[FFS!!!] Therefore any EU leader has no need of his/her diplomats/ministers beside them at EU summits. Bildt said this defending the situation whereby (shock, horror, surprised...NOT!) the foreign minister of each country was banned from attending the EU summit in Brussels; a dozen of the 27 foreign ministers objected to this: errm...you mean they weren't aware they would be replaced by Baroness Ashton (or whomever) at the European summit in Brussels? You mean they weren't aware that it was henceforth..."Since the Lisbon treaty came into force, relations between member states were no longer considered "foreign policy" but were now "domestic policy"
Do you, like me, find that ominous and sinister? Downright scary? [The Times]"...futile for member states to think they could still act unilaterally."
P.S. That last quote was from the previous EU foreign policy supremo, Spanish career diplomat Javier Solano. I tend to agree with David Cronin re Solano: his (Solano's) own description of his approach to diplomacy was "Make no enemies and never ask a question to which you do not know or like the answer." Or in other words be "grey", be all things to all men and be nothing at the same time: or, take the money and go with the flow, be damp wallpaper, or, as Cronin says: "'Make no enemies' is another way of saying 'have no principles'" [Link] That's not so bad - and apologies for the change of tack - but some think Solano was the Antichrist (which would make Ashton the new one)! Mind you, reading the following link, the closing paragraphs open up a whole new possible career for Tony Blair as one smooth end times operator.
But surely Lisbon was no more than a few technical changes, a mere tidying exercise?
YanıtlaSilWe might start to ask when the EU Minister comes under control of the Home Office? Given the disaster that has been the HO for the past 10 years or so that should screw up our relations with the rest of the EU quite nicely!
Why do we need British consulates abroad? Why do we need passports?
YanıtlaSilThe EU raises more questions than answers but one thing is clear, Governments love levels of bureaucracy when they are in power but see nothing but wastage when in opposition.