Typical of tyrants throughout history, the EU made a desperate plea "to boost its powers, saying it cannot get things done because of restrictions imposed by European Union members," according to the July 24 London Electronic Telegraph. Following the stunning defeat of the new EU treaty by Ireland hammered out in Nice last December and the demonstrations against the EU leaders' meeting in Gothenburg, it seems that EU leadership can't figure out why the European people don't love them. 

EU leaders are totally baffled. Of all the reasons put forth so far, none address the obvious. European citizens don't want to give up their sovereignty and are highly suspicious and resentful of the EU because, other than the Irish, the people have absolutely no say in EU decisions that dramatically affect their lives. All decisions in the EU are made by egalitarian elitists.

Mistrust is rampant in Europe

Following a string of serious set-backs since last November, Germany and France were dealt yet another serious setback in the June 9 vote when Ireland soundly rejected the new EU treaty negotiated in Nice last December. According to the June 10 Electronic London Telegraph, Ireland has always been a strong supporter of the EU. In fact it was the EU which lifted Ireland from poverty to being one of the wealthiest of EU nations today. 

Nonetheless, the current EU treaty negotiated last December with so much acrimony between France and Germany that it almost destroyed the EU, was too much for the Irish. It gave too much power to France and Germany, and that doesn't sit well with smaller EU members like Ireland. Ireland is the only EU member that uses a referendum to determine EU matters like this. The national government in all other member states determines the outcome. 

Lead by EU Commission President Romano Prodi, the EU has responded in typical elitist form. The July 19 Financial Times reported that "The Brussels-based executive  believes greater transparency and increased consultation could help overcome the sense of alienation that resulted." But what does the EU mean by transparency? And, how does consultation work? Transparency in globalese has come to mean that legislation is reduced from tens of thousands of doublespeak words to a few thousand "more concise" doublespeak words. Consultation means a slight of hand to give a little more wiggle room to national governments to placate them while consolidating more power in the central government, in this case the EU. That seems to be exactly what Prodi proposes to do in an EU Commission white paper, according to the July 25 BBC.   

"The public is not convinced that its voice is being heard," said Prodi. The white paper lays out five guiding principles: openness, effectiveness, participation, coherence and accountability. Openness and effectiveness is apparently to be achieved by slashing 80,000 pages of what Prodi called "complex and obscure" treaty legislation by simplifying jargon. The EU will also make more "broad brush" laws giving national governments more flexibility in how they are implemented. At the same time, Prodi said, the EU had to be given more enforcement power if its ideas are to work and regain the confidence of the people. Oh, by the way, he said, "consultation over EU matters would be widened."

Britain's Foreign Secretary Jack Straw warned in the July 27 BBC that the EU must make itself "better liked" by its own citizens, which means it should concentrate on practical help for its people, not on consolidating power. However, Jack Straw, was even being less than forthright in his speech. He casually dismissed accusations that EU leaders were trying to create a United States of Europe (superstate). To make such an assertion in the face of an avalanche of in-your-face statements to the contrary is ludicrous. He then goes on to say that "we cannot build a state called Europe. Our citizens do not want that. And I doubt if they will be ready for that a hundred years from now."