On Request: "Kick Out France!"
On request from the few non-Swedish readers I have (jeffers only, basically), here is my SVT-Opinion article, translated into English.
Read; enjoy; agree.
Before the new, upcoming term in the European Commission and Parliament, and before the Swedish EU presidency it feels relevant to put focus on the European Union's biggest problem.
Today, the top priorities is the common environmental efforts and financial crisis struggle. Can't say that it's really wrong to prioritize as such but it still annoys me greatly that none of the men or women of power even seem remotely interested in securing a future with a European Union that works.
For a European community to work at least somewhat painless there actually is a quick solution: France out. May be so that the country is one of the founders and one of the Union's largest economies but the collaborative business would most
likely flow so much better if France was simply tossed out, head over heels.
For hundreds of years France has been the continent's cultural centre but if speaking about present days, France is incomparably the biggest troublemaker in our part of the world.
The veritable transporting circus between the two parliamental cities Brussels and Strasbourg could end more or less in the same moment that France leaves the Union. There is a popular opinion to remain with only one European Parliament - commonly suggested the Brussels one - in all other member states. But as long as France remains a member this stupidity will not cease, since they fight with tooth and nail to keep Strasbourg as a seat for the European Parliament.
The fact that this costs the EU's taxpayers somewhere around 200 million euro a year doesn't seem to bother France one bit. And the environmental lavishness is almost impossible to even imagine.
What can be said about the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, is so much it could fill a giant warehouse but I will just touch the subject in the very context of France and the EU. CAP, the biggest single expense in the EU budget does of course help farmers and growers in the unions poorer members - but one of the biggest net profitmongers on EU generally and on CAP specifically, as well as the biggest assistance receiver is - France.
Yes; it's madness. One of the worlds twenty wealthiest countries. Only counting agricultural assistance, France receives about eight hundred million euros a year, which is about a fifth of all of the EU's agricultural funds.
France step the brakes for all big projects or reforms that the EU tries to launch. The constitutional treaty is merely one example - but a big and important one. The fact that the country always seems keen on gradually chipping international free trade is another one.
France violates, or is close to violate, the Stability and Growth Pact - a maximum budget deficit of 3% of the GNP - "and so further" could I really finish this paragraph with. The HADOPI bill wears me out just thinking about it.
Furthermore has, for some peculiar reason, the French language an oddly unique position in the European community. English and French may both have about the same number of native speakers on the continent. The difference in the number of people who understands the two language is however brutal. Even so, the status of the French language is totally comparable with English when it comes to working language within the EU. And any attempt to reform or change this leads to a number of french lips pointing to their owners' knees.
Summarized: France displays in general a very negative attitude to everything within European collaboration that does not directly strengthens their own power-, influence- or economic situation. This is without a doubt the EU's biggest problem.
To handle this issue diplomatically and try to negotiate solutions and consensus has shown to work... not so well. The European Parliament is still physically situated in two places. French is still fully passable as a working language within the Union. France is still able to block all innovative proposals that could get the colossus that is today's EU moving forward, without any sanctions from the other member states.
The only remaining solution is to simply declare France "non grata" within the EU. Withdraw their membership immediately effective, take back the subsidies and work out a new constitutional treaty that we, the remaining members hopefully can consider adopting without having to take Europe's own braking system.
This is a nice and relatively simple recipe for "a future working European Union".
Read; enjoy; agree.
Before the new, upcoming term in the European Commission and Parliament, and before the Swedish EU presidency it feels relevant to put focus on the European Union's biggest problem.
Today, the top priorities is the common environmental efforts and financial crisis struggle. Can't say that it's really wrong to prioritize as such but it still annoys me greatly that none of the men or women of power even seem remotely interested in securing a future with a European Union that works.
For a European community to work at least somewhat painless there actually is a quick solution: France out. May be so that the country is one of the founders and one of the Union's largest economies but the collaborative business would most
likely flow so much better if France was simply tossed out, head over heels.
For hundreds of years France has been the continent's cultural centre but if speaking about present days, France is incomparably the biggest troublemaker in our part of the world.
The veritable transporting circus between the two parliamental cities Brussels and Strasbourg could end more or less in the same moment that France leaves the Union. There is a popular opinion to remain with only one European Parliament - commonly suggested the Brussels one - in all other member states. But as long as France remains a member this stupidity will not cease, since they fight with tooth and nail to keep Strasbourg as a seat for the European Parliament.
The fact that this costs the EU's taxpayers somewhere around 200 million euro a year doesn't seem to bother France one bit. And the environmental lavishness is almost impossible to even imagine.
What can be said about the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, is so much it could fill a giant warehouse but I will just touch the subject in the very context of France and the EU. CAP, the biggest single expense in the EU budget does of course help farmers and growers in the unions poorer members - but one of the biggest net profitmongers on EU generally and on CAP specifically, as well as the biggest assistance receiver is - France.
Yes; it's madness. One of the worlds twenty wealthiest countries. Only counting agricultural assistance, France receives about eight hundred million euros a year, which is about a fifth of all of the EU's agricultural funds.
France step the brakes for all big projects or reforms that the EU tries to launch. The constitutional treaty is merely one example - but a big and important one. The fact that the country always seems keen on gradually chipping international free trade is another one.
France violates, or is close to violate, the Stability and Growth Pact - a maximum budget deficit of 3% of the GNP - "and so further" could I really finish this paragraph with. The HADOPI bill wears me out just thinking about it.
Furthermore has, for some peculiar reason, the French language an oddly unique position in the European community. English and French may both have about the same number of native speakers on the continent. The difference in the number of people who understands the two language is however brutal. Even so, the status of the French language is totally comparable with English when it comes to working language within the EU. And any attempt to reform or change this leads to a number of french lips pointing to their owners' knees.
Summarized: France displays in general a very negative attitude to everything within European collaboration that does not directly strengthens their own power-, influence- or economic situation. This is without a doubt the EU's biggest problem.
To handle this issue diplomatically and try to negotiate solutions and consensus has shown to work... not so well. The European Parliament is still physically situated in two places. French is still fully passable as a working language within the Union. France is still able to block all innovative proposals that could get the colossus that is today's EU moving forward, without any sanctions from the other member states.
The only remaining solution is to simply declare France "non grata" within the EU. Withdraw their membership immediately effective, take back the subsidies and work out a new constitutional treaty that we, the remaining members hopefully can consider adopting without having to take Europe's own braking system.
This is a nice and relatively simple recipe for "a future working European Union".
upplagd av Tim
12:41
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