Who will be the 1st EU President/Foriegn Minister?

The treaty would also strengthen the role of EU foreign policy chief. Finland is pitching Olli Rehn, current EU enlargement commissioner, for the post. Other possibilities, according to media reports, include outgoing German Foreign Minister and defeated Chancellor candidate Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis and former Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik.

(other than tony blair) Other presidential contenders tipped in the European press include Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker and former Finnish Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen.

who do you think will become the first EU president and Foriegn Affairs minister? Now that Vaclav Klaus has relented to public pressure from both winthin and the heads of state of other european countries, its only a matter of time before a unified europe has its 1st president. I personally do think that Tony Blair is the frontrunner becasue he brings instant name recognition and he has clout with other foriegn leaders.. he also has very strong secret society ties. as for the foriegn minister post, i havent a clue. what do you think you? and why? r u happy about this? and why?

Do you know anything about the European Union?

There is already one leader. His name is José Manuel Durão Barroso, former Portuguese Prime-Minister (left his mandate half-way in 2004 to get this gig, #ing #), and the name of the position is President of the European Comission. He's just recently been re-elected by his Comission peers for another 5 years.

reply to post by Toorop


do you know the lisbon treaty? it creates the post of President of the European council. seperate from the eu commission president.

Although the President may not hold a national office, such as a Prime Minister of a member state, there is no such restraint on European offices. For example, the President may be an MEP, or most notably the Commission President (who already sits in the European Council). This would allow the Council to combine the position, with its powers, of both executive bodies into a single Presidential position.[6]

Were the post not to be combined, there are concerns that the dual-presidential system would lead to "cohabitation" and infighting between the two offices. While it is comparable to the French model, where there is a President (the Council President) and Prime Minister (the Commission President), the Council President does not hold formal powers such as the ability to directly appoint and sack the other, or the ability to dissolve Parliament. Hence while the Council President may have prestige, it would lack power and while the Commission President would have power, it would lack the prestige of the former.[12] This problem may be increased further if the permanent President were to be strengthened by a democratic mandate, as mentioned above

Blair seems to be almost out of the picture now, since no- one except from Brown is lobbying for him. The name buzzing around Brussels at the moment is Jan Peter Balkenende. He isnt even a candidate for the job, yet Merkel and Sarkozy seems to be favouring him.
He already made statements about it on dutch national TV... Looks like everything has already be decided for us.

I personally do not give a toss one way or another about the Lisbon Treaty, the EU or the creation of the post of President of Europe.

All I know is that GB (UK Ltd) is getting shafted every which way we turn by the two super-powers of Germany and France.

We Brits are burdoned with oppressive EU rules and regulations that we had better obey - or else!

Thanks to Labour under both Blair and Brown, our civil liberties given to the Common People under Magna Carta are slowly being eroded, as are the Articles in Common (Parliamentary) Law.

What the Phlebs do not know, understand or even care about is that under EU Law (Lisbon Treaty) the UK's dwindling enbergy supplies can and will be diverted if mainland Europe face another energy crisis.

Do you believe the postal workers are really striking about modernisation and the reduction of services?

No way. They know that Peter Mandleson agreed (in principle) when he was Lord 'whatever' in Europe, to the creation of an European Postal Service - hence job cuts in the UK and closure of non-profitable post offices.

Why do you think Spanish, French and Icelandic fishermen can fish in OUR territorial waters whilst our fleet is to be tied up alongside the quays?

This is the EU Fishing Act [or similar] as signed away by Blair and his cronies.

Why has this once proud country's manufacturing base been all but destroyed by Labour giving billions away in start up loans to foreign businesses who promptly take over aircraft, ship and car building and, after a few years, cry recession and head off back home to protect their own domestic workforce?

Blair for EU President? For God's sake Phlebs - he is the man who led this country not in to one illegal war but two and told lies and half truths to Parliament and the British people.

The only reason the EU wants a President is to be able to stand up to the USA, China and Russia.

