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What MEPs do...

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  • 02-06-2009 10:44pm
    #1
    Kickaha
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24 ✭


    Well as Eamon Gilmore (leader of the labor party ) said on RTE news the day the referendum result was announced "The Lisbon treaty is dead" . We all know politicians allways stand by any statements they make so we can be sure that voting for labour candidates will ensure they will be making powerfull statements in the European Parliament condemning the outrage of going against the will of the Irish people .
    Oh and also threatening to resign their seats and expenses immediately if the parliament doesnt act with one voice to prevent the snuffing out of democracy.

    Sorry I had to break off typing for a minute ,had to duck to avoid a low flying pig.


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    #2
    Scofflaw
    Registered Users Posts: 23,283 ✭✭✭✭Scofflaw


    Kickaha wrote: »
    Well as Eamon Gilmore (leader of the labor party ) said on RTE news the day the referendum result was announced "The Lisbon treaty is dead" . We all know politicians allways stand by any statements they make so we can be sure that voting for labour candidates will ensure they will be making powerfull statements in the European Parliament condemning the outrage of going against the will of the Irish people .
    Oh and also threatening to resign their seats and expenses immediately if the parliament doesnt act with one voice to prevent the snuffing out of democracy.

    Sorry I had to break off typing for a minute ,had to duck to avoid a low flying pig.

    You should get those seen to. I hate to point this out, but the European Parliament has no business commenting on the internal political affairs of the member states.

    cordially,
    Scofflaw


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    #3
    Kickaha
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24 ✭Kickaha


    Hasnt stopped em in the past.. and mm why exactly are we voting for them if they arent going to represent the people who tick their box, in Europe?
    Do we just pick one and hope their party votes with the right group this week?
    They do vote on stuff yeh?


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    #4
    Scofflaw
    Registered Users Posts: 23,283 ✭✭✭✭Scofflaw


    Kickaha wrote: »
    Hasnt stopped em in the past.. and mm why exactly are we voting for them if they arent going to represent the people who tick their box, in Europe?
    Do we just pick one and hope their party votes with the right group this week?
    They do vote on stuff yeh?

    The European Parliament votes on European matters - that is, the issues that come under the EU's remit. They have no right to vote on internal constitutional matters of the member states. It would be the equivalent of somebody's Neighbourhood Watch Committee voting to censure or approve your decision to give your kid sweets - none of their business.

    cordially,
    Scofflaw


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    #5
    Kickaha
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24 ✭Kickaha


    Ahh ok .
    I rather thought the lisbon treaty was something to do with the EU'S remit and that the Irish people were the only ones allowed to speak for Europe as a whole a because of our "inconvenient" constitution.
    So our MEP's pretty much sit there,when theyre actually there ,hit the vote button as instructed . n maybe pass some comments about EU bananna sizes.


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    #6
    nesf
    Registered Users Posts: 27,645 ✭✭✭✭nesf


    I split these posts off the Kathy Sinnott thread due to their off topic and flippant nature.


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    #7
    PopeBuckfastXVI
    Registered Users Posts: 5,155 ✭✭✭PopeBuckfastXVI


    Kickaha wrote: »
    Ahh ok .
    I rather thought the lisbon treaty was something to do with the EU'S remit and that the Irish people were the only ones allowed to speak for Europe as a whole a because of our "inconvenient" constitution.
    So our MEP's pretty much sit there,when theyre actually there ,hit the vote button as instructed . n maybe pass some comments about EU bananna sizes.

    No, Lisbon does extend the competency of the EU in areas such as Energy and Sport, so you were correct there.

    Yes you were incorrect to think that Ireland was allowed to speak for Europe as a whole, for any reason. Ireland is allowed to speak for Ireland. The people of Ireland have a referendum on whether or not Ireland ratifies a treaty because of our constitution. Our referenda have no bearing, legal or otherwise on any other country, save that we may choose to enter or not enter into a treaty with that country, depending on the nature of the referendum.

    MEP's vote on issues that fall within the competencies of the EU. They have no moral justification for commenting on matters internal to a member state, such as ratification methods, unless those methods run afoul of EU law.


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    #8
    Scofflaw
    Registered Users Posts: 23,283 ✭✭✭✭Scofflaw


    Kickaha wrote: »
    Ahh ok .
    I rather thought the lisbon treaty was something to do with the EU'S remit and that the Irish people were the only ones allowed to speak for Europe as a whole a because of our "inconvenient" constitution.
    So our MEP's pretty much sit there,when theyre actually there ,hit the vote button as instructed . n maybe pass some comments about EU bananna sizes.

