He is definately going to learn the hard way..............but, my point to the topic,is to reveal their line of thinking........................................benny

He is toast .... unless he repents

First let me point out that I am not setting any date for the Rapture of the Church as many have wrongly done in the past.So,what is the significance of July 13,2008?



On this day a summit will take place in Paris,France.This summit will launch the Union for the Mediterranean proposed by French President Nicholas Sarkozy.Wikipedia,the free online encyclopedia describes the Union for the Mediterranean as follows:



''The Union for the Mediterranean (French: Union pour la Méditerranée; previously known as Mediterranean Union, French: Union méditerranéenne) is a proposed community of European Union member states and countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea planned to be established in July 2008. It was suggested by French President Nicolas Sarkozy as an alternative to Turkish membership of the European Union, which would instead form the backbone of the new union,[4] but with the scaling down of plans in March 2008 that idea has been abandoned. When Turkey was offered a guarantee in March 2008 that it would not be an alternative to the EU, Turkey accepted the invitation to participate.



Proposal



The proposal was originally made as part of Sarkozy's election campaign. Following his victory the idea was reiterated, with plans being drawn up. Despite the potential division it could cause with the Muslim world, President Sarkozy sees the initiative as a way of promoting peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors. It is hoped that an institutional core will be established by the end of the French presidency of the European Union in 2008. On 23 October 2007 Sarkozy invited all Mediterranean leaders to a summit in France to take place in June 2008 where they would "lay the foundations of a political, economic and cultural union founded on the principles of strict equality."



Read more at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_for_the_Mediterranean



Prophetic significance



Those of us who study Bible prophecy know that such an event has a great prophetic significance.The Bible says that the final world power will be centralized in Europe and the Middle East.Prophecy scholars refer to this political kingdom of the last days as the ''Revived Roman Empire''.I personally believe this last days empire will be more that just a Revived Roman Empire.I believe it will be a revival of all the seven empires of history,namely,Egyptian,Assyrian,Babylonian,Medo-Persian,Greecian,Roman,and Ottoman Empires combined together into one geopolitical entity to be used by the Antichrist as his kingdom.

For more information on this view,read our related article titled ''The Kingdom of the Antichrist: An Alternate View'' at:



http://www.bibleprophecyinthenews.com/King...Antichrist.html



If the view held by most prophecy scholars is the correct one,the Union for the Mediterranean or Mediterranean Union will be geographically identical to the Roman Empire and will be the power base which will give rise to the Antichrist.



Click here to view map of the Union for the Mediterranean

Click here to compare it to the map of the Roman Empire



As we have seen above,the proposal suggests the initiative as a ''way of promoting peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors''.That is exactly what the Antichrist will do in the beginning of his career as a man of peace who will initially favor Israel by confirming a covenant with the Jewish state fro seven years.This covenant will probably include a proposal to convince the Arabs to allow the Jews to rebuild a Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount in order to fulfill Daniel 9:27.In the middle of the seven years,the Antichrist will break his covenant with Israel and will unleash the worst persecution ever faced by the Jewish people.This will be the time of Jacob's trouble as spoken by Jeremiah the prophet (Jeremiah 30:7) and the Great Tribulation as referred by Jesus in Matthew 24.



Union for the Mediterranean on the Headline News



On March 14,2008 the Jerusalem Post reported:



'EU leaders back closer ties with Mediterranean rim'



''French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Friday he won "unanimous" backing for his plan to forge closer political ties with Europe's North African and Mideast neighbors on the Mediterranean Sea.

Sarkozy addresses the media at the end of the first day of a two-day EU summit at the EU Council headquarters in Brussels.



The agreement came at the end of the first day of a two-day EU summit, but the specific details of the plan will still have to be worked out by June, other leaders said.

The project would involve 39 partners - the 27-nation EU plus a dozen on the Mediterranean's southern shores, from Mauritania to Algeria, Egypt, Israel, the Palestinian Authority to Syria and Turkey.''



Read full article: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid...icle%2FShowFull



and on March 15,2008 the European Jewish Press reported:



EU leaders give green light to new ‘Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean’



''BRUSSELS (EJP)---European Union EU leaders gave Friday the green light to a watered down plan to create a "Union for the Mediterranean," a project initiated by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and aimed at upgrading the EU's relations with its neighbours from North Africa and the Middle East.

The new version of the plan, adopted at a regular EU spring summit meeting in Brussels, will include the 27 EU member states and some 12 Mediterranean nations, including Israel.''



Read full article: http://www.ejpress.org/article/25315



Interestingly enough,the Israeli government supports such proposal.



On March 12,2008 the European Jewish Press reported:



Peres supports ‘100 percent’ Sarkozy’s plan for Mediterranean Union



''I support 100 percent the plan," Peres, who is on a five-day state visit to France, said in an interview with French radio Europe 1.

"The entire (Israeli) government is in favour of Sarkozy’s initiative of course," he added.

"North Europe countries, the Maghreb countries in the south and the Arab countries in the middle, why not cooperate on what is possible?," he asked, recalling that Europe started with a union on coal and steel.

A summit meeting between the EU countries and Mediterranean countries, including Israel, is scheduled to take place on 13 July in Paris when France takes over the six-month EU presidency.''



Source: http://www.ejpress.org/article/25201



It amazes me how Bible prophecy is being fulfilled before our very eyes!The Antichrist will use this political entity to persecute the Jewish nation and Israel is so blind that they cannot see that this political entity is a tool of Satan to bring about her destruction.Thank God that Jesus will return just in time to rescue Israel from being annihilated (Zechariah 14:1-4,Revelation 19:11-20).



Jesus said:



''when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.''(Luke 21:28)



Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!










July 13th ,2008: A Prophetic Day is Here!

by

Rodrigo Silva

.............................................................benny

What Holly Thinks: The Charlemagne Prize and Bible Prophecy

European Union flag with statue of Charlemagne on the City Hall in Mechelen, Flanders, Belgium
Thursday, German chancellor Angela Merkel received the Charlemagne Prize, an award given each year to the European who does the most to unite Europe. Learn more here. The award is named after Charlemagne – an eighth century ruler who led Europe’s first attempt at reviving the fallen Roman Empire.

Merkel was selected for her work chairing the European Union’s rotating presidency during the successful adoption of the Lisbon Treaty in December.

The Charlemagne Prize failed to capture the notice of most Christians, but it shouldn’t have. Why? It represents the current fulfillment of an ancient Bible prophecy.

The award is another demonstration that the European Union – geographically and sociopolitically – sees itself as a revival of the Roman Empire. EU leaders make frequent Roman allusions in their institutions, art and documents. In a speech in 2005, EU high representative Javier Solana said that 1957 – when the Treaty of Rome was signed — marked the date when the “Europeans rekindled the sacred fire” that was extinguished when the Roman Empire was conquered in 410. Read the speech here.

What’s fascinating about this is that, millennia ago, the Bible prophesied that the final world kingdom would be a revival of the Roman Empire (Daniel 2:40-43).

Yet, since prophecy isn’t taught in most churches and seminaries today, most Christians won’t see it.

— Holly Pivec
.................................................................benny

Is there anyone here that can see how Daniel 9;27 and the developement of the Medterranian Union could come into play here?.....This is not something that would happen overnight, but it is coming!.......At this point in time, the backing to Sarkozy's plan is weak.....but a major crisses could very well change all that........The seeds of prophecy would then be utilized.


RPT-Mideast conflict must not hinder Med Union-Sarkozy
Wed 30 Apr 2008, 15:29 GMT

[-] Text [+] (Repeats to wider addresses)

TUNIS, April 30 (Reuters) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Wednesday the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must not be allowed to obstruct his planned Union for the Mediterranean, which he said would "change the world".

Sarkozy aims to launch the new grouping of 27 European Union countries and their southern neighbours in Paris on July 13.

He was forced to scale back plans for a full EU-style "Mediterranean Union" after fierce resistance from Germany, which feared it would split the EU and siphon off common funds.

Last month, EU leaders agreed to a limited form of union involving a regular summit between EU and Mediterranean leaders, with a joint presidency and a small secretariat.

Syria, Libya and some other Arab countries also appear lukewarm over the project as it might suggest an indirect normalisation of their relations with Israel without any settlement of the Palestinian conflict.

"I know that, inside the project of the Union for the Mediterranean, there is the issue of Israel and the issue of Palestine," Sarkozy said.

"I'm fully aware that all this is in the background ... but this should not stop us acting. It should encourage us to act."

He was addressing university students at the end of a three-day visit to Tunisia to boost cooperation on trade, nuclear energy and migration between the two countries.

"Failure ... would mean taking a terrible responsibility towards our children and all future generations," said Sarkozy, adding that the new Union "will change the world".

He dismissed fears that the plan would tie EU states into an unwanted political corset, saying the new grouping would allow some states to work closely together and others to stay on the sidelines.

"Everyone should stay calm. No one is imposing anything," he said. (Reporting by Emmanuel Jarry; writing by Lamine Ghanmi; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

...............................................................benny

Key to the Beast Regime
Economic matters are central to the unrelenting drive to unify the world. While the movers and shakers of globalism continue their determined course to force all nations into one world government, one world religion, and one world economy, the effort is not all smooth sailing, particularly not when it comes to the region that is key to the unfolding of Bible prophecy.

The covert but assiduous planning by the powers that be, stipulating that Planet Earth be divided into trading blocs yet become economically unified as one, seems an exercise that defies reason. There is considerable resistance both within the European Union (EU) and within the most volatile region on earth. Nonetheless, the implementation of this paradoxical blueprint must not be impeded, according to the man slated to take over the presidency of the EU in July, 2008.

TUNIS, April 30 (Reuters) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Wednesday the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must not be allowed to obstruct his planned Union for the Mediterranean, which he said would "change the world."

Sarkozy aims to launch the new grouping of 27 European Union countries and their southern neighbours in Paris on July 13.

