“Ireland, which accounts for 1 percent of the European Union’s 500 million population, was the only one of the EU’s 27 member states to put the Lisbon Treaty to a public referendum”
this is requested by Ireland constitution !
President François Mitterrand, who feared a return of German hegemony, to search for a way to permanently anchor Germany within European institutions. Together with German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, who was keen to relieve misgivings in Paris and London about a reunified Germany, Mitterrand worked to transform the whole of Europe into an all-encompassing union.
Well, this was also Ms Thatcher’s worry (as unveiled by lately declassified documents in UK)
Now the deal that Mitterand opposed to his “intime” friend Kohl, was that Kohl abandonned the “deutsches Mark” for the forecasted EU money, which was still the “Ecu” by the time. As it was a big effort for Germany to renounce to its successful currency, the dream of reunifying the two germany was a more prevailing dear german dream.
I don’t know if Maestricht was sheduled for anihilating old bellicose german deamons, I doubt so, it was more forecasted in Brussels administration for more integration.
Though some of my german friends and forum correspondants are saying, take care of EU, this is our best assurance to not return to our instincts of dominance, as they are expressed by more persons nowadays, especially rooted in Bavaria and eastern Germany.
European strategists have long been frustrated by Europe’s inability to speak with one voice, a debilitating weakness that often neuters Europe’s economic and political weight on the global stage, especially vis-à-vis the United States.
yeah, may-be, but weren’t you saying that EU should get more involved in defense, especially against russian hegemony.
More specifically, the Lisbon Treaty is meant to avoid a repeat of European divisions in the lead up to the Iraq war, when France and Germany were frustrated in their attempts to present a unified European front to block the American invasion. At the time, a fair number of European countries broke ranks with France and Germany and joined the United States in a “coalition of the willing,” much to the anger of the Brussels elite.
Well, yes and no, the poblem was that US interferred in our processus of integration, when an EU army was on board by Germany and France, (UK was of the programmed deal too) An EU army would have ment that NATO had no justification anymore, (like Warsaw alliance collapsed at the end of the “cold war, Nato should have been dismentled), but problem, Bush was using NATO troops for his own wars. He was surfing on the desire of the eastern republics to join the western world, NATO was their first pass, and if these new converteds to western values wanted to be accepted, they had to follow the master of the games, therefore America.
Of course an EU army would have been more difficult to hire, because it implies that the “conflicts” are discussed, in commission, or in EU parliament, and opting to follow America into a war, would have been voted, a majority would decide ; so, not sure that a positive vote would have been the response.
This is why it was more convenient for the US to individually talk to each EU nation, and titilling some remnent dreams of certain of them to become partner of the american dream, for the others, interests of conserving good commercial alliances were the line. But this manipulation of the EU nations “egos” was contrary to the origin EU integration agendas.
This is also why France and Germany, that were the motor (and still are) of the EU organisation, couldn’t, but opposed to the american decision, and decided to not participate into Irak war, which wasn’t the urgent war to launch, but still opted for Afghanistan though, where problems were evident with Talebani training terrorists.
Though France participated to the first Irak war, we had not more interest in “desert storm” operation at the time though, but circonstances were different, there was not such a competion of influences in EU, Berlin wall just fall down, Russia was ruined… and Bush father was more diplomat.
By giving unelected EU bureaucrats jurisdiction over questions of war and peace, the Lisbon Treaty will usurp the national prerogatives of its member states on the use of military force. This will make it far more difficult for European allies to support the United States in unpopular wars in the future.
Not quite, European parliament will have more strengh, and its decisions will replace the commission decisions, up to now which weren’t democratic, while with Lisboa treaty, they will be more transparent and democratic.
He, yes, this will make it more difficult to follow America in its expeditions, America will have to make more efforts to convice a whole EU parliament of America rightful goals.
