Bretland stefnir að uppgjöri við Evrópusambandið

Breska þingið samþykkti Evrópulög í vikunni sem banna valdaframsal til Evrópusambandsins án undangenginnar þjóðaratkvæðagreiðslu. Lögin munu leiða til uppgörs Breta við Evrópusambandið sem þarf nauðsynlega að gera breytingar á Lissabonsáttmálanum vegna fjármálakreppunnar á evrusvæðinu.

William Hague utanríkisráðherra Breta skrifar grein Sunday Telegraph í tilefni af nýju lögunum. Tvennt vekur sérstaka athygli. Í fyrsta lagi óskar Hague sér að Evrópusambandið verði fyrst og fremst viðskiptabandalag. Í öðru lagi að lýðræðishalli Evrópusambandsins verði lagfærður.

Hvorttveggja hugsunin er eitur í beinum samrunasinna í Brussel. Viðskiptabandalag er sambærilegt við EFTA þar sem kveðið er á um frjálsa verslun og lítið meira og fullnægir hvergi nærri metnaði þeirra sem sjá fyrir sér Stór-Evrópu. Aukin aðkoma almennings að ákvörðunum um málefni Evrópusambandsins þýðir sjálfkrafa að samrunaþróun verður erfið ef ekki ómöguleg.

Stuðningur við úrsögn Bretlands úr Evrópusambandinu vex. Nýleg könnun, sem sagt er frá í Telegraph, sýnir 49 prósent Breta fylgjandi úrsögn en aðeins 25 prósent vilja áframhaldandi aðild.

Bretland fjarlægist Evrópusambandið á sama tíma og kjarnalöndunum 17 sem nota evruna er lífsnauðsyn að auka með sér samstarfið til að ná tökum á fjármálakreppunni.

Fyrirsjáanlegt uppgjör Bretlands við Evrópusambandið staðfestir það megineinkenni ESB að það er bandalag Frakklands og Þýskalands auk næstu nágranna. Bretlandi er ekki næsti nágranni og enn síður Ísland. 

Athugasemdir

[Hrafn Arnarson (IP-tala skráð) 17.7.2011 kl. 10:46]

Grundvallarskðanir Hague eru óbreyttar ;

Now you have power to veto EU changes in referendum

My core views on Europe have not changed: we should be in the EU but not run by the EU.

William Hague: 'We must be constantly alert to opportunities to advance our interests' Photo: REUTERS

By William Hague, Foreign Secretary

9:00PM BST 16 Jul 2011

638 Comments

With so much else going on, many will not have noticed that a radical new law was passed by Parliament on Wednesday night. The European Union Act 2011 will be the most important piece of legislation on how we handle the EU passed by any British government since we joined the then-EEC.

After its entry into force this summer, no British government will be able to sign up to a treaty change or a so-called "ratchet clause" – the self-amending provisions brought in by the Lisbon Treaty – that shifts further powers from the UK to the EU unless the British people consent in a referendum. That will be the law.

This is a historic development for the British people and for our Parliament. This law hands back democratic control of the way the EU is developing to the British electorate.

Now no British government will be able to agree a new Lisbon Treaty, or join the euro, or give up our border controls, or set up a European army, to give just a few examples, without first gaining the explicit agreement of the British people. I am confident the British people, if asked, would say a resounding "no", but whatever the people say, they should be asked for their view and not denied a say.

Trust in the EU has been severely damaged, and not just in this country. Too many people feel the EU is something done to them, not by them. Some have claimed that this law will somehow damage our relations in Europe, or undermine our national interest, but if you really want the EU to work for its peoples, as I do, you must seek to repair the democratic deficit and loss of trust. That is what this Act will do, by rolling out control to the British people.

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[what's this]

My core views on Europe have not changed: we should be in the EU but not run by the EU. Despite everything that is wrong with it, and there is a great deal that is, the European Union offers a lot for Britain: free markets across Europe that are of great benefit to our businesses, the means to work together closely in foreign affairs to our mutual advantage and the spread and entrenchment of freedom, the rule of law, prosperity and stability across Europe.

Our approach to the EU is not based on woolly ambitions but on a hard-headed consideration of Britain's enlightened national interest. If we are going to make the most of the advantages of our membership we must be vigorous, energetic and active in the conduct of our policy

[Hjörtur J. Guðmundsson, 17.7.2011 kl. 13:11]

Hague reynir að finna sér einhvern milliveg á milli þeirra íhaldsmanna sem vilja úr Evrópusambandinu, sem vex stöðugt ásmegin, og þeirra sem vilja vera um kyrrt. En það er ekki hægt. Það er einfaldlega ekki hægt að vera í sambandinu og vera ekki stjórnað af því.