'F' Is For Valéry Giscard d'Estaing's Fraud

The Daily Telegraph ^ | July 9, 2003 | Editorial

[bruinbirdman]

All credit to Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, the chairman of the convention that has drafted the first EU Constitution, for exposing the Government's latest attempt to pull the wool over the public eyes on European integration [report July 8].

The former French president has admitted that the removal of the word "federal'' from the text was a ruse designed to make things easier for Tony Blair at home. He replaced the "f'' word with the term "communautaire'', which, he says, "means exactly the same thing''.

We have predicted over many months that the Government would be allowed to win this "victory'' so that it could claim that it had been vigorously fighting Britain's corner. Indeed, the "f'' word was inserted for the very purpose of having it removed.

As such, it was much more of a sham fight than the Cavalier-Roundhead contests put on by the Civil War enthusiasts of the Sealed Knot.

It would, none the less, be wrong to dismiss the Euro-constitution as "federalism in all but name''. Such is its content that genuine federalism would represent an improvement on its centralising ambitions. Most national written constitutions concern themselves with the role and powers of government. This one, however, busies itself with the minutiae of employment law, disabled rights and housing policy.

All of these will be brought into the purview of Brussels by the constitution, which among other things gives legal force to the Charter of Fundamental Rights.

The Government claims that all this is mere "tinkering'' at the edges and is not a constitutional matter: hence its refusal, even now, to hold a referendum on the subject. In so doing, it is actually doing a disservice to the cause it believes in more than any other.

There is nothing discreditable about the honest advocacy of European integration, though it is light years removed from what this newspaper and so many Britons believe in. If there is to be a democratic European federation, it must enjoy a real connection with its future citizens.

By denying the public the opportunity to judge for themselves, the Government will create a polity that is neither stable nor successful.

[George W. Bush]

Nice post. The old frog couldn't keep his mouth shut.

Perhaps he sees this as a way to weaken any possible Blair bid for the EU presidency which the frogs will demand for themselves, namely, for Chirac. This is more imminent since Berlusconi's recent outburst seems to have caused a consensus among (unelected) EU officials that a rotating presidency is a failed idea. So a longer term presidency is on the horizon. Both Chirac and Blair want it and are probably the leading candidates.

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[bruinbirdman]

"Perhaps he sees this as a way to weaken any possible Blair bid for the EU presidency "

Perhaps he sees it as a way to ensure Blair either loses an election or receives a vote of no confidence somewhere down the pike.

yitbos

[razorback-bert]

He replaced the "f'' word with the term "communautaire'', which, he says, "means exactly the same thing''.

The word you've entered isn't in the dictionary. Click on a spelling suggestion below or try again using the Dictionary search box to the right.

[bruinbirdman]

ARTFL Project: French-English Dictionary

yitbos

[razorback-bert]

ARTFL Project: French-English Dictionary
Searching for: communautaire

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Sorry, communautaire is not in the dictionary!!

[bruinbirdman]

Mon dieu!!! The frog is a fraud explaining his fraud.

yitbos