He was forced to scale back plans for a full EU-style "Mediterranean Union" after fierce resistance from Germany, which feared it would split the EU and siphon off common funds… "I know that, inside the project of the Union for the Mediterranean, there is the issue of Israel and the issue of Palestine," Sarkozy said.

"I'm fully aware that all this is in the background ... but this should not stop us acting. It should encourage us to act’” (Reuters, RPT-Mideast conflict must not hinder Med Union-Sarkozy., Wed., April 30, 2008).

Excessive devaluation of the American basic unit of currency, the dollar--engineered, I’m convinced, by internationalists--might have produced unintended consequences, at least to the extent that have eventuated in recent days. That devaluation was engendered in part by the European currency’s (euro) swift rise.

The dynamic monetary interaction worldwide has thrown unforeseen perplexity into the mix of the world-governance gurus’ attempt to put together the various trading regions, whose seminal concept almost certainly was centered within Europe, with America’s champions of globalism joining in the collusion. In my view, at least, the North American Union (NAU) was born directly from this collusion, and is destined to grow as part of what will become a 10-region global system of commerce.

While America, its buying power diminishing, seems moving willingly toward the amero as an alternative to the failing dollar,the nations marked for Mediterranean Union offer the stiffest resistance to the plans to build the global economic order.

The region, with its new-found confidence of indispensability because of realities involved in the stunning increases in price per barrel of oil, feel empowered to resist the European and American fiscal engineers to put them in a regional box of worldwide commerce. Those Mid-East nations and their visceral hatred for Israel are bound to exert pressures on America and Europe to marginalize Israel even more than at present. Make no mistake, the internationalist movers and shakers will show the tiny Jewish state no favoritism in the matter of getting their way in producing the global trading regions they want. The Olmert government–or Israel’s successor government, will find itself under unparalleled pressure to acquiesce to the Mid-East petroleum powers.

It isn’t out of bounds to conjecture whether the oft-examined prophecy of Zechariah might revolve around currently developing matters:

“The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it” (Zech. 12:1-3).

Again, the prophecy toward which this generation rages is clearly delineated by God’s Word: “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast” (Rev. 17:12-13).

The key to the beast system coming forth is the presently developing economic convulsions taking place in America and around the world. This means that Christ’s return for His Church–all born-again believers in Jesus for redemption, for reconciliation, for salvation—will, perhaps very soon, take place in the twinkling of an eye. Then will begin the journey to the Father’s house, their home for eternity.

--Terry


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
.................................................................benny

QUOTE

EU leaders give green light to new ‘Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean’.

Interesting. The Middle East peace process began in Madrid, Spain (in 1991). Spain was the 11th nation to join the initial forming of the "Revived Roman Empire" (in 1981, I think). And the EU has a peace-and-economic process focused upon Israel and the Middle East and which is coincidentally titled, "The Barcelona Process". And King Juan Carlos claims the title, "King of Jerusalem". Completely unrelated to all this, of course, is the fact that King Juan Carlos has versions of his name in 10 languages which each add to 666, using the same numbering system.

Obviously all merely coincidental. (Though I would point out that his son, Prince Felipe, would fit the same prophecies [he has a version of his name in Spanish which adds to 666 using that same numbering system], and would also qualify as having come from one of the four horns which arose after Alexander the Great's empire split [I think this prophecy is in Daniel 8], since his mother is royalty from Greece.)

Who or what gets burned?

Revelation
17:16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.

17:17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

Portugal ratifies EU treaty on Europe day
10 May 2008, 00:48 CET
(LISBON) - Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva officially ratified the EU's reforming Lisbon treaty on Friday, symbolically choosing 'Europe Day' to do so.

The treaty, signed by European leaders in the Portuguese capital last December, was formally promulgated at a solemn ceremony following its approval by the national parliament last month.

The treaty constitutes "a step forward towards the construction of a more unified Europe, one more in solidarity," said Cavaco Silva.

Its success "shows the political determination and the convergence of the efforts of the leaders of the member states and the European institutions," he added.

Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia have now ratified the treaty, according to the EU's executive body, the European Commission.

All 27 EU member states must do so before it can come into effect, as planned, next year.

Only Ireland is constitutionally bound to put the treaty to a national referendum which it will do next month.

The treaty is deemed essential to streamline the workings of the European bloc, which has boosted its ranks from 15 to 27 member states since 2004.

It also introduces the post of an EU president, one of the factors which eurosceptics point to as an indication of the movement towards a federal Europe.

Numerous celebrations were scheduled for late Friday throughout Portugal to mark Europe Day, which commemorates the May 9, 1950 declaration by then French foreign minister Robert Schuman which is considered the founding proposal for the European Union.

In Lisbon itself European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso, who is Portuguese, was handed the keys of the capital.

Barroso's work at the head of the EU's executive arm "constitutes an honour for Portugal and for the city of Lisbon," said Mayor Antonio Costa.

Europe Day was also marked elsewhere, with a 12-metre high model of a European Ariane 5 rocket set up next to stands of regional European products at the Hotel de Ville, town hall, in Paris. A cinema chain in the French capital showed 27 films in their original languages, one from each EU member state.

In Marseille, southern France, a "European village" was set up for a grand picnic with the European anthem, Beethoven's Ode to Joy, ringing out from a local theatre.

In The Hague a "Europe Night" was planned for the youth market, while in Brussels, the seat of the European Union, the day was marked by a holiday for all the EU institutions.

In the landmark 1950 address, Schuman called on France, Germany and other European nations to work towards what became the European Coal and Steel Community, the start of the European project following the devastation of World War II.

A European summit in 1985 decided to commemorate this event each year as Europe Day.
...............................................benny

The shadow of Satan's Middle Eastern beast is approaching he will eat the European nations for lunch

The main course .... MBG's "great city" part

The Quiet March Toward a Common European Army
Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: An EU army could have more legitimacy abroad, experts say
Germany's foreign minister has called on the EU to step up efforts to create a common defense force, a European army. In today's world, many believe, an EU military force can tackle problems national armies cannot.

While it was no new call to arms when Frank-Walter Steinmeier, at a Monday, May 6, security conference of his Social Democratic Party (SPD), urged accelerating efforts to integrate Europe's armed forces, it does appear that if the new EU reform treaty is ratified by all 27 members, individual states will be freer to take concrete steps toward closer cooperation in security policy.



That, in turn, could prove to be first steps toward an eventual European army, even though uniforms with only the EU flag on the shoulder are likely still decades away.



The SPD laid out its arguments for a common armed force and its suggestions toward moving its military in the same direction that Europe did with its currency. Money is one principle reason for the move, proponents of a joint fighting force say, adding that running 27 different militaries with 27 different sets of equipment represents an enormous waste of resources.




Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Soldiers only under the EU flag in the future?
According to the European Defense Agency (EDA), created in 2004 to promote European defense capabilities, the 27 members of the European Union spent 201 billion euros ($308 billion) on defense in 2007, second only to the 491 billion euros spent by the United States. However, the cumulative effect of these expenditures is lessened because of the duplication of capacities in individual national militaries.



At the same time, the modern security threats are often beyond the capabilities of national militaries.



"International terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and regional conflicts outside our borders are all dangers that we can only tackle together," said Peter Struck, the SPD parliamentary group leader and a former defense minister.



According to Hennign Riecke, head of the European foreign and security policy at the German Council on Foreign Relations, fighting terrorism requires cooperation since networks can exist with state sponsors, and tackling proliferation with an actor such as Iran requires political weight.



"There cannot be any effective national security policy any longer," he said. "Whatever you do, it must be done in cooperation."



Concrete steps




Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Steinmeier will work with his French counterpart on closer military cooperation
At the security meeting, Steinmeier said he had discussed concrete matters related to closer military cooperation with his French counterpart, Bernard Kouchner. Germany sees France as a key partner in this process. The two countries have had a common German-French brigade since the early 1990s.



France will take over the EU's rotating presidency in the middle of this year, and has announced that it wants to make EU security policy a focus of its six months at the helm.



The SPD laid out its ideas for the path toward a combined military, calling for an EU air transport command, a "real" ministerial defense council and the creation of an EU military academy.



The EU reform treaty appears to be heading in this direction when it specifies that member states will cooperate to "take concrete measures to enhance the availability, interoperability, flexibility and deployability of their forces."



Broad support



The European army has a good deal of support among German and European leaders.



"Within the EU itself, we will have to move closer to establishing a common European army," German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Germany's mass-market Bild newspaper last year.



Those thoughts have been echoed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and other high-ranking EU leaders and officials.



But, while an EU army might be the ultimate goal, to many Europeans, the thought of giving up one's national army is unsettling.



Keep it low-key




Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: A joint military would have its challenges -- language, for one
According to Riecke, if the issue of a joint military is framed as a clear-cut project with a European command that is outside state sovereignty at some date, there is good amount of resistance to the idea.



However, if it is labeled as a process of slow military integration, with new institutions created that lead to an organic growth toward a common army, there are fewer furrowed brows.



Brussels and big EU states understand this and have not made a great deal of noise about the issue, although they've been working quietly to make it happen. For one, they want to wait until the EU reform treaty is fully ratified by all member states, since putting out a message of a super-army run by faceless Brussels bureaucrats could put the treaty itself in danger.



Struck, in arguing for more movement toward a common military, pointed out that for years, many thought the common currency, the euro, was a pipe dream. There were also years of discussions and a high degree of skepticism surrounding around the project. He said today, the euro has proved a success and a common army could share a similar story.



But it won't be quick in coming. Asked about the time frame for such a Euro Army, security analyst Riecke said: "Oh, come back and ask me in about 10 years."



Kyle James
....................................................benny

E-who? The EU power game has begun



Posted by Bruno Waterfield on 11 May 2008 at 15:09
Tags: Tony Blair, Secrecy, EU President, EU Referendum, EU Treaty, European External Action Service, Irish referendum

Behind closed doors, over diplomatic dinners, in the corridors of departments, embassies, ministries and chanceries, Europe’s rulers are playing a “once in a lifetime” game for the future of the European Union. As I have already noted, here and here, this is a power play to which the public is not even a spectator.

