Posted on 11/20/2004 1:23:54 AM PST by Destro
Europe 'should have UN seat'
By Rachel Sylvester
(Filed: 20/11/2004)
The European Union should have a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, the new Commissioner for External Affairs has said.
Benita Ferrero-Waldner, who was confirmed in the post on Thursday, believes that the EU must take a more communal approach in international institutions such as the UN.
"The more we speak with one voice, the better for us and the better for Europe. We are not important if we don't speak with one voice," she said.
The proposal will infuriate Eurosceptics and lead to accusations that the commissioner wants to undermine British sovereignty over foreign policy.
At the moment, there are only five permanent members of the UN Security Council: Britain, France, Russia, China and the United States.
Miss Ferrero-Waldner, a former Austrian foreign minister, said that the creation of an EU seat would give greater representation to smaller member states. She believes that Britain and France would not necessarily have to relinquish their seats if an EU position was created.
In her first interview with a British newspaper since being confirmed as commissioner, Miss Ferrero-Waldner said that the disagreement within the EU over Iraq was regrettable.
Although member states still retain a veto over foreign policy, the commissioner thinks that they should make more effort to reach a common position.
Her comments follow the attempt by Tony Blair and Jacques Chirac to strike a conciliatory tone during the French president's visit to London this week.
The commissioner also called for more co-operation between Europe and America though she said that there are cultural differences with the EU more concerned with life quality.
She believed the re-election of George W Bush provided a chance to take a "fresh look" at relations between Europe and America.
EU demands permanent seat on the Security Council and says there are cultural differences with the US, and that they're more concerned with life's quality. Plus they're nicer, more cultured, don't spit on the sidewalk and perfected population control: Let nonproductive old geezers fry to death June through Sept. So much excellence. They deserve the UN permanently. We should suggest that Eu take the UN back to France and keep it.
Why can't the rest of the world see France for what it is?
No, no!!! This is a GREAT idea! Take away France's (and possibly Britain's) Security Council seats and give them to "Europe".
It's impossible for the UN to be MORE paralyzed than it alread y is, don't you think?? I mean, it is in "rigor mortis".
They can have France's!
In my opinion, it is not in our interest for EUROPE to have a seat.
great pix. should have been posted before the election.
Why should anyone in the world pay attention to a group of nations that has demonstrably proved itself incapable of self-defense?
I am in total agreement with this person conditioned only by the United States leaving the UN and the UN leaving the United States and moving to Brussels. There it could sprout a new agenda that would ensure that only countries that have a consistent history or either cowardice and/or corruption could be members.
India should be one of the perm5.
The UN has no place in a free Republic.
It's a socialist organization that would be better suited to Brussels than in New York.
We should give Europe our seat. We should quit the UN and kick that den of spies, thieves and thugs the hell out of the US.
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