Half of the countries in the EU roundly stab each other in the back on an almost weekly basis.

I for one do not trust the EU and those who seek the power to control our lives and I certainly do not trust a man with the blood of hundreds of thousands of innocent people on his hands!

It is not going to be Blair, like people said The US voted for Obama it would be strange if Europe would vote for Blair again and cause a revival of the Bush/Blair era, besides he doesnt get support from the social democrats and was a eurosceptic.
If you've seen the happy/joy meetings in the recent past between Balkenende and Obama it seems like the decision is already made [behind the curtains] maybe at the last Bilderberg. Yet it seems in return Balkenende had to promise more troops to Afganistan and stay longer in Uruzgan..
Its pretty interesting over here, most people are fed up with the government of Balkenende and would like to have elections yesterday! Those might come if he leaves to Brussel. That would mean the right wing PVV would be the biggest party, a landslide..It is a dillema for Balkende's own party and especially the coalition parties to let him go and have a representation for our country and possible new elections[and might loose] or to wait longer for new elections and remain in power and see another candidate become president...It is also possible another CDA member becomes PM but then the trust may be gone from parliament..
I like the candidate of Junker , he is the most experienced PM in Europe, was already in charge during the euro transition.

[edit on 1-11-2009 by Foppezao]

Blair is a lying, sycophantic, hypocrital, con man ... he will likely get the job

Originally posted by Foppezao
It is not going to be Blair, like people said The US voted for Obama it would be strange if Europe would vote for Blair again and cause a revival of the Bush/Blair era, besides he doesnt get support from the social democrats and was a eurosceptic.
If you've seen the happy/joy meetings in the recent past between Balkenende and Obama it seems like the decision is already made [behind the curtains] maybe at the last Bilderberg. Yet it seems in return Balkenende had to promise more troops to Afganistan and stay longer in Uruzgan..
Its pretty interesting over here, most people are fed up with the government of Balkenende and would like to have elections yesterday! Those might come if he leaves to Brussel. That would mean the right wing PVV would be the biggest party, a landslide..It is a dillema for Balkende's own party and especially the coalition parties to let him go and have a representation for our country and possible new elections[and might loose] or to wait longer for new elections and remain in power and see another candidate become president...It is also possible another CDA member becomes PM but then the trust may be gone from parliament..
I like the candidate of Junker , he is the most experienced PM in Europe, was already in charge during the euro transition.

[edit on 1-11-2009 by Foppezao]

Agreed, altho 66% of the Dutch seem to be in favour of Balkenende taking the job according nu.nl. Wich would make the transition to a new Prime-Minister more easy I guess (propably Verhagen then)

Originally posted by bigyin
Blair is a lying, sycophantic, hypocrital, con man ... he will likely get the job

he already stepped down, but whats the story of AL Fayed, he's gonna be king or president of Schotland? haha
about the EU president, why not Sarkozy i like him, the little brat Or my all time favorite as president or national pm Neelie Kroes...

Originally posted by d0p3d

Originally posted by Foppezao
It is not going to be Blair, like people said The US voted for Obama it would be strange if Europe would vote for Blair again and cause a revival of the Bush/Blair era, besides he doesnt get support from the social democrats and was a eurosceptic.
If you've seen the happy/joy meetings in the recent past between Balkenende and Obama it seems like the decision is already made [behind the curtains] maybe at the last Bilderberg. Yet it seems in return Balkenende had to promise more troops to Afganistan and stay longer in Uruzgan..
Its pretty interesting over here, most people are fed up with the government of Balkenende and would like to have elections yesterday! Those might come if he leaves to Brussel. That would mean the right wing PVV would be the biggest party, a landslide..It is a dillema for Balkende's own party and especially the coalition parties to let him go and have a representation for our country and possible new elections[and might loose] or to wait longer for new elections and remain in power and see another candidate become president...It is also possible another CDA member becomes PM but then the trust may be gone from parliament..
I like the candidate of Junker , he is the most experienced PM in Europe, was already in charge during the euro transition.