Football players in an empty stadium
The game is on, but no one's watching

Substantial negotiations are underway on the biggest European job carve up package, including Nato, in the EU’s existence. The rules of the game, the players and the running score are known only to a tiny group of EU leaders and their most senior civil servants.

The battle to fill the top jobs, including powerful new posts, such as the EU president, will set Europe’s political agenda for the next decade. It is the complete opposite of democratic politics or an electoral race.

In this contest the candidates do not publicly declare, and the more serious a contender is, the more secret and restricted he will keep his ambition. “Speculation at this stage is pointless. The best you can say is that it may well be a name no one has yet thought of,” one diplomat told the FT.

I return to this (let me know if the record sounds stuck) because there have been some developments since I last covered the implementation of the new Treaty, a process that is gathering pace even while (unelected) Lords linger on Westminster ratification or the rest of us passively await a millionaire's appeal to the (also unelected) judges.

Lisbon may not quite be the old Constitution but in terms of reshaping the EU’s institutions (rather than creating new policy areas) the new Treaty goes well beyond its equally controversial Maastricht forebear. “A lot people are just beginning to realise what they have signed up to,” one of the negotiators working on the new EU constitutional settlement said.

One experienced, well placed EU "official", I shall call him, told me that the shake out that follows the Lisbon Treaty (never mind the irritating and trifling formalities of ratification) was “more profound and far-reaching than anything else in the EU’s 50 year history”.

“It might not be quite Constitutional in the national sense but for us here it is the most important time in our lives,” he said. “There has never been such a constellation of jobs and institutional changes aligned at the same moment. A lot of people are talking about a new epoch.”

As you have read here before, an EU summit on June 19 will be the first formal gathering of all Europe’s heads of state and government to discuss the issues. The timing is careful because it will come one week after the Irish vote in the EU’s only referendum on the Treaty. As one EU negotiator put it: “There will be no other expressions of popular prejudice to distract or to get in the way ”.

Current plans assume that an Irish Yes vote will remove the last obstacle to the new EU Treaty. Below I try and set out the deal as it seems to be emerging, based on a number of background briefings from national leaders, ministers, European Commission officials, diplomats, inter-institutional negotiators and Euro-MPs.

The deal will range well beyond the Treaty’s January 1 2009 D-day, when it enters into force, to pre-empt European elections in June 2009, a new Commission (a President and 27 Commissioners) in November 2009 and the appointment of a new Nato Secretary-General, in late 2009. Predictions over who will get what job are hazardous, as Mark Mardell observes.

Woven into the package will also be an agreement on a five year political work programme (whether this will be a public document is unknown) – an agenda to run independently of the vagaries of national elections, one presumes.

There are no manifestoes in this undemocratic dance. There are no alternatives on offer (for us). The best we, the public, can expect (only after Game, Set and Match is declared) is a series of bland and uninformative euro-communiqués in December, followed by others in Spring, October and November 2009.

E-Who? The hidden wiring

President of the Council
There is an intense struggle, see here, raging over the terms and conditions of the “EU President”. To a certain extent the personality chosen will reflect how this battle has been resolved or the direction it is going in. One person involved in the talks said: “Whoever it is, he will need to spend plenty of time throwing cocktail parties and he will need a palace or a cook or two”.

According to a briefing out of the Elysée last week, Tony Blair’s candidacy has been “burned” with “insufficient” support from the centre-left. This could be code that Mr Blair’s successor, Gordon Brown, has been less than enthusiastic. Or it could mean that Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy have agreed on someone else. Mr Blair’s candidacy horrified some, who saw it as damaging to the EU’s traditional “supranational” institutions, the Commission especially.

Paris has recently talked up Jean-Claude Juncker, Germany has smiled on him too. But Luxembourg’s leader is a dyed in the wool Federalist of the old school. He is likely to be opposed (in any top EU job) by the UK. Any candidate that does not have the support of France, Germany and Britain is highly unlikely to make it.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Denmark’s leader, could be a popular choice, especially if he wins a national referendum on Danish EU opt-outs. He denies he is in the running. Paris has briefed that he wants to head up Nato, not the EU.

UK diplomats stress that at the June summit, “they will look around the table first and then look outside”. In other words, the real candidate may as yet be unknown. Or to put it another way, the choice of who will hold the office of EU President is not for us the public but our betters.

President of the European Commission
This job falls vacant next November, the consensus seems to be that José Manual Barroso will take it for a second term. There has been some speculation that the former Portuguese PM (an expert at jumping ship at the opportune moment) could go to the EU President job. Officials close to Mr Barroso play this scenario down as it would damage the Commission if he chose the other job. If Mr Barroso does switch over it will leave a bad taste and might be the writing on the wall for the Commission in the post-Lisbon institutional landscape.

Mr Juncker is also seen as a possible Commission chief. But the UK has previously blocked candidates the last two times around (Jean-Luc Dehaene and Guy Verhofstadt) because, like Mr Juncker, they were too Federalist.

President of the European Parliament
Those looking for evidence that euro elections are a pretty cynical, pointless exercise need look no further. The deal on the Parliament’s next President seems to have been stitched up a whole year before the European elections next June.

The Parliament’s two big groups the EPP (centre-right, with Conservatives affiliated) and the PSE (centre-left with Labour affiliated) will, as tradition dictates, divide the job into two. Jerzy Busek, a former Polish PM, will take it from autumn 2009. Then in early 2012, the German Socialist Martin Schulz will take over. This deal, if done, helps cement Poland behind the wider carve-up.

Sources close to the present incumbent, Hans-Gert Pöttering, suggest the centre-right Euro-MP, who is politically close to Miss Merkel, wants the job as Germany’s next Commissioner.

Nato Secretary General
EU security and defence policy will be beefed up in 2009 as France (if it goes ahead as planned) rejoins the Western Alliance’s military command. It is a clear sign that the EU and Nato are moving closer together that the Alliance job is part of the deal.

The French might bring forward Treaty plans for increased European defence cooperation. Probably involving Germany, France, Britain, Spain, Poland and Italy (possibly with Hungary and Lithuania too), the new structured “European army” will be organised around euro-style convergence criteria such as defence spending.

Germany has ambitions here.

This is all very hush hush until Ireland’s vote on June 12, because earlier moves to EU military cooperation in the Nice Treaty were blamed for a Irish referendum defeat in June 2001.

EU “foreign minister”, now called the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Some see Javier Solana staying on in the job for 10 months, until a new Commission in November 2009. But France is opposed.

The High Rep will also be a Commission-Vice President so his appointment will be a key part of the power balance in Brussels.

Parliament sources have briefed that Mr Blair is up for the job, after his stint as envoy in the Middle East. But it seems unlikely that Mr Blair would take a job where he would second fiddle to both the EU President and Commission chief. The post seems set to go to someone from the centre-left. It could be a Frenchman like Bernard Kouchner.

European External Action Service
The creation of this service, read more here, has triggered a huge turf war. The outcome will shape the powers of the EU President, Commission chief and High Rep.

The European Commission is set to lose three departments (RELEX, 677 senior staff, ECHO, 162 staff and AIDCO, 585 staff). There is pressure to take two more departments away as well, Enlargement (239 senior staff) and Trade (438 staff).

The existing Council Secretariat, under the eurocrat’s eurocrat Pierre de Boissieu (his job will be part of the bunfight), will contribute up to 400 staff. These could come from some of the most sensitive, secretive parts of the EU’s security structure, such as SitCen.

European Commission
The EU executive’s plum policy portfolios will all be part of “corralling” agreement on an overall package. Formal announcements of the people to be the next 27 Commissioners will be left until October next year but policy jobs will be part of the secret small print in December this year.


Link to Telegraph.co.uk blog article..........................benny

International
E.U. Extends Cooperative Ties
Oxford Analytica 05.12.08, 6:00 AM ET

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Last month, the European Commission presented its annual assessment of the implementation of the European Neighborhood Policy and called it a "resounding success."

The policy (ENP) currently covers 16 countries in the southern and eastern parts of the European Union and aims to offer those partners closer cooperation with the bloc. Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner introduced plans for an upgrade in the E.U.'s ties with four of these partners through a "targeted deepening of relations." The proposals represent the E.U.'s new preference for creating "enhanced" or "privileged" partnerships with its neighbors, rather than talking about enlargement.

Targeted deepening. The four states that will be targeted are Morocco, Israel, Moldova and Israel. They are seen by Brussels as the most ambitious and have gone furthest in achieving the reform goals set out in their ENP Action Plans. Deeper relations will be pursued within the context of the ENP and will use the "action planning" method, which sets out mutually agreed targets through benchmarking to upgrade political and economic relations. All four states will benefit financially by significant extra top-up funds from the E.U.'s governance facility, already awarded to Morocco and Ukraine in 2007:

-- Ukraine. This has already began with Ukraine. In February this year, Kiev started negotiations for a free-trade area in the framework of its New Enhanced Agreement. Detailed planning for the NEA started in March 2007.

-- Moldova. Ukraine's smaller neighbor Moldova was praised by the commission for its strong "political will" to carry out political and economic reforms, as well as its commitment to resolving the Transnistria conflict. The E.U. announced that it will work toward a new partnership agreement beyond the scope of the current Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, which is about to expire.

-- Morocco. The commission already viewed Morocco as a special partner owing to its extensive cooperation with the E.U. on the fight against terrorism and illegal immigration in recent years. Brussels is now supporting an "advanced status" for Morocco, which will have as a main focus freer movement of people to benefit Moroccan workers by allowing greater access to E.U. labor markets.

-- Israel. A reflection group will also be looking at ways in which Brussels can grant Israel a "special status" to enhance its involvement in the E.U.'s market and economy. Israel is already well-integrated into the E.U. research programs and is the only neighbor to participate in the Competitiveness and Innovation Program.

Avoiding enlargement. The ENP was designed to bring neighboring states closer to the E.U. but to stay mute on the question of membership. The new deals outlined by Ferrero-Waldner in reinforce this formula since the special partnerships were announced without reference to enlargement:

--Governments in Morocco and Israel view the new initiatives favorably; the Moroccan government has been lobbying hard for this for some time.

