SECRET BALLOT FOR MEPS OVER EU BUDGET
Friday, 8th February 2013
In a staggering move by the President of the European Parliament, MEPs will be given a secret ballot on the newly negotiated EU budget.
The socialist Martin Schulz, who has openly opposed the conclusions from the EU Council summit of European leaders, even threatening to veto the final decision, announced the plan with Joseph Daul, leader of the centre-right European People's Party (EPP) the largest group in the European Parliament.
It is now up to MEPs to pass the measures decided at the summit in Brussels, with many fearing a majority of MEPs would oppose a cut to the EU budget.
Speaking in Brussels, Nigel Farage MEP, leader of UKIP, said: "This is a dark, dark day for democracy. It's utterly staggering. Making this a secret ballot removes all accountability from the feckless MEPs who will wilfully vote down the plans to cut the EU budget, despite the widely held belief that cuts to EU spending is essential.
"It is disgusting that in order to guarantee more votes to reject the budget cut, Mr Schulz is providing MEPs with a cloak of deception which means the very people who voted them in will not be able to challenge them over their position. The man is a disgrace to his office.
"It flies in the face of political liberty and once again shows the EU up to be the biased and corrupt anti-democratic organisation that it is.
"Most people in the UK fail to understand the fanaticism of the European institutions for creating a federal union, whatever the process. For people like Schulz, the means justify the end.
"I call upon all MEPs whatever their leaning to reject this call and defend the right to democracy that the peoples of Europe have shed so much blood to create."
Speaking in Brussels, Nigel Farage MEP, leader of UKIP, said: "This is a dark, dark day for democracy. It's utterly staggering. Making this a secret ballot removes all accountability from the feckless MEPs who will wilfully vote down the plans to cut the EU budget, despite the widely held belief that cuts to EU spending is essential.
"It is disgusting that in order to guarantee more votes to reject the budget cut, Mr Schulz is providing MEPs with a cloak of deception which means the very people who voted them in will not be able to challenge them over their position. The man is a disgrace to his office.
"It flies in the face of political liberty and once again shows the EU up to be the biased and corrupt anti-democratic organisation that it is.
"Most people in the UK fail to understand the fanaticism of the European institutions for creating a federal union, whatever the process. For people like Schulz, the means justify the end.
"I call upon all MEPs whatever their leaning to reject this call and defend the right to democracy that the peoples of Europe have shed so much blood to create."
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