[edit on 1-11-2009 by Foppezao]

Agreed, altho 66% of the Dutch seem to be in favour of Balkenende taking the job according nu.nl. Wich would make the transition to a new Prime-Minister more easy I guess (propably Verhagen then)

Agree but i think that is still strange, since Rouvoet and Bos are the two vice PM's, they would feel a bit bypassed dont they? or their parties.But also the PvdA is the last party who wants to have elctions right now...

reply to post by Foppezao


Yea, thats true, although it seems a nice coincidence for this poll apearing in the news today. It looks like we Dutch would prefer the european attention over political debacles on a national level. Guess it'll be a more smooth transition then we would expect. You know, your typical Dutch way of doing politics, everything been decided up front fore some time now and all the parties playing there role but behind the scenes all understanding how important this might be for a small country.

Bleh...politics...

reply to post by fritz


Well said Fritz!

The EU, led by the French and Germans is, in my book, their final attempt to dominate Europe and kill off the British.

Do not forgter that for the past few hundred years, they have both tried to dominate the continent on their own, with the Brits siding with the other and fending them off. Now they have teamed up against us and we signed it all away without a whimper.

Here i've seen headlines speculating with the current Finnish president Tarja Halonen and former president Martti Ahtisaari. Martti is the guy who got the nobel peace prize last year.

Originally posted by stumason
reply to post by fritz

 

Well said Fritz!

The EU, led by the French and Germans is, in my book, their final attempt to dominate Europe and kill off the British.

Do not forgter that for the past few hundred years, they have both tried to dominate the continent on their own, with the Brits siding with the other and fending them off. Now they have teamed up against us and we signed it all away without a whimper.

That could be so, if it wasnt for the UK and especially PM's such as Thatcher being so hostile to the EU..You are only a member since '73 and how productive have you been since then for the community?
The ECSC started to unite the industries and policies of Germany and France, thats the most important foundation of the European cohesion[community]..

[edit on 1-11-2009 by Foppezao]

reply to post by Foppezao


Haha! How productive? We contribute billions every year and get very little back, while the French farmers get paid 40+Billion Euro's to sit on their arses and take 4hr lunches, or we aren't allowed to fish our own waters, yet Spanish trawlers can haul what they like! We are the 3rd largest economy in Europe for crying out loud!

It isn't a matter of being "productive", it's a matter of our national soveriegnty being usurped by unelected Eurotrash who see the UK as nothing more than a fly in the ointment.

We didn't sign up for a "unified Europe", we didn't sign up to have 75% of our laws dictated by an unelected commission, we didn't sign up so that our industries could all be outsourced and stripped down.

We signed up for a "common market", a free trade zone.

Where did we sign up to be part of this European super state?

Answer: We didn't. And we're lied to by our own politicians who obviously are eyeing up the top jobs for themselves. See Messrs Blair, Kinnock and Mandleson.

So you can take your "productive" argument, whatever that may be exactly as I'm pretty damn sure that the country you reside in pales in comparison to what the UK has achieved and how productive we are, and do the proverbial shoving..

EDIT: We didn't fight two world wars to give up our soveriegnty to Europe now. No bloody way.

[edit on 1/11/09 by stumason]

reply to post by stumason


All I can say Stu, and Fritz before you, is thank you for so eloquently putting what I and the vast majority of British people feel.

It is time for us to find our spine and regain our self esteem and with it save our country from the corrupt Eurocrats and the France / Germany alliance who both despise us for the last 1000years or so of history!

Originally posted by stumason
reply to post by Foppezao

 

Haha! How productive? We contribute billions every year and get very little back, while the French farmers get paid 40+Billion Euro's to sit on their arses and take 4hr lunches, or we aren't allowed to fish our own waters, yet Spanish trawlers can haul what they like! We are the 3rd largest economy in Europe for crying out loud!

