Irish opinions are worthless when it comes to EU foreign policy - SF

[setanta]

Well, there is SF's fantasies and then there is reality.

A report on the meeting is here.

Main points are:

1) The meeting was organised by Finland's Foreign Minister not by Ashton. In other words, the Finnish Foreign Minister chose who to invite or not invite.

2) 2 of the 6 EU states there are neutral (Finland and Sweden), so it is bizarre to believe that "scuppering neutrality" was on the agenda.

3) The reason that the Finnish Foreign Minister - Alexander Stubb - called the meeting is best expressed in his own words:

In other words, some of the Foreign Ministers are having a "mid-life crisis" because they suddenly have to share the limelight with Ashton.


Personally, given the economic crisis we face I'd say that Ireland's Foreign Minister should be out there backing up the IDA's efforts to market Ireland as a destination for investment. It is not as if we couldn't do with such an effort at the moment...

+1 .. not for the first time, an SF spokesperson demonstrates profound ignorance of the facts of a meeting and disinterest in the truth. Now, there's a surprise. Maybe Anegus should spend a little more time doing his own research, rather than simply recycling tat that his staff get from europhobic websites.

[Half Nelson]

We're at the Heart of Europe. Unfortunately, all of the thinking is done with the Brain.

[Pat Mc Larnon]

The important part from the soft focus article quoted is.

"Under the Lisbon Treaty, foreign ministers no longer take part in EU summits while Catherine Ashton has become the new voice of the European Union in foreign policy.

"This is our new reality. We have to be more flexible with our role in the future," said Mr Stubb.

As stated by Aengus our flexible role is to be totally ignored.

-1 for those taken in by the "we are at the heart of decision making" line.

[hiding behind a poster]

God, what a load of nonsense.

[MacCoise2]

SF have figured out that a country with 1% of the EU population does not contraol our common foreign policy.

.

But we have 100% of our population i would have thought, but 0% influence in our foreign policy

[Aindriu]

We were shown how important Irish opinion is, when the Irish dared to vote the "wrong" way in both the Nice and the Lisbon treaties.

Absolutely. Sarkozy just said that we would have to vote again.

[hiding behind a poster]

But we have 100% of our population i would have thought, but 0% influence in our foreign policy

No, we have 100% control of our foreign policy. EU foreign policy, on the other hand, is only what's unanimously agreed by all 27 member states - so we don't have to put our name to anything we don't agree with there, either.

[hiding behind a poster]

Absolutely. Sarkozy just said that we would have to vote again.

We voted again because a majority of our elected representatives voted to put a referendum to the people. Sarkozy had nothing to do with it.

[gaius hippingo]

We voted again because a majority of our elected representatives voted to put a referendum to the people. Sarkozy had nothing to do with it.

History will judge the ramifications of the massive snub to the Irish electorate, not you or I.

[Passer-by]

The important part from the soft focus article quoted is.

"Under the Lisbon Treaty, foreign ministers no longer take part in EU summits while Catherine Ashton has become the new voice of the European Union in foreign policy.

"This is our new reality. We have to be more flexible with our role in the future," said Mr Stubb.

As stated by Aengus our flexible role is to be totally ignored.

-1 for those taken in by the "we are at the heart of decision making" line.

The "EU Summits" referred to by Mr Stubb are meetings of the European Council. That is the Council in which (primarily) the Heads of Government meet and make decisions.

So for European Council meetings, Ireland is represented "at the heart of decision making" by the Taoiseach.

Maybe SF should try reading the EU Treaties some time....