Soviet Union to European Union

[Nottingham]

Soviet Union to European Union
By Nicholas George and Stefan Wagstyl
Published: September 13 2003 5:00 | Last Updated: September 13 2003 5:00

Tarm Priisalm is voting early in Estonia's crucial referendum on European Union membership, taking advantage of rules that permit voting before tomorrow, the main polling day.
The 27-year-old IT management student at Audentes private university, on the outskirts of Tallinn, would appear a strong backer of the country's membership of the EU, but Mr Priisalm has just voted against joining.

He says: "Things are going well in Estonia right now. Economic growth is 5-6 per cent, compared with 1-2 per cent in the EU. Joining will slow us down."
Mr Priisalm's views show that even among educated east Europeans there are doubts about the EU's 2004 enlargement. Estonia is the eighth of the nine countries planning to join the EU next year to hold a referendum. It will be followed next Sunday by neighbouring Latvia. The 10th, Cyprus, has ratified membership without a popular vote.

Only in Malta has there been serious opposition. Lithuania, Estonia's and Latvia's fellow in the Baltic states, voted 91 per cent in favour of joining in May. The outcome in Estonia is also expected to be a Yes, but the majority is likely to be far less convincing. In Latvia, voters are even more finely balanced, with recent opinion polls showing support for membership at barely over 50 per cent.


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The european union would have major power over these countries and ya have to wonder who would be at the helm of such power????

:bounce:

[Paschall]

1. Who would be at the helm of that power?

According to the draft EU constitution, it would be the EU president elected by European citizens. Is that a problem? Don't tell me that you're one of those wingnuts who believe the EU is the ressurection of the Roman Empire, Nottingham.

So Estonia's growth rate has dropped to 5-6 percent? A couple years ago it was up in the 9-11 percentage range. Estonia is hip. They'll vote for the EU.

Hasn't the Financial Times always been Euro-skeptical? "Major opposition in Malta?" Malta voted 54% to 46% to join the EU last March.

[aneerkoinos]

2. Minor correction

Neither of EU presidents (President of the Commission and President of the Counsil) is or would be elected by EU-citizens, but by governements. The selection of President of Commission must be approved by EU-parliament.

Also I truly hope the President of the Counsil will not be at the helm, but his post is only coordinating one, and that the Commission and Parliament play more decisive role.

[Paschall]

3. Yes, thanks, aneerkoinos

I should have said elected "by representatives of EU citizens."

:thumbsup:

[Kellanved]

4. The first projection shows 73% in favor of joining.

Almost 50% of ballots counted.

[Nottingham]

5. I'm just pointing out that the President of the EU will have Major Power

which puts a New Power Player in the Scheme of World Powers!

:bounce:

I was just imagining if Blair would have been that President
maybe that was the deal with Bush

That america would help!!!

Kinda like the Roman Triumverate
of Rome


Octovian, Anthony, Lepidus..............Bush Blair and Howard

and we all know who Bush really is!!!

[Trek234]

6. Wrong

Bush doesn't control France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, etc.

He couldn't gurantee a damn thing to Blair in this regard.

You see if all those nations have a voice in getting a person elected, and Blair comes up with England behind him (which he may not even have) he still has to get the support of multiple other nations. If they don't like him he is screwed, and Bush can't do a damn thing about it.

The US has no vote either, of course.

[Nottingham]

7. But the US has major Power! Don't be naive here!

Bush can place his own puppet in the European Union and given the
Bribe of Billions of dollars what man could withstand a Bribe like that!

and We just gave him 87 Billion dollars that pretty big Bribe money

I'm sure your Prime Ministers and Presidents are not paid that well


:bounce: Who ever is President of the European Union is going to be more powerful than ANY prime Minister of just one country

[aneerkoinos]

8. Are you serious?

I hope you are joking. Even if US is best democracy money can buy, that doesn't mean that the rest of the world is as corrupt as average US politicians.

Knock me out with a fether if Blair or Aznar become President of Counsil. Europeans, not even their own countrymen, don't take kindly to such traitors and warcriminals. More importantly the first President is very likely to come from a small country, for example Holland, Finland, Austria and Greece have strong candidates to offer.

It is also very unclear what kind of powers the President of Counsil will have. My guestimate is that he/she will be relatively weak with a small office, and will have very limited role in common foreign policy. Mister/Missus Europe will be the Foreign Minister, a post that is shared between Counsil and Commission, but EU is not and hopefully will never become electorial dictature like US, but will remain more "ineffective".