Thread: President of Europe is a Belgian

Originally Posted by sparq

EU has a president, wow. What is coming next - federal EU taxes?

Don't kid yourself. Member countries already pay a LOT for the functioning of the EU. For citizens of the member countries this really is a black box model.

I'm just glad it wasnt Blair!

The only thing that Tony Blair thinks about is Tony Blair. The guy (and his "government") already wrecked this country, and the thought of another X years of being told what to do by him would have been enough to make me emigrate!

Originally Posted by BeBerlin

It's slightly more complicated than that, I think. European law is so immensely complicated that it literally takes a degree in European law to understand the EU (or its predecessors). Europe as we know it was shaped by men with visions (and the understandable desire of its peoples to keep my people from occupying then every 20 years), whose ideas were turned into laws. I'm a political scientist, but I do not understand the EU, at least not to a degree which enables me to take informed decisions. And that's probably the biggest problem: you simply have to believe that politicians and lawyers will get it right. For a nation like England with its high degree of independence, that is likely a lot harder to digest than for, say, Germans, who are traditionally more obedient.

So true, and I am really glad it is done like this.
By having 'the people' vote, you don't need more than a couple of punch lines (Yes we can!) and a tv personality.

International politics is a complicated matter, and I have more faith in our elected officials to understand it than in the people who will only vote for whatever they heard on the news.

This way there has to be concensus building and compromise, rather than media campaigns and hardline opinions.

Originally Posted by BeBerlin

An excellent choice, really. Apart from the fact that a Briton as EU president would have been a contradiction in terms, especially that Labour Lite™ fella.

Speaking as a Briton, I have to agree with this in every particular.

Originally Posted by decraew

There are countries where having an IQ above a 100 counts against you when you want to become president.

That is indeed the truth.

Originally Posted by Otto

I'm just darn happy that not all countries in Europe are members of EU.
BTW he is the president of the European Union not Europe.

Can't help but ask why?
And which countries are you specifically reffering to?

I think Herman Van Rompuy was a good choice. Better than some who wouldn't have been so interested of EU but their home countries mostly.

Personally i think there is much more pros than cons being a member of EU. I do not miss times when our own incapable politicians had too much power to play for their own parties (pockets) only.

Originally Posted by mainaman

Can't help but ask why?
And which countries are you specifically reffering to?

I’m referring to Norway. [See my location in the side bar] I appreciate the fact that we (Norwegians) are not a member of a larger union but are more independent than most of the other European countries. Being an oil rich nation rocks having a “socialist” government doesn’t.

We were in unions with Danmark and Sweden, and we didn't like that much...

Didn't know who this Herman guy was, but luckily found this article

Herman Van Rompuy is the 'shrewd master of the shabby compromise' | Mail Online

now I know

Excellent source of information, the Daily Mail is. Whilst on topic, this may come to you as an equally stunning piece of news: BERT IS EVIL - The Only Official Evil Portal.