Britannia Radio

The ‘give-away’ line here is that “the main political parties - - - 
shape the European agenda”.

It’s high time this undemocratic carve-up was shaken to its roots.   
The whole edifice is underpinned by the iniquitous ‘list’ system of  
voting which prevents the voters of Europe from choosing their MEPs  
and forces them to choose from a number of pre-arranged lists.

Democracy? Bah!

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EVENING STANDARD Blog         16.3.09
- Paul Waugh
Barroso attacks Cam on EPP

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has just said at a  
Downing Street presser that he "regrets" D Cameron's decision to pull  
out of the EPP.

"It's upto each party to decide in which European group he wants to  
sit. So I cannot criticise specific decisions, but of course I regret  
this decision. My party is a member of the EPP and I regret this  
decision because in Europe we have the main political parties in the  
main political families, those that shape the European agenda.

"As president of the Commission I've been keeping a cross-party  
position. I'm not party-oriented. But of course these are the most  
influential families in Europe, those who shape Europe. I have  
discussed this issue several times with David Cameron. So he will not  
be surprised to listen to me saying that I regret that decision."

The implication is clear: 'why is Cameron linking up with fringe  
parties, some members of which have strange views on climate change,  
homosexuality and race?'

Then again, I suspect the Tories will wonder privately why this is  
any of Barroso's business. But will we get them publicly asking the  
question: As EC president, is it appropriate for him to be attacking  
a party leader's decisions his alliances in the European  
Parliament?   [NO!   It isn’t - cs]