--The same cannot be said for Ukraine and, to a lesser extent, Moldova, as they see their futures not as perennial outsiders or neighbors but as members of the E.U.

Ukrainian disappointment. Ukraine has always demanded a clear membership perspective from the E.U.. Ukraine sees the ENP as a means to an end, and not an end in itself. The government still has 2017 as a target date for entry into the E.U.:

-- Kiev's reaction. The Foreign Ministry in Ukraine responded quickly and with vitriol to Ferrero-Waldner's speech, calling the proposals "unacceptable." Subsequently, Kiev called upon Brussels to come up with a new formula for E.U.-Ukraine relations, which would take into account Ukraine's desire for European integration and its "strategic role" in Europe. The Ukranian government had been hoping for a clear indication this year from the E.U. that membership would be forthcoming. Instead, from Kiev's viewpoint the new proposals are a massive setback in its European aspirations.

-- Brussels' concern. Ferrero-Waldner maintains that the door to membership for Ukraine "is neither open nor closed," and the commission has continued to commend Ukraine for its progress in the ENP. However, the E.U. remains concerned that the country is not able to go far and fast enough because of political turmoil at home. From Brussels' view, much of the problem behind Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration has to do with domestic instability and the fragility of democratic institutions.

........................................................benny

Poland to beef up European military club
15.05.2008 - 09:19 CET | By Philippa Runner
Poland has opted to become a full member of the EU and NATO-linked military club, Eurocorps, in a move designed to spur on the creation of a significant European defence capability.

Warsaw from 2009 is to pledge 3,000 soldiers to the existing 60,000-strong Eurocorps force, hold 15 officer-level posts and forward a deputy director to the Strasbourg-based outfit, Polish media report.

The club currently consists of full members France, Germany, Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg as well as eight junior partners, including Poland, who each contribute a handful of technical staff.

Eurocorps is not an EU institution. It was set up as an independent Franco-German project in 1992 to help support EU, NATO and UN operations, seeing active service in Bosnia, Kosovo and Afghanistan so far.

The organisation has strong political links to the EU, however. Its badge is a sword superimposed on a map of Europe and the EU's golden stars. A Eurocorps unit hoisted the EU flag and played the EU anthem outside the EU parliament in Strasbourg on "Europe Day" last week.

"Our decision to fully join Eurocorps comes from the conviction that Europe is becoming the second pillar of our national security alongside NATO," Polish defence minister Bogdan Klich said in Polish daily Rzeczpospolita on Thursday (15 May).

"We treat NATO as the main security pillar, but we cannot forget Europe is increasing its capabilities and this stands behind our desire to join this process."

The EU has a mixed bag of military cooperation projects under its European security and defence policy chapter, with an EU-flag peacekeeping force currently at work in Chad.

But the new Lisbon Treaty could deepen military integration with a new article that envisages "the progressive framing of a common defence policy [that] will lead to a common defence, when the European Council, acting unanimously, so decides."

"We have to start a discussion on increasing the planning and operational capabilities of the EU. We expect a serious debate will start under the French [EU] presidency," Poland's Mr Klich said. ...........................................benny

I recall that a lot of people had a problem with the twelve stars from proctor and gamble.......interesting!
Jerusalem / Alix de Mauny - The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and the European Union (EU) officially re-launched the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) process between the PNA and the EU on the occasion of the meeting of the "Joint Committee", the highest level body bringing together officials from the European Union and the PNA. It was the first such meeting for three years and reflects a deepening of the ties between the EU and the PNA.


Under the chairmanship of H.E. Ambassador Ahmad Soboh, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, 60 participants from PNA ministries, the European Commission and EU Member States convened to exchange their views on political and economic reform and development, energy, trade, environment and social issues as detailed in the ENP Joint Action Plan.

This was the fourth Joint Committee meeting with the PA. The last meeting of the EU-PA Joint Committee took place in May 2005. The political situation in the occupied Palestinian territory during 2006 and 2007 did not allow progress in the bilateral co-operation with the PA within the European Neighbourhood Policy. Today's meeting therefore marked the formal re-launching of the implementation of the EU – PNA Action Plan, and an opportunity to deepen the already close bonds between the people of Europe and the Palestinians.

Although all ENP Action Plans follow the same basic structure, the fact that these are negotiated with partners means that the content of each one is fully differentiated i.e. country-specific, tailor-made for the political, economic and social situation and needs of that country and its relationship with the EU. The plan covers many of the areas that are part of the Palestinian Reform and Development Plan for 2008-2010 (PRDP) presented at the Paris Donors Conference in December 2007.
.............................................benny

Germany ratifies EU reform treaty

Germany's Bundesrat represents the 16 state governments
Germany has completed ratification of the European Union's reform treaty.

The document easily won the necessary two-thirds majority in the upper house, which represents the country's 16 federal state governments.

The lower house overwhelmingly backed the pact, known as the Lisbon Treaty, last month.

The treaty must be ratified by all 27 member states to take effect. Only one country, Ireland, is holding a referendum on the issue, next month.

More than half of the 27 members have now passed the agreement into law.

The treaty is aimed at simplifying the EU's unwieldy decision-making processes and will establish a major new foreign policy role.

It replaces the more ambitious European constitution that was rejected by French and Dutch voters in referendums in 2005.


.................................................benny

Something interesting to note about Germany. Angela Merkel was one of the few to ardently urge for God to be a part of this and the constitutional treaty. They lost that battle of course. But I have seriously changed my mind about this woman. And have come to the conclusion that not every conspiracy theory can be true or at least not all involved in government are out to get us.
For the treaty, I think, there is no point in fighting all of this any longer. It's true we are caught between a rock and a hard place in some respects. I've no idea where we are going but I feel caught up on a wave of destiny somehow and all that remains is to see where we land. For us here in the UK we are now pinning our hopes on a conservative government and the sooner the better. Perhaps while they cannot/willnot save us from the EU (I wouldn't mind the EU if the Commission, President etc could be voted on by the people) maybe they can/will change things enough so we don't live in a state of fear from our own government and their big brother tactics. People getting their DNA taken for dropping an apple core, a man who now has a police record because his rubbish bin was open 4 inches, a mother fined because her toddler dropped a corner of a sausage roll on the street. Not to mention the cameras, spying on emails and phones, talks of DNA data bases for children as young as 5 who might turn into criminals etc. Releasing of terrorist early gosh the list could go on. It is rather a strange future we are facing. It's a fearful time to live for sure and someday xenophobia laws may prevent me from participating here. It's really hard to know anymore what is and isn't against the law.

Eye on the EU:
Eye on the EU: Will the Lisbon Treaty Spell the End of the WEU?

The EU’s 27 heads of state signed the Lisbon Treaty at a ceremony, Dec. 13, in Lisbon, Portugal. The treaty now awaits ratification by the Member States.
Lisbon Treaty Unlikely to End the WEU Anytime Soon
In 2002, Fulfilled Prophecy began reporting on a 10-nation military alliance, called the Western European Union, that appears to match a 10-nation alliance foretold in Bible prophecy. Now, with ratification of the European Union’s Lisbon Treaty underway, some may wonder what effect the treaty, if adopted, will have on the alliance. Guest columnist Mishael Meir answers this question.

Although repeated efforts have been made to kill it off, the Western European Union (WEU) lives on as a mutual defense treaty among its 10 permanent members. While the Lisbon Treaty appears to put into place elements that indicate a planned WEU demise, the WEU Ten always manages to survive. To understand what is happening, here’s some helpful background.

The Magic Number ‘10’

The WEU was created in 1954 by the modified Brussels Treaty as a means for Europe to interface with NATO through its own security and defense organization. Any of the 10 permanent members could withdraw after 50 years from the 1948 date of the original treaty or beginning in 1998. None of them has done so.

Additionally, all 10 members could choose to terminate the treaty by “denouncing” it. That hasn’t happened either.

Since 1998, there have been many calls to terminate the treaty. None has succeeded. Interestingly, in the WEU Council’s Dec. 6, 2000, Reply to Recommendation 666, the Council made clear that the WEU was sticking around, saying:

the collective defence commitment provided for under Article V of the modified Brussels Treaty will remain and there is no intention on the part of its signatories to denounce the Treaty. Source

Beginning in 2001, the European Union absorbed almost all of the WEU’s functions. However, because the modified Brussels Treaty remains in effect, so does the treaty’s mutual defense clause that gave rise to the 10-state military alliance. The WEU’s Council exists only as a formality. It hasn’t convened as a body since November 2000, but the same people now sit within the structure of the EU as its Political and Security Committee, where it exercises “political control and strategic direction” of EU crisis-management operations. The WEU’s arms procurement body has been absorbed into the European Defence Agency, an agency of the EU headed by Javier Solana.

In June 2001, Solana, acting in his role as the WEU’s Secretary General, announced that the WEU Ten had capped the number of permanent members at 10, exactly as the prophet Daniel predicted (Daniel 7:24). After all, why continue expanding the WEU when the EU was beginning efforts to replace it internally?

The Netherlands apparently agreed. In 2004, on the eve of the draft constitution’s signing, the Dutch tried and failed to get the WEU Ten to terminate the treaty. Other WEU Ten members said no: The modified Brussels Treaty had to stay in place to maintain the binding commitment of mutual defense, given that such a commitment was not contained in the draft constitution. Source

Enter the Lisbon Treaty

After the French and Dutch citizens rejected the constitution in their 2005 referendums, the WEU urged the EU to continue building its security and defense framework using the legal authority of the EU’s existing treaties. The EU opted instead to trot out the constitution again, this time repackaged as the Lisbon Treaty. To ensure its ratification, the heads of state blocked their own citizens from being able to go to the polls, that is, except for the Irish who go to the polls on June 12. All of Europe is holding its breath to see the outcome of this crucial vote. Source

So, what happens if the Irish say yes and what happens if they say no? What effect will the Lisbon Treaty have on the WEU if it actually goes into effect?

