Of Eurocratic Musical Chairs, a Nasty Rumor and Rather Good Spoof

While a thriller of a race is on in New York's 23rd District as well as in a few other constituencies in the US, Europe is showing the world how real statists operate. Obama c.s., while very promising in the field of collectivism and intrigue, they are as yet small-time tinkerers when it comes to constructing a solid edifice of total state.

Talk of the town of Brussels the last few days is Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, or JPB, as he is affectionately known to his Christian Democratic followers.

While Czech President Vaclav Klaus is dealing with ratifying the Treaty of Lisbon (the 'Constitution' that dares not speak its name) as best he can for his country, securing a few opt outs that less euroskeptic nations will have to forego, the Euro machinery has kicked in to appoint the new 'Government' as is required under the agreement.

- Caption: spoof of JPB as Harry Potter - 

While it goes without saying that no messy, direct democracy is involved here as in NY23, there is a power sharing mechanism in play by which the largest party in Parliament delivers the chairperson or 'President', the second largest the 'Foreign Minister', and so on, and so forth.

Another completely obscure and byzantine, post-democratic mechanism governs power sharing between various sub collectives: large versus small countries, North vs South, and new against old Europe (please don't ask!). Individualism is anathema in Europe, almost is much as patriotism.

The balance of power in the Europarliament is currently held by the Christian Democrats assembled in the European People's Party.  (The British Tories notably detached themselves recently from this body and became part of the Conservative and Reformist bloc. That Italian PM Berlusconi's party for example is still a member of the EPP goes to show that all is rather relative here!)

Although theories abound, this is the obvious reason why British Socialist Tony Blair has dropped out of the race for the 'Presidency'. One rumor has it that Blair is too much associated with the Bush era: with the fresh Obama across the pond we need fresh Europeans at home to go with it, or so the nasty reasoning goes.

The buzz around Europe today, is that UK Foreign Minister David Miliband (also of Labor extraction) is a contender for Europe's first real 'Foreign Minister' (unsure at their stage if these titles should be 'ironized' or not, given the awkward status of the 'Constitution'). Miliband has far left credentials and for some reason, triggers the same warning signals in me as Rahm Emanuel.

Should JPB be appointed Europe's first 'President' the Netherlands might well face a political crisis of sorts. Although there's no constitutional reason for new elections, this may well prove the way to go. Support for the sitting cabinet is dwindling; swathes of the electorate will not be at all sad to see the colorless JPB go after he's sat as PM to four consecutive, equally colorless Governments of variations in grey.

A much more exciting prospect is the buzz involving the candidacy of Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, former President of Latvia. A Liberty loving woman for first President of Europe ... now that's a novel idea even a staunch euroskeptic like myself might warm to, but ... nah ... we can't have too many libertarian influences ruling Euroland.

EUX.TV: "EU Seeks Council President - Eurinfo Report"



The opposition puts it into perspective:



Related dossiers:

- "Building the State of Europe"
- "The Treaty of Lisbon"
- "Neototalitarianism"

- "Hegel's Legacy"
- "Leviathan's Birth Certificate: Analysis of the Lisbon Treaty"