New EU Commission President nominee to prepare for Brexit Delay

[darmstadt]

And this is what she thinks about European Nations retaining their independence:

Ursula von der Leyen - Wikipedia

Game Over. One way or the other...

Only paraphrasing Churchill in Strasbourg...

Who said this:

"I would vote to stay in the single market,"

"I'm in favour of the single market. I want us to be able to trade freely with our European friends and partners."

"We could construct a relationship with the EU that more closely resembled that of Norway or Switzerland - except that we would be inside the single market council, and able to shape legislation"

"I am not by any means an ultra-Eurosceptic. In some ways, I am a bit of a fan of the European Union. If we did not have one, we would invent something like it.

“The membership fee seems rather small for all that access. Why are we so determined to turn our back on it?”

“The European Community, now Union, has helped to deliver a period of peace and prosperity for its people as long as any since the days of the Antonine emperors."

I think you should be a little bit more worried about what is happening closer to home

[meridian]

The UK has a veto on participating (for as long as the UK is independent - judge for yourself how long that may be) but we don't have a veto on the formation of an EU Army (effectively a full EU military, including Navy and Air Force).
Since that would kill NATO, Europe is toast if the Russians start to play dirty. We will need to hang on to those pitchforks. If you don't have a pitchfork, your cutlery should suffice*.

*It won't, I'm taking the piss...

Your tin foil hat is slipping again. Every EU nation has an effective veto on participating. If the result of the end of NATO is clear to you, then it must be crystal to other EU nations, effectively putting paid to any conspiracy theory about an EU army.

The democratic travesty, you idiot, is that the vote for EU Commission President was between a fanatical Federalist and whom? Even Putin has the grace to put a muppet up against him, so far all the EU Executive posts have been appointments, and the only one to go to a vote had no opposition. And she only just won. You might be happy to live in a nation state which treats democracy with something resembling contempt, but I have my reservations.

Just because you don't understand how the EU works, and refuse to look up things to find out how it works, doesn't make it a travesty.

The vote was between the nominees listed here:

2019 Spitzenkandidaten - Europe Elects

The leaders of every EU member state (including our elected representative, Theresa May) voted for and nominated the candidate. That candidate has gone for approval to the European Parliament and received an overwhelming mandate that shows the will of the the people (52%, if you ask, and yes I'm being sarcastic). When she puts together the Commission (with the Council) that Commission will also go back to the European Parliament, for a second vote.

See if you can spot the irony where you say "she only just won" and that this result "treats democracy with something resembling contempt".

[original PM]

But doesn't the fact she only got 52% mean that in reality she is going to struggle to get anything passed that the EU politicians have to vote for?

Or does it not work that way?

[BlasterBates]

But doesn't the fact she only got 52% mean that in reality she is going to struggle to get anything passed that the EU politicians have to vote for?

Or does it not work that way?

Indeed with a tight majority she will struggle, they might even have another vote and reverse the decision, such is democracy.

[original PM]

Not sure they should do that - she won albeit be a small margin.

And surely if they reverse the decision why would we expect the result of the next vote to be much different?

Assuming they would vote again for the next head/president type person?

[Mordac]

Your tin foil hat is slipping again. Every EU nation has an effective veto on participating. If the result of the end of NATO is clear to you, then it must be crystal to other EU nations, effectively putting paid to any conspiracy theory about an EU army.



Just because you don't understand how the EU works, and refuse to look up things to find out how it works, doesn't make it a travesty.

The vote was between the nominees listed here:

2019 Spitzenkandidaten - Europe Elects

The leaders of every EU member state (including our elected representative, Theresa May) voted for and nominated the candidate. That candidate has gone for approval to the European Parliament and received an overwhelming mandate that shows the will of the the people (52%, if you ask, and yes I'm being sarcastic). When she puts together the Commission (with the Council) that Commission will also go back to the European Parliament, for a second vote.

See if you can spot the irony where you say "she only just won" and that this result "treats democracy with something resembling contempt".

Thanks for the link. Sadly it just confirms what a shambles the whole process is. They presumably believed she was the candidate least likely to offend anybody, and she'll probably end up offending just about everybody.

the will of the the people (52%, if you ask, and yes I'm being sarcastic)

Why be sarcastic? 52% is a winning margin. Or a majority, if you prefer. 48% abstaining is a bit embarrassing though, don't you think?

When she puts together the Commission (with the Council) that Commission will also go back to the European Parliament, for a second vote.

Why bother, everyone else is being waived through to their cushy jobs, and she's safe for 5 years, I'm sure nobody will mind if she just appoints her Commissioners...

[WTFH]

Why be sarcastic? 52% is a winning margin. Or a majority, if you prefer. 48% abstaining is a bit embarrassing though, don't you think?

Neil Fromage once said that 52% means it's unfinished business. He'll be out there in his khaki shorts and guns until there's a result he likes.
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/ent...kJaL3XKHgoGQ-L

[original PM]

Neil Fromage once said that 52% means it's unfinished business. He'll be out there in his khaki shorts and guns until there's a result he likes.
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/ent...kJaL3XKHgoGQ-L

Yeah but in the Brexit vote 52% said yes and 48% said no.

But it seems in this vote 52% said yes and the rest said do not care...

Maybe makes a difference?

[Zigenare]

Yeah but in the Brexit vote 52% said yes and 48% said no.

But it seems in this vote 52% said yes and the rest said do not care... "Where's the other candidate?"...

Maybe makes a difference?

Gratis.

[Mordac]

Gratis.

Quite. My interpretation of "democracy" tends to the view that any democratic vote is a choice between *at least two* candidates. The EU stands alongside Mugabe and a few unsavoury bedfellows in believing that offering a single candidate is that much easier for the proles to understand.