If the Irish vote yes, the Lisbon Treaty, on its face, appears to endorse the continued existence of the WEU. Under Protocol No. 11, the EU and WEU are to make arrangements for enhanced cooperation between them. This is curious considering that the WEU is little more than an empty shell with only its democratic Assembly left.

Also, the Lisbon Treaty has something the draft constitution never had: a binding mutual defense provision that embraces all 27 member states. Although that would make the modified Brussels Treaty Article V redundant, the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty would not by itself terminate the modified Brussels Treaty. Only the WEU Ten can do that.

Additionally, the Lisbon Treaty contains provisions for “permanent structured cooperation” (PSCoop). It would allow members who meet certain criteria to build their own permanent military framework that the other states could later join, assuming they met the funding and troop level criteria set out in Protocol No. 11. Apparently some EU states have suggested that the WEU Ten would logically form the PSCoop membership. Source

If the Lisbon Treaty goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2009, and PSCoop gets underway, look for another call to terminate the modified Brussels Treaty. However, these are very big “ifs.” Even if it plays out as the EU hopes, it may take a long time before the PSCoop club got anything going. In the meantime, the WEU Ten will still exist as a military alliance and they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

If the Irish veto the Lisbon Treaty, the EU has no Plan B. The treaty will fail just like the draft constitution failed. Be assured the heads of state will arm twist the Irish into another referendum so they can vote until they get it “right.” This is exactly what happened with their no-vote on the Nice Treaty, which the Irish finally ratified at a second referendum.

‘Man of Lawlessness’

What occurs to me in the analysis of EU and WEU treaties is that the antichrist will be a “man of lawlessness” (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Treaties are law and must be followed. The antichrist won’t care what a treaty says.

As a pertinent example, consider the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. The Roman Republic built the legal foundation for Western civilization, including the checks and balances system for democratic governance. Once Caesar Augustus transformed the Republic into the Roman Empire in 31 B.C., law turned into whatever the caesars said it was, regardless of what had already been established through the democratic Senate and treaties with foreign states.

Why a 10-state military alliance in the revived Roman Empire would suddenly hand the antichrist power can be explained under an endless number of scenarios. One is this. What if disaster happens while the EU is wrangling treaties and the only existing alliance is the WEU Ten? We all know who loves chaos and confusion, and it sure isn’t our God! (See 1 Corinthians 14:33).

........................................................................benny

— Mishael Meir

HOW EUROPE IS STARTING TO SET GLOBAL RULES
Author: Adam Daniel Rotfeld, Former foreign minister of Poland
26 May 2008 - Issue : 783



With its Reform Treaty, the European Union becomes a new animal, more than an organisation but less than a state, says Adam Daniel Rotfeld, a former foreign minister of Poland


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The European Union is a success story. Europe’s achievements have to be seen not as a single act or chain of spectacular consecutive EU summits, but as a historical process. Almost 50 years ago, the political scientist Karl Deutsch defined a concept of a pluralistic security community based on: the sovereignty and legal independence of states; the compatibility of core values derived from common institutions;

mutual responsiveness, identity and loyalty; integration to the point that states entertain “dependable expectations of peaceful change” and communication cementing political communities. As it turns out, the EU today reflects these elements. For the past two decades, institutional reforms have worked better than they are given credit for. The EU has enhanced its decision-making mechanisms by moving more areas to qualified majority voting (QMV), and by streamlining its institutions. New mechanisms have emerged in such areas as a common foreign and security policy (CFSP). Failures have had more to do with inadequate political leadership and the lack of determination, as well as the EU’s dilemma over how to close its distance from the citizen.

Now we have the Reform Treaty signed in Lisbon. This is the rejected constitutional treaty minus, but the minus isn’t very big. The treaty aims to transform the Union into an international organisation and grant it legal personality. In my view, the Union is much more than a classical international organisation; It is a new animal that is more than an organisation and less than a state. The treaty says that the Union will act only within the limits conferred upon it by member states. The Union has always acted on the basis of conferred competence, and stating that obvious fact more explicitly reflects the continuing unease in some states over the very principle of supranational integration. The role of national parliaments is enhanced, the subsidiarity mechanism reinforced, and the double majority voting system is being implemented. The title “Minister of Foreign Affairs” in the rejected constitution has been dropped, so the CFSP is still in charge of the “high representative”.

That still leaves the question of how the EU’s common and security policy will shift from rhetoric to action? Karl von Wogau, president of the European Parliament’s sub-committee on defence, has rightly noted: “The main challenge we face is not to rewrite the European security strategy, but to implement what we have already agreed.” Looking ahead, governance issues are likely to be subject of review as the innovations of the Reform Treaty are tested in practice. The double-hatted high representative of the Union for foreign affairs and security policy could be a model for use elsewhere in the institutional architecture. Interaction between the new permanent president of the Council and the member state presidencies is another area where improvements might be needed. The composition of the Commission will attract attention. Governance inside the Eurozone will also be the subject of further discussions if, as seems likely, it offers a basis for more advanced integration. Reducing the scope of qualified majority voting will remain a major objective. The procedure for amending a treaty, at present requiring ratification by all member states, will also need to be explored further.


The Union is likely to be spared a new wave of reform in the near future, but from 2010 onwards the pressures will grow for reviewing the existing provisions. New revision treaties could deal with selected issues, and hence be easier to agree on and ratify. Constructing a new international order based on multilateralism is neither a choice nor an alternative, but a necessity. Henry Kissinger believes that the United States should act as if it were functioning in a world where security depends on numerous other centres of power. “In such a world,” Kissinger has written, “the United States will find partners not only for sharing the psychological burdens of leadership, but also for shaping an international order consistent with freedom and democracy”. Such a new centre of power is constituted by the EU. But it is an open question whether the values shared by NATO and the EU, along with the concept of soft power, are compatible with the ambitions of the United States.
.............................................benny

Bible Code about Javier Solana. I don't know how accurate this is.

http://www.hiddencodes.com/javier-solana.htm


Javier Solana
Genesis 14:18



Horus is another name for Antichrist. Gecko is a Lizard, Reptilian. Just because the terms cross his name doesn't necessarily mean he is either one of those things. More relevant terms would be needed to prove it either way. Further below it shows his death and return with Horus and Gecko in the same area with all terms relevant to each other.


Horus - Gecko

Rome and Destroyer also cross right through his name.

Alibi - Gecko - Rome - Destroyer

Death - Gecko - Return
(Horus is in the same area as well) Does he return as Horus?

Germination is possession...Locust is another name for Aliens..Anuk is short for Annunaki the fallen angels.

Alibi - Gecko - Rome - Destroyer
Vatican - Germination - Locust - Anuk



I didn't find the terms in this particular code I would expect for an Antichrist type code. Terms like Satan-Incarnate-Indwelling, just weren't in this particular code. But terms like return, death, Horus are very interesting and shouldn't be ignored.


He is a solo beast, and working with/for Rome..

Soloist - Apostate - Lord - Beast





This code listed below has nothing to do with Javier Solana, but I find it interesting that it comes up because of Rome..Javier is a puppet of Rome's..just as Saul-Paul-Satan was..I have said it many times..Saul-Paul infiltrated the church to destroy the true teachings of Jesus and His Apostles. Look around you at the churches today, very effective. He did his job. How many celebrate Easter instead of Passover? Enough said..enjoy the bunny..I'll take the Most High.

Rome - Saul - Paul - Operative - Ambusher - Bride - Word of God

Another ambush by Rome, the story of the Garden of Eden and how it translates in our Bible..read my article on the Serpent Seedline http://www.hiddencodes.com/sherry/serpent-seedline.htm and find out what really happened in the Garden of Eden. Why do people take "apple" literal in Gen. chapter three and then a few verses later in the same chapter refuse to take "seed..offspring" literal? Rome ambushing to keep you in the dark..




apple - tree - Eden (Garden of Eden) - faulty - depiction - portrayal - falsehood - lie

Irish "Yes" camp closes ranks before EU referendum
By Paul Hoskins and Jonathan Saul, DUBLIN (Reuters) 29/05/2008 21:05
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News picturesIreland's three biggest political parties put on a show of unity on Thursday, rallying around their shared goal of securing a "Yes" vote in what looks set to be a close referendum on the European Union's reform treaty.

Irish voters go to the polls on June 12 to vote in the only referendum on the treaty planned by an EU state, meaning one of the bloc's smallest nations could sink a project designed to end years of wrangling over reform of its institutions.

Ireland's political establishment overwhelmingly backs the treaty. Nationalist Sinn Fein, which has four seats in the 166-seat Dail, is the only party represented in the chamber calling for a "No" vote.

But politicians from the various pro-treaty parties squabbled over each other's campaign tactics at the weekend when an opinion poll showed a loose coalition of groups opposed to the treaty was closing in on the "Yes" camp.

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"It's important that people see this as a national issue, it's not a party political issue at all," Prime Minister Brian Cowen said as he canvassed shoppers in south Dublin on Thursday before meeting opposition politicians on the campaign trail.

Cowen left his Fianna Fail party's campaign bus, emblazoned with the slogan "Good for Ireland. Good for Europe", to pose for photographs with Olivia Mitchell, a deputy with the main Fine Gael party and Labour party leader Eamon Gilmore.

The three rival politicians then joined forces to persuade passers-by to back the treaty before sitting down together for tea and scones in a local shopping centre.

"I look forward to working with people from the other parties in the coming days," said Cowen, describing it as the last phase of the campaign.

Cowen, who replaced Bertie Ahern as prime minister earlier this month, irritated other parties at the weekend when he called on them to "crank up their campaigns" after a survey indicated he was doing better than they at drumming up support.

Fine Gael's Europe spokeswoman, Lucinda Creighton, accused him of "trying to bully people into submission". Her colleague Jim Higgins said on Thursday that Cowen would "have to shoulder a large portion of the blame" if the treaty was rejected.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny responded by calling on all sides to put aside party political differences and send a clear joint message ahead of the referendum.

"There is a lack of coordination from the 'yes' side," Kenny told national broadcaster RTE. "This is the time for putting the country first ... This is about Ireland's future."

