Austria/Freedom Party

[Crusoe]

Android209, fair play. I would have to agree with you in that I can’t see the EU doing much for me personally; on the other hand, I think that there has to be some degree of European integration - basically in terms of economic policies (not EMU) - in order to compete economically on global terms.

The EU as a political body is a shambles; but to abandon the whole thing would be throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

I guess my biggest fear is people (and I don’t mean you here) who decide that any form of European interaction is wrong, purely because they “don’t like the French” or “the Germans are out to get us”. I worry about the Little Englander mentality getting the upper hand more than I do about the current problems within the EU.

There are a few positive things to have come from the EU - getting Britain to adhere to the ECHR for a start.

Meara - you were right with the former. The EU has a rotating presidency every 6-months around the member states. Portugal holds the current presidency.

Mjollnir -

October 1990

“Our soldiers were not criminals, at most they were victims.”
In an address to an annual meeting of World War II veterans at Ulrichsberg, known to attract former SS officers.

June 1991

“… in the Third Reich they had an “orderly” employment policy …”

After the uproar in the Carinthian provincial parliament that followed, he added: “I unequivocally made the point that this remark was not made with the meaning understood by you. If it reassures you then I take back the remark with regret.”

However, he was forced to step down as provincial governor of Carinthia as a result of the remark.
Mr Haider has provoked criticism both at home and abroad

February 1995
During a parliamentary debate, Mr Haider referred to “the punishment camps of National Socialism” - implying that concentration camp inmates had been guilty of crimes.

Later that day, he said he had meant to say “concentration camps”.

September 1995

“… there are still decent people of good character who also stick to their convictions, despite the greatest opposition and have remained true to their convictions until today.”
In an address to World War II veterans including former members of Adolf Hitler’s murderous Waffen SS.

December 1995

“The Waffen SS was a part of the Wehrmacht (German military) and hence it deserves all the honour and respect of the army in public life.”
In a television interview.

(from the BBC)

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I never touched him, ref, honest!

[Andy]

I guess my biggest fear is people (and I don’t mean you here) who decide that any form of European interaction is wrong, purely because they “don’t like the French” or “the Germans are out to get us”. I worry about the Little Englander mentality getting the upper hand more than I do about the current problems within the EU.

I heartily agree here, i’m totally in favour of more cooperation under the auspices of a genuine free trade association and yes, the Little Englander attitude is unhelpful. Incidentally, I just printed off the two reports on corruption etc in the european commission, if anything interesting comes out of it, i’ll let you all know :)…although at over 300 pages, it could be a while.

[TomH]

The OP asked

who the fuck are the EU to start dictating to member countries exactly which parties will, and which parties will not be tolerated in dealings with those countries

The answer is, “Nobody”. They’re not doing it. The Member States are doing it individually.

Does one therefore assume that, in the absence of any specific comment from a national government of a member of the EU on some issue, that the holder of the presidency speaks for all the nations

No, but on this occasion it seems that the Presidency was speaking on behalf of the other governments by agreement.

Have we assumed a common foreign policy?

Er… Yes. Title V, Article 11 of the Treaty on European Union:

“1. The Union shall define and implement a common foreign and security policy covering all areas of foreign and security policy …”

when ‘the people’ of the UK decided to join the EEC … that is exactly what they chose to join, the European Economic Community, a free trade association.

Nobody who read the preamble to the Treaty of Rome (which was v. widely distributed at the time) can possibly have thought that it was just a free trade area: after all, we already had one of those in EFTA.

If you don’t like the EU, fine. But criticising it for something that it in fact the independent actions of its Member States weakens your case.

meara,

Yes, the Presidency rotates round each of the Member States in turn. Our turn was in 1998, IIRC.