Unelected Jean-Claude Juncker nominated as next head of EU Commission
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/poli...s-Cameron.html
EU may 'live to regret' Juncker appointment, says Cameron
David Cameron has told European Union leaders at a tense lunch that they may "live to regret" the appointment of Jean-Claude Juncker as president of the European Commission
Quote:
Originally Posted by Telegraph
EU leaders may "live to regret" the appointment of Jean-Claude Juncker, David Cameron has warned, saying it represents “a sad day for Europe”.
The Prime Minister said: "I've told EU leaders they could live to regret the new process for choosing the Commission President. I'll always stand up for UK interests."
At a tense lunch in Brussels, Mr Cameron made a “passionate intervention” and warned leaders including Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, that Mr Juncker will be “bad for Europe”.
He again suggested that giving the position to Mr Juncker, an arch-federalist, could push Britain closer to exiting the European Union.
A British official said that Mr Cameron used the lunch to say that “today is a sad day for Europe and [he is] disappointed that we have reached this point”.
He will say that the process used to appoint Mr Juncker has been a “backroom deal” that has no support from voters in Britain, the official said.
British officials said that Mr Cameron told his counterparts that “this is a worrying moment for Europe”.
Mr Cameron will force an unprecedented vote on the issue in a bid to make his European counterparts “set out on the record what they are doing”.
It is expected that Mr Juncker will be confirmed as commission president designate at the end of the meeting.
The diplomatic battle over Mr Juncker’s candidacy for the presidency of the European Commission has left Mr Cameron increasingly isolated from his allies across the continent.
His only support during the row over Mr Juncker will come from Hungary.
Viktor Orban, the Hungarian prime minister, indicated that he will vote with Mr Cameron to defend the principle that candidates for the EU's top jobs should be picked by national leaders meeting in the European Council and not by political groupings in the European Parliament.
Mr Juncker's claim on the presidency rests on his position as the chosen candidate of the EPP, which emerged as the largest grouping of MEPs following last month's elections.
Mr Orban told Hungarian public radio that he expected Mr Juncker to emerge victorious from today's vote, but added: "This is a matter of principle. I gave my word to Hungarian voters on what I will represent, and I cannot deviate from that.
"It is against Hungary's interest that things should progress in this direction and I want to give a clear indication of this with my vote."
“This is bad for Britain and for Europe,” the official added, warning that it will have “impact on the British debate”.
Mr Cameron believes that Mr Juncker, who is in favour of an ever-closer EU, will make it impossible for Britain to renegotiate its relationship with Brussels ahead of an in-out referendum in 2017.
At the lunch, Mr Cameron focused “on the type of person that we want compared to Jean-Claude Juncker”.
Mr Juncker represents the “ultimate Brussels insider”, a British official added.
Mr Cameron said that his strategy of reforming and renegotiating Britain’s relationship with Europe can work and could mean that UK voters decide to remain in the EU.
However, he will give a stark warning that if EU figures such as Mr Juncker oppose reform, it could lead to Britain leaving the bloc.
So another crazed federalist is to get the top job (unelected of course) and Cameron was just steamrolled over by the EU just as every British Prime Minister has been everytime they attempt to stand up to the rolling boulder that is the EU. He can't even block the appointment of the head of the European Commission who is the opposite of what Britain's interests are yet we're expected to believe that he can 'reform' and 'renegotiate' the EU? Well, if anybody did believe the EU was capable of reform - which it is not - they can't possibly still believe that.
Worse still, Alexandra Swann was written a great article which points how out the EU has just seized more power for itself by removing the power to select the Commission away from nation states and to it's own parliament, a federalism move. De facto, a referendum should be triggered right now.. but of course we all know the 'referendum lock' was a crock of ****.
The EU is moving towards a federal state, and our choice is either in or out. Now, which is it?
Thoughts?