The treaty, which replaces the defunct EU constitution rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005, is designed to give the bloc stronger leadership, a more democratic decision-making system and a more effective foreign policy apparatus.

For more stories on the referendum, visit: http://uk.reuters .com/news/globalcoverage/EUreferendum

(Editing by Charles Dick)

....................................................benny

It will not be long,and there will be a man that will control all of Europe.
benny


'Undemocratic' EU needs to be tamed
A letter from Europe By RODNEY JAMES

The famous 40th anniversary of the May 8, 1968 storming of the Parisian establishment by the revolutionary students came and went like a damp squib. No Daniel Cohn Bendick here. But, in 1968 real issues of freedom were being addressed across Europe.

Now it is more sulky objections to Sarkozy's proposal that the students and public sector work a little harder. Hardly a moral imperative to protest in favour of doing nothing.

The old joke rings true; 'How many people work in the EU?' 'Oh about 30 per cent says the businessman, the rest are paid by the state'. So they are too feather-bedded to do a "68".

The lack of serious protest in the face of increasing undemocratic, bureaucratic controls is strange, As Bill Bryson said 'It is interesting for an American to see the richest countries in Europe enthusiastically ceding their sovereignty to a body that appears to be out of control and answerable to no-one.' And so despite votes by the French and Dutch the amended, but essentially unchanged European constitutional treaty is pushed through by the political and bureaucratic classes. The last chance is down to Ireland, as a referendum cannot be avoided under their constitution. So come on you Irish, show some rebel spirit and save Europe from the new commissarat.

May 8, of course, is also officially Victory in Europe Day. Every village had its parade with flags and medals to the War Memorials, with a speech by the mayor followed by aperitifs in the village hall. In Britain, who with its Empire, did most of the fighting, it passed almost unnoticed. A poignant comment on the vibrancy of the two cultures. So France claims the victory for when the Allies liberated them. Good for them.

France has shown clever leadership with its unwavering strategy to shape Europe to its interest while Britain has sulked in the corner to its detriment. As Sarkozy made clear when he and Merkel removed their support from Blair's candidacy to be Europe's first president, because Britain is not in the Euro, nor Schengen and invaded Iraq, there are now two classes of European members. Those committed to common policies and integration and those not.

Britain needs to face this reality and either move to associate status, like Norway regaining sovereignty but retaining trade access or embrace fully the EU. And influence its policies. This is a major opportunity for the UK Conservative Party, but on my recent visit no-one seemed interested in Europe at all.

From the moment I landed in Birmingham to when I left a week later from Bristol, everywhere there was great anger as the whole country seemed in a state of shock at the cyclical downturn in the housing market.

Now, I'm no property magnate, far from it, but I've bought and sold a few houses in my time, so the big surprise to me is that all these pundits in the media and the banks were caught by surprise.

Throughout last year, from the prime minister to economics pundits, self-serving nonsense was talked about no downturn but a 'flattening'. Well, that would be a first in economic history. A cycle is a cycle, and if the peak is boosted by reckless inflationary monetary policies by governments and banks the downturn is going to be painful.

Of course, history is a non-politically correct subject in the UK these days but it has its uses, and not just for national pride in victories hard won. One thing it shows is the housing cycle, since records began, mostly runs from 15 to 25 years. Remember 1974 or 1990 anyone? The recession is just beginning, so get used to it.

Driving through the idyllic Cotswolds and on through rural Northamptonshire's well kept stone villages and rolling green countryside to Fotheringhay, where Mary Queen of Scots lost her head, nothing of this shows, partly as farming is benefiting from a cyclical upswing as commodity prices rise.

If you want to see a piece of old England affected neither by urban sprawl nor yobbery, the South-East Midlands is as good as anywhere.

As was our next destination, the vibrant historical Norman market town of Abergavenny, made famous firstly by being burnt by Owain Glyndwr's uprising against the Plantagenets in 1404, but more peacefully by Marty Wilde's 1968 number 1 hit 'We are all going to Abergavenny'. The classic hospitable Angel Inn in the middle of town is the place to stay. It was just over half an hour on a picturesque train journey through the unspoilt Usk Valley to Cardiff's Millennium stadium to watch Munster's steely victory over stylish Toulouse.

By the end of the month we were back in the Gascony described as the 'New Provence' by The Sunday Times, as the French retreat to the South West from the Tsunami of Russians taking over the Cote d'Azur.

The last evening of the month was spent peacefully listening to the pure voices of the Bordeaux College's Choir in Cadillac's medieval church singing soothing traditional songs. Calm, so much more positive than anger.

France could teach New Labour a thing or two on preserving culture, community and traditional values.

...............................................benny

The END of the Nation States of Europe
by Philip Jones in Copenhagen 6/3/8

'Europe's nations should be guided towards the superstate without their people understanding what is happening. This can be accomplished by successive steps, each disguised as having an economic purpose, but which will eventually and irreversibly lead to federation'. Jean Monnet (Founding Father Of The EU).

On June 12th 2008, the fate of nearly 500 million people will be decided by a country whose population totals only 4.2 million. The people of the Republic Of Ireland will be the only 'citizens' of the European Union given the opportunity to have their say on what is potentially the most fundamental piece of legislation in the history of the 'Old Continent'. All the other member states have simply ignored the wishes of their people and left ratification to be 'rubber stamped' by their respective parliaments. However, it is necessary for all twenty seven member states to complete ratification before the 'Treaty' becomes legally binding.

So, if the Irish vote is 'NO' then the treaty will not be able to be implemented, at least for the present. But, if the Irish people swallow the massive 'Pro Treaty' propaganda and vote 'Yes', then the fate of, and inevitable demise of the Nation States of Europe will be sealed. There will be no more serious obstacles left to Federalisation. The long dreamed of (by the Federalists that is) United States Of Europe will become a reality.

Many, if not the majority of people on both sides of the Atlantic have been 'duped' for decades into believing that the EEC/EU is about a 'free trade' zone. This is not at all the case, as the above quote by Monsieur Monet illustrates very clearly. So what are the ramifications of a 'Yes' vote by the Irish.

The European Union was founded on lies and deceit at the very highest levels of government. This trail of deception has continued since, and on Thursday 13th December 2007 stopped momentarily in Lisbon Portugal, where the 'dignitaries' of the member states of this 'trading bloc' signed the 'EU Reform Treaty'.

This 'Treaty' replaces the EU Constitution rejected in 2005 by both France and the Netherlands. Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor and the former French President 'Giscard D'Estaing are among many European ministers who have confirmed that the 'Treaty' is but the Constitution by another name. The only differentials being the dropping from the new document those articles relating to the EU Flag, Anthem and Motto. Yet only two days prior to the 'Historic event' in Lisbon, sixteen member states 'broke cover' and called for an amendment to the 'Treaty 'and the reinstatement of these three articles, thereby transforming the 'Treaty' into the original Constitution. They also want to impose the 'single currency' on all those member states still retaining their 'indigenous' currencies and are suggesting that a 'Europe Day' become a holiday for celebration.

The leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party 'Nigel Farage' said, "The full treachery being imposed is at last fully out in the open. The pathetic attempts claiming this wasn't the Constitution are now blown out of the water. Back comes the flag, the anthem and the motto. It means that what was 96% of the original constitution is now 100%. Let's not hear anymore of the 'Reform Treaty'. This is the rejected EU Constitution brought back in all it's pomp'.

The Danish Prime Minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen has decided against any referendum on the Treaty, leaving it's ratification to Danish MPs. He told reporters that the 'Treaty' was 'Good For Denmark'. Denmark had planned to hold a referendum on the Constitution back in 2005, but following the 'NO' votes in France and Holland, the vote was dropped. The Danish Justice Ministry have concluded that the 'Treaty' does not threaten Danish Sovereignty. Mr Rasmussen is quoted as saying " When sovereignty is relinquished, a referendum is needed, but when no sovereignty is relinquished, Parliament will ratify the text'. He also confirmed plans to hold another referendum on the 'Single Currency' (EURO) and whether to end the 'opt outs' agreed at Maastricht relating to defence, justice and home affairs.

So, no threat to sovereignty? Well let's consider the implications; If a Sovereign Nation State no longer controls it's own Economy, Defence, Justice System and Home Affairs, can it truly be called a 'Sovereign Nation State' any longer? The answer is quite simply NO.

The Political and Financial Elite of Europe have been working towards this moment since the end of World War Two. In every member state, the personalities might differ, but the rhetoric is always the same; 'No Loss Of Sovereignty, good for the people, good for the economy and so on'.

Alright' let us take a look at what this 'Treaty' is really about. What is the difference between this document and the original Constitution? German Lawyer, Klaus Heeger, a researcher and legal advisor to the Independent Democratic group in the EU Parliament has drawn the following conclusions regarding the two documents:

According to his analysis, the Constitution granted the EU 105 new 'competences'. The 'Treaty' also grants 105 new areas of competence. Out goes the EU symbols (Flag, Anthem, Motto) in comes Climate Change. The remaining 104 areas remain the same.

Decision making by qualified majority replaces 'unanimity' in 62 new areas in the Reform Treaty. One more than in the Constitution. Out goes 'Intellectual property rights', in comes energy and climate change. The other 60 stay the same.

His conclusion; The EU Constitution by another name.

This sixth and final 'Treaty' is the 'death knell' for the sovereignty of the member states of the EU. Do not be mistaken about this, and no matter what your 'elected' leaders are telling you to the contrary, this is it. This is the culmination of years of plotting, deception and conspiring against the people of Europe. So what's the big deal many will ask? Read on and find out.

This 'Treaty' is the EU's most secret and quickest drafted document yet. Opposition to and recognition that the EU is a Police State in the making is growing and they (the conspirators) know that speed is vital. Tony Blair agreed to it in June 2007 as his final 'Stab in Britain's Back'. Foreign Ministers agreed to it's terms in September 2007 and on 13th December two months later, the representatives of each member state signed the document, and now, all that remains is ratification, and the deed will be done.

