Democracy comes off worst in a bruising EU encounter | News & Politics | News & Comment

Shortly after my intervention came a moment worthy of that most famous son of Prague, Franz Kafka.

Now, practising the EU’s commitment to transparency is an attack on democracy

Martin Schulz, the Socialist leader, sprang to his feet to attack the Czech authorities for having publicised the meeting. It was, he said, undemocratic. Undemocratic! You see how language is used in the European Parliament? Simply to put into practice the EU's much-vaunted commitment to transparency is now, somehow, an attack on democracy.

The funniest thing is that neither Schulz nor Poettering is aware of how he is coming across. Sealed in their little bubble, surrounded by Europhile hirelings, Eurocrats have lost all sense of how the rest of mankind thinks. That is their tragedy. It may also be Europe's.

FIRST POSTED DECEMBER 19, 2008

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It is high time the E U was disbanded and european affairs managed by a council of members nominated by national governments.

Posted by Peter at 11:08am on December 19, 2008

Interesting piece. It might have been improved by a clear reference to where the information came from; did all of it emanate from the Czechs or just the piece following 'this is how the Czech President's office transcript reads'. If it was witnessed by Daniel Hannan, it would make for a stronger piece, if all came from the Czechs, well one would have to view it as possibly 'their angle'. But it does all seem to revolve round the Lisbon treaty, [a renamed constitution however much they deny it] which the europrats have been trying to foist onto us for some time now, and as for democracy, when did any of these people feel a commitment to it? They are all petty dictators on the Euro-gravy-train and the electorate are at best an inconvenience to them. Interesting that the Irish refusal to accept the rejigged constitution is causing such hostility, the rest of Europe's electorates should also be allowed to reject it. I'd be interested in what this circus costs each European taxpayer, it must be a huge slice of our income as this monster has grown and grown over the years.

Posted by Peter Simmons at 2:12pm on December 19, 2008

This is not a transcript of the meeting. It is what Klaus released and it has been challenged as being inaccurate. Klaus objected to foreign MPs, as he regarded them, asking questions about his policies. He refused to answer Cohn-Bendit's. Poettering quite properly insisted that the President of the country that is about to assume the EU Presidency should answer questions from representatives of the groups present in the European Parliament. Klaus's little-Bohemia, pro-Russian views are bizarre and his contempt for those who disagree with him is well known. It is a great pity both for the Czech Republic and for the European Union that the country assumes the Presidency with Klaus rather than the great Vaclav Havel as its own president.

Posted by John Presland at 2:14pm on December 19, 2008

I want to thank you very much for being a voice of sanity in the maelstrom of EU politics. Actually, you use the word "funny". I must confess that I am, actually, very angry about all this travesty of government.

Posted by prziloczek at 7:27pm on December 19, 2008

Europrats have always wrapped themselves in democracy when it suits and acted like fascists when thwarted. Danes vote No in referendum - told vote again to say yes. Irish vote No told to vote again twice! Austria elects democratically right wing politicians EUprats undemocratically reject vote. Europrats give democracy a bad name. Europrats are I think the new fascists.

Posted by Philip Gosling at 7:33am on December 20, 2008

I have read several accounts of this meeting and it is obvious to me that the EU is now becoming a monster not unlike Hitler's Germany or Stalin's Russia.We must be on our guard against these evil people who seek to control us.

Posted by ROBERT BOYD at 11:19am on December 20, 2008