Eurofederalist Andrew Duff MEP revealed this in his blog. The commissioner promise is only to delay downsizing "sine die" which can be brought back onto the table in 2019. I think we should all be aware of this before a fast one is pulled on us.
Rescuing the Lisbon treaty (Andrew Duff MEP)
This is what will further undermine a potential "Yes" next time around....FG and Labour playing silly buggers and doing "U" turns on their previous support for the yes. An example yet again of "Small nation, small thinking" syndrome.A considerable factor determining the outcome of the referendum was the constant bickering during the campaign among the five pro-European political parties. That bickering has since descended into open warfare, with spokesmen from the opposition Fine Gael and Labour parties calling on the government to demand substantive changes to the Treaty before a second referendum is held. Only now has agreement been reached to set up a new cross-party parliamentary committee to consider Ireland's treaty options in a more considered way. Recriminations have also taken place within the government itself, putting more pressure on Taoiseach Brian Cowen to save his own skin first and the Lisbon treaty only second.
The No campaign will undoubtedly use this in any potential re-run.
I am glad we are being led by such big and expansive thinkers...the one time they could have acted more like teamplayers in the European context and they royally fu cked it. Example two of "Small nation, small thinking" syndrome.Mr Cowen and his finance minister, Brian Lenihan, missed a good opportunity in September to appeal to their EU counterparts for urgent help in shoring up Ireland's fragile banking system. On the assumption that such an appeal would have been met with a quick, coordinated and constructive response from Brussels and Frankfurt, the Irish people would have been given an impressive demonstration of the EU's mission and value. Instead the Dublin government opted for panicky unilateral measures, ignoring EU state aid constraints, by offering full state guarantees for the total liabilities of Irish banks, estimated at €400 bn. Thus Ireland established a new EU low for beggar-thy-neighbour policies. In addition to sending the wrong signals back home, this performance hardly instils confidence elsewhere in the EU about the capability of the Irish government to do the right thing by Europe.
We are "they"
Originally Posted by D.Harry
"Heart of Europe"! They may as well have said "Voting yes will make your teeth whiter, you ass firmer, your waste smaller, boobs/willy bogger, get laid more often, increase your salary, get you a boyfriend/Girlfriend and bake delicious low fat cakes".
Heart of europe - my hairy hole!
A poster of some consequence...
I will vote yes, and canvass for a yes vote if a notable politician tells me that.
Every one sees what you appear to be, few really know what you are, and those few dare not oppose themselves to the opinion of the many, who have the majesty of the state to defend them.
- [SIZE=2]Niccolò Machiavelli[/SIZE]
Haven't you had enough lies, bobert? When will they end!
*runs off in floods of tears*
A poster of some consequence...
*Looks at Dick Roche*
"See what you've done? I hope you're happy!"
Every one sees what you appear to be, few really know what you are, and those few dare not oppose themselves to the opinion of the many, who have the majesty of the state to defend them.
- [SIZE=2]Niccolò Machiavelli[/SIZE]
The elites must think we are stupid if they expect us to fall for this.
You do know that without Lisbon, the reduction in the size of the commission takes place next year instead?
“Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen” - Albert Einstein
they supported Lisbon until their employers decided they didn't like it, I don't see anything wrong with that.An example yet again of "Small nation, small thinking" syndrome.
*************, *********, ********, **** <3 USA
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The difference is that if we vote for Lisbon we will only have a Commissioner for 10 out of 15 years, whereas under Nice, we could have one 95% of the time through a reduction of the Commission to 26 (which could actually grow by one each time a new member state joins as Nice said that the next Commission in 2009 must be lower in numbers than the number of member states - not how much lower). And there is even a possibility that Nice allows for some wriggle-room such as not counting the President of the Commission as a Commissioner or else a Super-Junior with a seat but no vote. Vote no and keep our Commissioner more often.
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