So, if the result of the Irish vote is a 'Yes' and all other member states do as indicated, ratify this treasonous piece of infamy, how will our lives be affected?

Our National Parliaments will become redundant as all power that still remains will transfer to Brussels. It will mean the formal end of those Historic Nations of Europe who are member states of the EU. National Embassies around the world will come under the auspicies of EU bureaucrats. The ancient counties and provinces will be merged and combined into 'EU Administrative Regions'. (The recent amalgamations of Kommunes in Denmark is a premptive example of this, along with the 'devolved' parliaments of Scotland and Wales, to be soon joined by the eradication of 'England' and the setting up of similar regional assemblies there).

The EU will take ownership of Police, Military, Nuclear Weapons, Currency Reserves and North Sea Oil as outlined in the Treaty document. Serving members of our Police and Armed Forces will be required to take an oath of loyalty to the EU. Refusal will result in dismissal. The EU will have complete control of all military matters, equipment and facililties.

Political parties will be abolished, phased out or realigned. Only Pan European parties will be allowed. Independence parties will effectively be outlawed as under the 1999 ruling of the European Court Of Justice (case 274/99), it is illegal to criticize the EU. (Even before the Irish Vote, News from Brussels indicates that plans are afoot already to eliminate any 'Eurosceptic groups within the EU Parliament). The EU will have the legal right to close National Parliaments and Assemblies.

Many people will be made unemployed as the EU rule of 'retraining' at a citizens own expense becomes universal (including the purchase of a Certificate confirming said retraining). Hundreds of thousands of small businesses will be forced to close due to the enforcement of endless numbers of impracticable and unworkable EU regulations.

Around 107,000 EU laws will criminalise many, as adherence to this amount of legislation is impossible. We will be subject to frequent fines and even arrest as a result of what will be our inevitable ignorance. Take the following as examples: From January 2006, it became illegal to repair your own domestic plumbing, electricals or even your own car. If you buy a boat over six feet long, built after 1999, you will be required to pay the equivalent in Euros of £4000, or face six months in prison. As the EU 'Police State' flexes it's muscles ever more, each of us will live under the fear and threat of arrest or prosecution for any one of a myriad of offences, even minor ones.

The Large Corporations will do well of course, utilising massive immigration from within and without the EU, paying minimum wages to immigrants at the expense of the indigenous population, thus forcing salaries downwards. Futhermore, these Corporations will have a near Monopoly on employment (along with Government), and will be able to dictate conditions and terms of employment withour fear of contradiction.

Top Government Jobs and the inevitable corruption which will accomapany this monopoly, will create a new 'Class Divide' ensuring the rich and their 'fellow travellers' get richer, whilst the majority decline into poverty. Taxes will increase in order to pay for the massive growth in bureaucracy.

There will be no 'redress of grievance' through local 'democratic' channels because there won't be any local democracy. Or any democracy at all for that matter. The 'EU Administrative Regional Governments' will be unelected (See the EU Regionalisation plan on the EU Website). Our only vote will be to the powerless EU Parliament. We will be ruled by the unelected EU Commisioners, who have no 'accountability to the people' at any level.

If we demonstrate or protest, we can be seized and relocated to another EU Region. The EU Arrest Warrant and the various legislation introduced across the EU since 9/11 will give the Authorities absolute power over us. The shootings of innocents 'Philip Prout' and 'Jean de Menezes' were entirely legal under EU Law. The intimidation and growing 'Anti Muslim' vitriol across the EU is becoming reminiscent of the treatment of Jews in pre war Germany. A Federal European State will become a very unpleasant place to be.

Following Federation, in and around 15 years hence, Europe could collapse under the weight of it's own Bureaucracy and Corruption. There will be so little production, that no amount of taxation will be able to support the vast, inept, corrupt and wasteful government machinery. Many will be reduced to poverty on the brink of starvation. The complete lack of any 'checks and balances' will leave the door open for any would be dictatorship.

The EU as monstrous as it is, is nothing more than a 'stepping stone' to 'World Government'. Before you dismiss this article as 'Scare Mongering' or 'Conspiracy Theory', find out how many of your own country's leading politicians are members of such 'Secret Organisations' as the Biderbergers, Trilateral Commission, Club Of Rome, and the Royal Institute For International Affairs.

Each and every one of the above are totally dedicated to a 'One World' Government and see a Federal Europe as a necessary evolution towards that goal. Their memberships read like a who's who of the planet's 'power players'. Danish readers for example, might be very surprised to discover which of their country's Political and Financial Elites attend the Bilderberger meetings, which has been in the forefront of machinations to further European Federalisation. To find out which of your elected representatives are members of any of the above groups, just type in the organisation's name on any recognised search engine. Then sit back and prepare to be shocked.

We live in an age where people seem to have abdicated all responsibilty for their own lives to Government. This has been going on since the end of World War Two, but has accelerated markedly since the 1980's. This 'social irresponsibilty' led us to Lisbon on 13th December 2007, where our so called leaders signed away our ancient rights and freedoms in the name of their 'great plan'. If we sit back and do nothing, the rest of our lives will become a nightmare of our own making, because in the final analysis, it is we who will have handed over our rights and liberties into the hands of 'wolves'.

The future well being of a whole continent lies in the hands of the Irish people. They need our support. They need to know they are not alone. It's time to start writing to your 'elected' representatives, time to find the time to research what this EU thing is really about. Time to switch off the TV and pick up a book about the EU, or check out the many internet sites relating to this 'Superstate in the making'. Do something, speak to your friends, neighbours, family. Just do something. Before it is too late, and it almost is.

Philip Jones

Postscript: Anyone who cares about liberty should visit http://www.irish-friends-vote-no-for...=sign_petition and sign the online petition and also use the email link asking an Irish citizen to vote no on your behalf.

true_brit58@hotmail.co.uk
http://www.rense.com/general82/end.htm
.......................................benny

Eye on the EU: The Trouble With Iron and Clay
The Lisbon Treaty was rejected Thursday by Irish voters. What does their vote mean for the EU and for the WEU Ten? Guest columnist Mishael Meir — an attorney with interest in EU legal development — answers this question.

Ireland’s “No” vote on the Lisbon Treaty tells us just how brittle the EU structure really is. The existing EU treaties gave rise to a power-thirsty oligarchic government that overlays 27 sovereign democracies. It’s quite a brittle blend of iron and clay, an iron fist attempting to rule over the pliable clay of democracy.

Having bullied the vote on the Lisbon Treaty out of citizens’ hands from all but one democracy, the EU heads of state concocted a bait and switch: get Ireland to say yes by hiding their plans for expansion of the EU military and security mechanisms until after the Irish had voted. See here, here and here. Up until the vote results came in early Friday morning, EU leaders had been huddled behind closed doors, divvying up the power they hoped would soon be handed over by the member states under the Lisbon Treaty.

As reality sets in and finger pointing begins, the EU leaders may again pressure the Irish to reconsider and hold a second referendum, just like they did in 2001 when they agreed to insert stronger provisions to preserve Ireland’s neutrality as incentive for the Irish to approve the Nice Treaty on their second vote. More immediately, the EU will press its member states to continue with the remaining ratifications through 2008. Without these outcomes, the EU won’t be able to assess how much work is needed to fashion yet another means to what they call “institutional efficiency.” See here. But more on that later.

What could deepen this crisis even further is that the EU could see more “No” votes in coming months. Thus far, 18 state parliaments have voted “Yes,” Ireland’s citizens have voted “No,” and eight parliamentary votes remain. Citizens in the UK and the Netherlands will bring increasing pressure on their governments to allow them to vote instead of their parliaments. See here and here.

Without getting the Irish on board and collecting the remaining ratifications, it will be nearly impossible for the EU to enact the failed constitution/Lisbon Treaty under yet another treaty or by legislation. See here. That’s because for EU power to have legitimacy, it has to have at least the semblance of democratic consent. See here. It doesn’t look like it is going to get it.

Meanwhile, the WEU Ten Is the Only Alliance Standing

Without the Lisbon Treaty, the Western European Union alliance remains the only existing military alliance of EU states. The EU will have to determine which direction to go — whether to build their military framework around the WEU Ten or continue by separate treaty among a select group of states with something similar to the Lisbon Treaty’s “permanent structured cooperation.” As I have said here before, if a tragedy hits the EU while it is in disarray, the WEU Ten will be all it’s got.

At that time, the WEU Ten will have to determine which way they will go. The prophet Daniel predicted that the revived Roman Empire would be a brittle kingdom:

40 Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron—for iron breaks and smashes everything—and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. 41 Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. 42 As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay. (Daniel 2:40-43)

Which among the peoples of these 10 kingdoms won’t remain united? Which ones may refuse to go along with the rule of an iron fist and be “pulled out” (Daniel 7:8)? I suggest looking at the cultures and recent histories of the EU and its member states.

EU’s Toxic Brew

What intrigues me most about the failure of the draft constitution treaty and now the probable failure of the Lisbon Treaty is the toxicity brewing in EU culture. Consider for a moment how essential a people’s culture is to the type of government they are willing to accept.

Two examples of opposites come to mind. Putin was able to rip out Russia’s democratic reforms in a very short period of time because, essentially, the Russian people yearn for the economic order enabled by autocratic rule and also for the glory of their former empire.

The other example is how fascism never took root in France during the 1930s despite the numerous fascist movements that formed there. Scholars attribute this to the French people’s deep identity with democracy, something that was not as fervent in the hearts of the neighboring peoples of Germany, Italy and Spain, despite the high levels of unemployment and other troubles that existed in France as well as in these fascist states.

And consider this. Most of the 18 states that have ratified the Lisbon Treaty are either small former Soviet satellites that are desperate for military security and/or they are countries where either fascism, appeasement to fascism, and/or large Marxist political parties is in their recent history. In other words, many of the 18 find oligarchic rule with weak democratic military control much more tolerable than countries like the UK or Ireland do. See here and here.