It isn't a matter of being "productive", it's a matter of our national soveriegnty being usurped by unelected Eurotrash who see the UK as nothing more than a fly in the ointment.

We didn't sign up for a "unified Europe", we didn't sign up to have 75% of our laws dictated by an unelected commission, we didn't sign up so that our industries could all be outsourced and stripped down.

We signed up for a "common market", a free trade zone.

Where did we sign up to be part of this European super state?

Answer: We didn't. And we're lied to by our own politicians who obviously are eyeing up the top jobs for themselves. See Messrs Blair, Kinnock and Mandleson.

So you can take your "productive" argument, whatever that may be exactly as I'm pretty damn sure that the country you reside in pales in comparison to what the UK has achieved and how productive we are, and do the proverbial shoving..

EDIT: We didn't fight two world wars to give up our soveriegnty to Europe now. No bloody way.

[edit on 1/11/09 by stumason]

Most of us pay[netto payer], and back in the seventies some former industrial areas in the UK got structural EU funds as well, cities such as Liverpool would have died...Yes that was the time when you wondered who actually won the war since Germany was doing much better economically.
But i was actually talking about contributing in treaties, most of the time the UK blocks and vetoes everything, you so angry to be violated by Europe and wont allow a Dutch member of parliament in your country while the muslims take over your country using the backdoor and thats all ok...
And if you do wanna stop those immigration flows, you should really work together wth the continent..

you silly Island inhabitants

[edit on 1-11-2009 by Foppezao]

Originally posted by Foppezao
Most of us pay[netto payer], and back in the seventies some former industrial areas in the UK got structural EU funds as well, cities such as Liverpool would have died...Yes that was the time when you wondered who actually won the war since Germany was doing much better economically.

thats what happens when you have your economy and infrastructure destroyed then rebuilt using US tax dollars, it is more efficient and modern. The UK was left with the same industry and infrastructure we had to begin with and got not money from the US to rebuild. In fact, we got shafted by them totally, but thats another story.

Originally posted by Foppezao
But i was actually talking about contributing in treaties, most of the time the UK blocks and vetoes everything, you so angry to be violated by Europe and wont allow a Dutch member of parliament in your country while the muslims take over your country using the backdoor and thats all ok...

yes, we block, veto and down right wiggle so we do not have to sign up to all this nonsense of a "super-state" you guys seem hell bent on creating. The British people want no part of it. We just want free trade, that's all! Not to have opur laws and way of life changed by the EU. But since Labour got into power, they have toed the EU line and now we're along for the ride.

The only reason we have a "muslim problem" is because of the EU, its Human Rights legislaton and the fact you all pass the "immigrants/refugees" on to us. Look at France and its "jungle", or Sangaat!

Oh, but thats right, only the Uk has to follow the silly EU rules, but France and germany can run budget deficits without repurcussion and pass refugees onto the next state. They are supposed to claim asylum in the FIRST safe country. No matter what map you look at, we're not it.

If it was down to me, that Dutch MP would have got a hug and a cup of tea when he got off the Plane, but it's our idiotic socialists in power who seek to bar him and stop their "big experiment" on changing the UK.

[edit on 1/11/09 by stumason]

reply to post by TheCoffinman


Who will be the 1st EU President?

Prince Charles.

Originally posted by Foppezao
And if you do wanna stop those immigration flows, you should really work together wth the continent..

With the French, who'd rather all the illegal immigrants go to Britain and we deal with the problem.

you silly Island inhabitants

Yes, silly Island inhabitants - who built the financial capital of the world, which benefits the European Union. Our military, technology, open market economy (Only we stick to the EU competition Law) The fact we are willing not to be intimidated by Russia, with the rest of you gathering around the gas fields.

Of course, we are a naughty nation for the Iraq War. But honestly, going to war without the rest of Europe is identical to the Second World War