Never again

When I read about this news from Hungary today, I remembered a video made by Hungarian artists:



I've got nothing to add.

European Parliament election 2009 (114): Criticising the critics: Hat tip to Charlemagne

Charlemagne on the Economist.com has published a wonderful article in which he criticises the PES for criticising the Romanian politician Monica Macovei on its website.

This is one of the few examples of a European news source or blog actually taking up a political statement published by a European Party, and, based on intelligent and thorough argumentation, making a strong and yet pan-European point:

"[...] So it is not, on the face of it, shocking to turn to the campaign website of the main centre-left block, the Party of European Socialists, and find a feature denouncing 12 “terrible” candidates from rival parties [...]

Nick Griffin, leader of the British National Party, a racist, extreme right-wing outfit, is also singled out for his horrid views, and that is fair enough. [...]

But then comes an astonishing choice: Monica Macovei, the former Romanian justice minister. Talk to senior EU officials and European diplomats who worked on Romania’s accession to the union, and they call Ms Macovei an heroic figure, and pretty much the only reason Romania achieved entry into the EU in 2007. [...]

This attack on Monica Macovei reads—not least because of the stilted apparatchikese in which it is written—as if it were dictated by Romania’s socialists. They certainly do not like Ms Macovei: after all, she tried to prosecute several of them, starting with Mr Nastase.

But the website belongs to the PES headquarters. So they have ended up bundling a brave reformer and fighter against crippling corruption with a British racist, as one of the 12 worst candidates for the European Parliament.

What on earth were they thinking?"

This is the kind of journalism the European Parliament elections need!

Update: And I just saw at the Nosemonkey that this was already the second marvellous piece of journalism by Charlemagne in a day. Respect!

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Under the category "European parliament elections 2009" I am following up national and European activities on the path to the European Parliament elections 2009.

For an overview over all articles in this category have a look at the overview article.

For the five newest post see also the sidebar.

The Czech EU-Council Presidency (15): Czechs refuse to fulfil their role during Durban II conference

I haven't heard this until I read it on the Coulisses de Bruxelles blog:

The Czech Republic has rejected to fulfil the function of the Presidency during the United Nation's Durban II conference on racism. That is another shortcoming in a Council Presidency that has been marked by problems from its very first days.

Allow me just to quote Jean Quatremer (own translation):

"This story is incredible and without precedent: Monday evening, in Geneva, on the first day of the UN conference against racism, better known under its name Durban II, the Czech ambassador announces to his consternated European partners that he has received the instruction from Prague to withdraw from the conference after the anti-Semitic proposals of the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (during his speech, the Europeans have left the room like one single person, while Turkey, a candidate country, remained on his seat).

The 23 EU member states present are perplex: «you cannot do this unilaterally, you are exercising the Presidency of the Union» they are claiming towards him. «Let's discuss it first, it's not on Iran to chase us away». Without result. The Czech ambassador leaves the room. Everybody turns around to his Swedish colleague whose country will run the EU Council Presidency from the 1st of July. Right away, he accepts to take the lead from the Czech. «He has co-ordinated the European position and we have then been able to make a declaration in the name of the EU», tells a diplomate. [...]"

This is a shocking story, and having seen EU co-ordination meetings on an international level from both sides, that of an upcoming and of an acting EU-Council Presidency, I can quite well imagine how this unfriendly act by the Czech representative (i.e. his government) might have been felt by his colleagues.

Therefore, let me just say:

Dear Czech government, you are free to handle your internal affairs however you want, but while running the EU-Council Presidency, there is just one goal that should lead your actions on the international level: That our Union of 27 states is represented in the most credible, professional, and reliable way, and not like a Union of amateurism and national egos.

What has happened in Geneva is absolutely disgraceful!


On the topic: The Falling European Leadership by The European Citizen