After spending the past two decades handing over increasing areas of their sovereign power to the EU, it seems to have become ingrained in EU heads of state that consenting to power transfers from national governments to a central EU authority is a rather noble thing to do. We’ve seen their resort to euphemisms like “institutional efficiency” to justify their collusion in sucking away more and more power from their own people, free of the hassles of democratic intrusion. See here.

We’ve seen large numbers of EU leaders behave, without apology, like bullies, manipulators and deceivers to get what they want from their people. See here, here, here , here, here and here. We’ve seen them revel in the glory of the empire they have built and dream of expanding further. All of this is happening with little protest from the European people or media. See here.

It makes you wonder what will emerge from this toxic brew of iron and clay. As Herb would say, stay tuned.

— Mishael Meir (E-mail Mishael at mishaelmeir@sbcglobal.net
.......................................................benny

Uncertainty over Irish position in EU - Cowen
From ireland.com15:50Saturday, 21st June, 2008
The Taoiseach Brian Cowen has said there was uncertainty about Ireland’s position within the EU following the rejection of the Lisbon Treaty and repeated his claim that the way forward was unclear.

Mr Cowen said was speaking in Co Westmeath today following his return from the EU summit in Brussels. He said the challenge now was to distil the concerns of the electorate and find a way forward.

Meanwhile a spokesman for French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Ireland had no choice but to hold a second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

Speaking on Newstalk this morning the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the French National Assembly, Axel Poniatowski said Europe had been “paralysed” by the vote. “As far as I’m concerned I don’t see any other choice other than holding a second referendum,” he said.

“Europe is paralysed because it can’t take any decisions as most of the decisions have to be taken under the Treaty of Nice with unanimity. We can also find some ground for some accommodation for the Irish people on specific issues,” he added.

He said tax harmonisation was not a priority for the French government and said that conscription to a European Army would “never happen because we French; we don’t even want this. When we talk about European defence we mean the European industry of defence which has to be reorganised as we have too many companies doing the same things.

“And we mean have a European headquarters. But that’s it. Definitely we don’t want to have common troops and the French people neither don’t want that.”

Asked what would happen if Ireland once rejected the Lisbon Treaty a second time he said “a specific statute” would have to be found for Ireland “because I think the 26 other countries will go ahead. We just cannot continue to work under the Treaty of Nice. We really need to get out of the Nice Treaty.”


We rejected the Treaty of Nice and they made us go back & vote on that a 2nd time, looks like its bohica time
...................................................benny

http://www.spiegel.de/international/...560911,00.html

06/20/2008 11:13 AM
EUROPE AFTER IRELAND
No EU Expansion Without Treaty, Says Sarkozy
By Carsten Volkery in Brussels

European Union leaders were in Brussels on Thursday night to discuss what to do after the Ireland "no" to the Lisbon Treaty. Sarkozy was clear that enlargement must be put on hold. Merkel, for her part, was more interested in the football.

It would be difficult to argue that Chancellor Angela Merkel was focused entirely on European Union business on Thursday night in Brussels. While she was meeting with the 26 other EU leaders, beginning the process of finding a way out of the dead-end created by the Irish "no" to the Lisbon Treaty, the German national football team was battling it out with the Portuguese in an important knock-out match in Basel.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy wants the EU to slow down.
DPA

French President Nicolas Sarkozy wants the EU to slow down.
Merkel was able to attend Germany's last match against Austria, even greeting team trainer Joachim Löw as he made his way into the stands after being thrown out of the game by the referee. This time though, watching the match was out of the question. She did manage to see Germany's first goal on television while enjoying an aperitif. She was informed of the second goal by the waitstaff -- the TV had been moved out of sight so Europe's leaders could concentrate on their working dinner. Under the table, though, the text messages were flying.

Finally, with six minutes left in the game, Merkel could stand it no longer and snuck out of the banquet hall -- just in time to see Portugal's late goal to make it 3-2 for Germany. She sweated through the four minutes of extra time, she said, and then granted herself an extra few minutes to watch the team celebrating on the field -- before returning to the table and the Ireland question.

There are, of course, good reasons why Merkel spoke at length about the match during her midnight press conference. It shows her as a chancellor of the people. On the other hand, the comparison is tempting: Prior to the match, few thought that Germany would be able to survive the favorites from Portugal. Merkel hopes that the Lisbon Treaty will experience a similar revival.

The Lisbon Treaty -- which sought to streamline EU decision-making and grant more power to the European Parliament -- is on everyone's lips at the European Union summit this week, despite Ireland having rejected the document in a referendum last week. The situation, many are saying, is fundamentally different that it was in 2005 after the Netherlands and France rejected the European Constitution, the predecessor to the Lisbon Treaty. Back then, the failure of the two referenda resulted in an immediate halt to the ratification process -- and to the death of the European Constitution.

This time around there were again voices calling for the Lisbon Treaty to be dumped as soon as possible. "Just bury it," was the Economist's somewhat blunt recommendation. But this time it was, of all people, the euro-skeptic Brits who gave the signal to carry on. The House of Lords ratified the Lisbon Treaty on Wednesday, and the Queen signed it on Thursday, making the UK the 19th EU member state to ratify the pact.

In the German Chancellery, this is being seen as a "significant push forward." The remaining seven EU members states are also expected to ratify the treaty by the end of the year. In some cases, ratification is a long and tedious process: In the Czech Republic, for example, the government is waiting for the country's constitutional court to rule on the treaty's constitutionality.

The hope is that the pressure on Ireland will increase with every additional state that ratifies the treaty. At the same time, however, supporters of the treaty, wary of provoking a defiant response, are avoiding launching any more verbal attacks against Ireland. After the initial harsh reaction to the Irish "no," which went as far as calls for Ireland to be expelled from the bloc, the debate has taken a different, more conciliatory tone. It is important to "proceed with caution," emphasized the President of the European Parliament Hans-Gert Pöttering. "We need unanimity," Merkel said on Thursday morning in her speech before parliament in Berlin.

Nevertheless, the calls for harmony did not stop several players in Brussels from raising the pressure on Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen. Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the Lisbon Treaty had to come into force before European elections in 2009. That would mean that the Irish would have to vote again by the beginning of next year at the latest, probably on a watered-down version of the treaty complete with special clauses added to appease the Irish voters.

The German government too makes no secret of the fact that it considers the Lisbon Treaty indispensable for the future of the EU. If the rest of Europe doesn't want to expel Ireland from the union, then the only plausible solution involves a second referendum. However the Czech Republic and Sweden want to avoid having that kind of message come out of the EU summit -- they fear unnecessarily provoking their already skeptical populations ahead of their upcoming ratifications of the treaty.

These divergent views help explain why the dinner attended by the 27 leaders lasted much longer than planned. The Irish prime minister presented his much anticipated analysis of the situation. Afterwards the leaders were not much wiser. The reasons for the Irish "no" are too complex for the EU to be able to provide remedies for them all. As expected, Cowen did not come up with any suggestions for solving the problem. And the Irish foreign minister said that it was unlikely one would be found before the EU summit in October. "The idea would be ... for our Irish friends to report to the European Council in October on the evolution of the situation to set a definitive strategy," French President Nicolas Sarkozy said. No timetable was set.

The European Council will likely ask Ireland to present a wish list at one of the next EU summits in October or December. Merkel warned, however, against any kind of "horse trading." The essential parts of the Lisbon Treaty are non-negotiable.

Sarkozy, for his part, made it clear that as long as the reform treaty has not come into force, any further expansion of the EU would be unthinkable: "Without the Lisbon Treaty, there won't be any enlargement." When asked if that includes Croatia, which is well on the way to membership, Sarkozy said: "You can't say 'no' to reforms and 'yes' to enlargement … It's nothing against Croatia."

This increases the pressure on those states still wavering, such as the Czech Republic, which has been a champion of the accession of further Eastern European states but which is hesitating about ratifying the Lisbon Treaty. On Friday morning Merkel also held serious talks with her Czech counterpart, Mirek Topolanek.

Meanwhile, France hinted at the first consequences of the Irish vote. Finance Minister Christine Lagarde told the Financial Times that France could no longer push its tax-coordination plan as a centerpiece of the French EU presidency in the second half of 2008. Ireland's "no" was motivated, among other things, by a fear of a more uniform tax policy within the EU.

Sarkozy also renewed his call for EU nations to cap or cut the value-added tax on oil, as a form of relief for consumers facing starkly higher food and energy prices. He envisions such a move as a sign of the EU's capacity for action. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said after Thursday evening's session that he'd sensed a shift in opinion. He suggested the heads of government seemed more open to the idea than their finance ministers.

Which may not mean much, since EU finance ministers roundly rejected Sarkozy's plan last spring. Many government leaders also expressed skepticism at the idea of state intervention in oil pricing -- which is the reason the EU Commission only agreed to study the measure.

The mood, at any rate, is less defeated than at the EU crisis summit three years ago. Government leaders have learned from experience and want to avoid another period of self-paralysis. Sources within the Commission said confidently that the Irish government has made one thing clear: "We need a little time, but we don't want out of Europe."

URL:

* http://www.spiegel.de/international/...560911,00.html

FORUM:

*
What Should Europe Do Following Ireland's "No" Vote?
http://forum-international.spiegel.d...6&goto=newpost


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...................................................benny

About 5 years ago I said to my colleages:

First came Napolean, then Hitler, and now they come together to rob us.

Italy ratifies Lisbon Treaty
The Associated PressPublished: July 31, 2008

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ROME: Italy's parliament has unanimously ratified the European Union reform treaty.

The lower house gave its approval to the Lisbon Treaty on Thursday. The Senate had already approved it.

The treaty would reshape EU institutions and powers, and streamline decision-making within the 27-nation bloc. But the treaty's future has been in doubt since Ireland rejected it in a June referendum. The treaty cannot become law unless every EU member says yes.

So far, it has been adopted by 23 EU members. But the Jan. 1 deadline for overall ratification seems unlikely to be met unless Ireland holds another vote or somehow waves the treaty through.

In addition to Ireland, the Czech Republic, Poland and Sweden have not ratified it yet.

.............................................benny