The British have accused the French of arrogance and blackmail in the wake of the Irish voting "NO" to the EU Constitution.
The French President seems to be angry that the people of the Republic of Ireland have rejected the Lisbon Treaty in a national referendum - if only ONE EU state votes against the Treaty, then it won't come into effect.
But EU leaders, which famously often show contempt for democracy, have again shown their hatred for the democratic process by saying that they will still try to get the treaty enforced, despite the Irish rejecing it!
Now the British, quite rightly, accuse the French of blackmailing other EU members by saying that other countries who wish to join the EU cannot do so in the wake of the Irish "NO" vote.
It's not the first time the British have defended democracy against Continental European powers...
Nicolas Sarkozy is accused of blackmail over EU Treaty
By Patrick Hennessy and Justin Stares
22/06/2008
The Telegraph
Nicolas Sarkozy has been accused of putting the brakes on European Union expansion in a desperate attempt to salvage the Lisbon Treaty.
EU's hates demoracy: The people of the Republic of Ireland voted "NO" to the EU "Treaty" (the EU Constitution in all but name) on Thursday, to the dismay of the arrogant French President.
The Conservatives said the French president was "blackmailing" the rest of the EU by claiming that moves to bring more nations into the union - starting with Croatia - would have to be put on hold in the wake of this month’s “No” vote on the Treaty in the Irish referendum.
The Treaty, which seeks to abolish dozens of national vetoes, hand new powers to Brussels and create the post of EU president, cannot come into operation until all 27 member states have ratified it.
Britain, which is not holding a public vote, completed its parliamentary process last week.
But its formal ratification of the Treaty has been postponed at the request of a High Court judge, who is hearing an application to force a referendum.
"What part of "NO!" do you not understand"? :The French President, and EU leaders, have again shown their contempt for democracy in the wake of the rejection of the Lisbon Treaty by the Irish public
The French president, who came up with the idea of the Treaty, a watered-down version of the rejected EU constitution, said: "It is certain that as long as we have not solved the institutional problem, the question of enlargement is stopped de jure or de facto."
Mark Francois, Tory shadow foreign affairs minister, said it was "crystal clear" that enlargement, supported by all three main political parties in Britain, could go ahead without Lisbon coming into force.
Charles Tannock, a Tory Euro-MP and his party’s spokesman on foreign affairs in the European Parliament, said: "This is just blackmail on the Irish and everyone else who wants enlargement. He wants to put pressure on the Irish, to make them feel guilty and to push them into a second vote.
"It’s complete nonsense. Mr Sarkozy is obviously very angry that the Irish have said 'No’."
The Croatian government last week sought assurances from the European Commission and Euro-MPs that its application to join in 2010 would not be affected by the Irish vote.
"This is a classical negotiating ploy by the French,” said the Tory Euro-MP Edward McMillan-Scott. "Britain and everyone else should just ignore this threat.”
telegraph.co.uk
The French President seems to be angry that the people of the Republic of Ireland have rejected the Lisbon Treaty in a national referendum - if only ONE EU state votes against the Treaty, then it won't come into effect.
But EU leaders, which famously often show contempt for democracy, have again shown their hatred for the democratic process by saying that they will still try to get the treaty enforced, despite the Irish rejecing it!
Now the British, quite rightly, accuse the French of blackmailing other EU members by saying that other countries who wish to join the EU cannot do so in the wake of the Irish "NO" vote.
It's not the first time the British have defended democracy against Continental European powers...
Nicolas Sarkozy is accused of blackmail over EU Treaty
By Patrick Hennessy and Justin Stares
22/06/2008
The Telegraph
Nicolas Sarkozy has been accused of putting the brakes on European Union expansion in a desperate attempt to salvage the Lisbon Treaty.
EU's hates demoracy: The people of the Republic of Ireland voted "NO" to the EU "Treaty" (the EU Constitution in all but name) on Thursday, to the dismay of the arrogant French President.
The Conservatives said the French president was "blackmailing" the rest of the EU by claiming that moves to bring more nations into the union - starting with Croatia - would have to be put on hold in the wake of this month’s “No” vote on the Treaty in the Irish referendum.
The Treaty, which seeks to abolish dozens of national vetoes, hand new powers to Brussels and create the post of EU president, cannot come into operation until all 27 member states have ratified it.
Britain, which is not holding a public vote, completed its parliamentary process last week.
But its formal ratification of the Treaty has been postponed at the request of a High Court judge, who is hearing an application to force a referendum.
"What part of "NO!" do you not understand"? :The French President, and EU leaders, have again shown their contempt for democracy in the wake of the rejection of the Lisbon Treaty by the Irish public
The French president, who came up with the idea of the Treaty, a watered-down version of the rejected EU constitution, said: "It is certain that as long as we have not solved the institutional problem, the question of enlargement is stopped de jure or de facto."
Mark Francois, Tory shadow foreign affairs minister, said it was "crystal clear" that enlargement, supported by all three main political parties in Britain, could go ahead without Lisbon coming into force.
Charles Tannock, a Tory Euro-MP and his party’s spokesman on foreign affairs in the European Parliament, said: "This is just blackmail on the Irish and everyone else who wants enlargement. He wants to put pressure on the Irish, to make them feel guilty and to push them into a second vote.
"It’s complete nonsense. Mr Sarkozy is obviously very angry that the Irish have said 'No’."
The Croatian government last week sought assurances from the European Commission and Euro-MPs that its application to join in 2010 would not be affected by the Irish vote.
"This is a classical negotiating ploy by the French,” said the Tory Euro-MP Edward McMillan-Scott. "Britain and everyone else should just ignore this threat.”
telegraph.co.uk