Europe 'should have UN seat'

telegraph.co.uk ^ | 20/11/2004 | Rachel Sylvester

[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.

[Wonder Warthog]

"I don't think I've ever had a running conversation with the same person on 2 different FR threads before."

Yeah, I just noticed that little oddity myself.

"What I was trying to point out was that the Orwellian Europeans are twisting the language again."

I'm not so sure that it is Orwellian so much as their mindset (i.e. not a DELIBERATE attempt to manipulate the language, but one that has happened "naturally"---at least in their own minds).

[blanknoone]

You give the Eurinals far more credit than I do. I think they are lying sniveling manipulative communo-socialists seeking power. In other words, they are leftists. They have not advanced as far and as wide as they have by accident. They know what they want (EU seat) and they know what they have to say to get it ('Europe' represent the little countries...)

[Wonder Warthog]

"I think they are lying sniveling manipulative communo-socialists seeking power. In other words, they are leftists. They have not advanced as far and as wide as they have by accident.

All true.

"They know what they want (EU seat) and they know what they have to say to get it ('Europe' represent the little countries...)"

Yes, but Britain and France ARE "little countries". This would force them to admit it. As long as they have to give up THEIR permanent SC seats, I've got no problem with the EU getting a permanent seat on the SC. Admittedly, I'm sure that is NOT what they are trying for, but that's the way it OUGHTA happen.

Otherwise, ever state of the USA (and Brazil, Mexico, and any other "union of states") should have SC seats as well

[finnigan2]

You know, it seems to me that the EU is showing us all that there's more than one way for communism to triumph, rather than through violent revolution. They seem to be creating a one Party state out of many countries right before our very eyes.
Already we have seen examples in several EU countries over the past five years or so that when a "nationalist" or conservative politician seems to be gaining popularity, the other socialist countries in the EU will warn the offending country of the economic and other sanctions that will be applied to them should the voters be rash enough to ignore their warning in the upcoming election and vote that politician into office.
Up to now, it has always worked and the country falls meekly back into line by reelecting the old, more acceptable socialist regime.

[Unam Sanctam]

It will be unfortunate to lose Britain's seat, but it may be worth it to eliminate France's veto. At least France and Germany will have to convince Britain and the East European of their anti-American agenda before they can get an EU veto going.

[Mike Darancette]

The European Union should have a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, the new Commissioner for External Affairs has said.

Give them France's seat.

[the invisib1e hand]

i despise the fact that the un is in nyc. however, as any pisan will tell you, "keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

[expatpat]

Give them France's seat.

[JasonC]

We will veto it. And anything else France ever supports. Next institution.

[HomeschoolGenealogistMom]

SURE they can have a UN seat! After they give up all of the seats for the individual countries...

[Destro]

The seat would be IN ADDITION to those of the UK and France.

[Wonder Warthog]

"The seat would be IN ADDITION to those of the UK and France."

And if proposed on that basis, I would strongly oppose it. The only acceptable basis is "instead of".

[Radix]

"Britain and France would not necessarily have to relinquish their seats if an EU position was created."

Britain and France would have then have three votes on the BS UN Security Council.

What nonsense. We (the USA) should then have 50 votes at least in the UN! We can negotiate representation of the US territories.

[streetpreacher]

No. Get rid of France and keep G. Britian. I'm a little Euro-skeptical myself.

[capitan_refugio]

#1 - the UN is a corrupt organization. We should give them their marching orders back to Switzerland.

#2 - the are no fully sovereign states in the Union.

[mafree]

Talk about your motley crew! Where's Sharpton?

[Destro]

Not since Lincoln - agreed :)