless.</p> <p>We can argue endlessly about how valid the EP is ( and I believe I have made my views and the reasons for them clear) but surely the underlying question is who ever asked for the EP in the first place and when were the people asked whether they wanted the EP to supersede national parliaments. Or are we once again in the hands of absolute rulers who do what they want and present the results as a done deal to the grateful citizens regardless of their wishes. (Bit like the Euro really and look how that worked out.)</p> <p>As a final point, from my position the EU has a long history of taking powers from the nation state and I have never noticed them to be slow in enforcing their will.</p>

2012-07-17T16:55:51Z http://www.treffpunkteuropa.de/Courage-and-power-for-the-future-of-Europe,05092#comment14251 2012-07-17T16:55:51Z

<p>The fact that the EP is scaling back does not mean that the democratic values that it represents are fading at all. There are many reasons why the European electoral turnout is going down. This is exactly what national governments aim at.</p> <p>Federalism. In the XVIII century there was no polling showing that there was a clear majority for democracy and republic. But history turned out in such a way.</p> <p>The EP is facing an overwhelming golpe by Member stets who ignore the community law process just because they do not want to give any power away. Then, in the event of a crisis (financial, economical, migrations) that address Brussels.</p>

2012-07-14T20:00:41Z http://www.treffpunkteuropa.de/Courage-and-power-for-the-future-of-Europe,05092#comment14224 2012-07-14T20:00:41Z

<p>Once again you are pushing the EP. Please could you look at the EP turn out as documented by Eurostat. It has declined in percentage terms each and every time elections have been held and is currently barely over 40%. On a national level the same countries show a participation rate at least 50% higher (and in extreme cases 300%) It is perfectly reasonable therefore for the national politicians to say they have a more substantial mandate. In short you are backing a body which simply has failed absolutely to capture or sustain any sort of popular support or enthusiasm.</p> <p>With regards to the “jump towards federalism” and wish to “transfer new sovereignty to the European level.” as described by Guy Verhofstadt. I would be grateful if anyone could point me towards the research / polling that shows there is a clear majority across Europe or indeed individual countries for such a move.</p> <p>Leading is one thing, but ignoring those you are supposed to represent and continuing in the high handed fashion which has caused so many of the current problems is another thing entirely.</p>