18 Feb 2014

EU Crisis: A Journey of Choice


"There can be no cherry-picking when it comes to the EU."

This mantra is often levelled at those who dare challenge “Brussels obedience.”
They declare the EU’s four freedoms fundamentals are not negotiable.

This portrays a picture of Brussels commission as custodian of the Union. And as such, reserves the right to determine and police membership behaviour.

The Brussels commission can argue it merely carries out the wishes of national agreements forged at summits and cemented in treaties. Citizens respond that some content of the treaties is not what they desire nor were they ever consulted about them.

A journey of choice. Europe reflects over the historic Swiss vote on the free movement of
people issue. The slide away from passive consent to Brussels management continues.
May elections should prove an effective acid test for new directions within the
European project. Image: Central Switzerland Jan 2014. 
Those few who were consulted and objected were sent back to corrected their bad voting behaviour; causing irreparable damage of trust between the technocrat management in Brussels and the democratic process.

Such is the complicated clash of wills developing between the EU commission, the ECB, the EU judiciary and citizens of several European nations.

Philosophers say people with power want more power and you don’t know someone till you fight them. There is amble evidence to suggest that the commission seeks more power whether or not it is deserved or necessary.

The commission pushes the argument that closer Union safeguards peace and stability. It seems they are cherry picking on this issue. The commission failed people during the Yugoslav war. It has failed the Roma. It has corrupted democracy. It pursues a relentless economic policy of austerity in pursuit of forced political union - the Federalist dream, a harmony in Art of Superstate; is such a love ever meant to last!

And because of this lust for federalism the Union now enters a phase of assessment. Purpose is everything. Doubt is taking root in citizens’ minds. The road-map is changing direction.

The commission argues that they as custodians of the Union are ultimately the guardians of peace.

Repeating this story over and over again until it sounds real - once was the perfect deception.
In todays’ connected world choice is no longer an illusion between those embellished with power and citizens who giveth and taketh away that power.

The historic Swiss vote over the fundamental pillar of free movement will be followed by an equally historic vote in May 2014 when choice decides Europe’s new directions.