    You know, when you want to form a conclusion from a premise, a logical flow from one to the other is regarded as something of a sine qua non.

    The EU doesn't write EU treaties (amazing, eh?). They're negotiated and written by the member states, and are then ratified by the member states. This is because they are, first and foremost, international treaties. The whole question of their ratification is an internal one for the member states, in which neither the EU nor the other member states have any business interfering. They are entitled to urge a particular choice as benefits them, but there is no question of them having the right to in any sense approve or disapprove the process.

    So the European Parliament doesn't vote on our ratification, because that would suggest it had the right to do so, which it doesn't.

    However, the European Parliament doesn't vote on regulations like banana sizes either, because just like our regulations on things like the lumpiness of potatoes, those are simply regulations, made by the appropriate regulatory body - in this case the Commission.

    hope that helps,
    doubtfully,
    Scofflaw


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    #9
    Kickaha
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24 ✭Kickaha


    heh my original reply was connected with kathy sinnot n vote labour instead.
    Anyway.. on the "what Meps do" that its been moved to:

    1.we elect these MEps..presumably to do something.
    2.original post adressed Eamon Gilmores statement and Labour MEPs.
    3.They cant represent people or their own party?
    4. If they made a statement about human rights in "parliament" they would be escorted from the chamber?
    5.If they resigned their seats in protest(labour ones) there would be a media blackout on that?


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    #10
    PopeBuckfastXVI
    Registered Users Posts: 5,155 ✭✭✭PopeBuckfastXVI


    Kickaha wrote: »
    heh my original reply was connected with kathy sinnot n vote labour instead.
    Anyway.. on the "what Meps do" that its been moved to:

    1.we elect these MEps..presumably to do something.
    2.original post adressed Eamon Gilmores statement and Labour MEPs.
    3.They cant represent people or their own party?
    4. If they made a statement about human rights in "parliament" they would be escorted from the chamber?
    5.If they resigned their seats in protest(labour ones) there would be a media blackout on that?

    1. Yes, to vote on laws within areas of EU competency, as has been explained to you twice.
    2. Eamon Gilmore is a TD, not an MEP.
    3. Yes, they represent them when it comes to areas of EU competency.
    4. Possibly yes, if that statement was outside the terms of the debate, and they continued to make it after being asked to stop.
    5. Doubtful, most of the worlds Media, and certainly within Europe, is outside the control of anyone who would wish to 'blackout' such an event. Even if such a person controlled a particular television channel, or newspaper there would be others which would most likely report the event, if it was deemed sufficiently newsworthy. I imagine it would make it into every national paper in Ireland, though would be unlikely to make the local paper in Mumbai, would that qualify as a 'blackout'?


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    #11
    nesf
    Registered Users Posts: 27,645 ✭✭✭✭nesf


    Kickaha wrote: »
    heh my original reply was connected with kathy sinnot n vote labour instead.
    Anyway.. on the "what Meps do" that its been moved to:

    Give me a thread title you'd prefer and I'll rename the thread if you'd like.


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    #12
    Scofflaw
    Registered Users Posts: 23,283 ✭✭✭✭Scofflaw


    nesf wrote: »
    Give me a thread title you'd prefer and I'll rename the thread if you'd like.

    Too late...

    immoderately,
    Scofflaw


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    #13
    View
    Registered Users Posts: 3,872 ✭✭✭View


    Kickaha wrote: »
    Hasnt stopped em in the past.. and mm why exactly are we voting for them if they arent going to represent the people who tick their box, in Europe?

    Well, you'd presumably vote for Labour candidates if you wanted to see the EP adopt more of the policies of the PES (Party of European Socialists). And, amazingly enough I'd imagine that any Labour MEP would be quite happy to vote for the policies of the PES in the EP, so any Labour MEP would be representing the people who elected him/her.

    Of course, if you are dumb to vote for a Labour candidate in the belief that they will vote for EPP's (European Peoples Party) policies, then you probably will find that any Labour MEPs will not actually do so.

    I appreciate that last point seems to be a bit difficult for our home grown Eurosceptics to grasp but no doubt they'll get used to the disappointment in due course.


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