Wednesday 26 August 2009

The discussions on the German Lisbon Treaty by-law: My Twitter coverage

Below you find my Twitter coverage of the first round(s) of the Bundestag discussions (first reading) around the the four German draft Lisbon by-laws and the adaptation of the constitution (find all five documents in PDF below):

(Discussion starts at the bottom)
  • Pirate Party (@tauss): The parliament actually didn't want to be stronger, it is just a by-result of the Court decision. #pirateparty
  • #CSU: #EU should not be free to negotiate on #WTO questions that affect #Germany without the participation of the #Bundestag
  • #CSU: Finally the #Bundestag gets the rights that the #Bundesrat has received ever since the Single European Act (1986)
  • #SPD: We want to send a positive signal to #Ireland and to the the presidents of #Poland and the #Czechrepublic
  • #SPD: Against new nationalism that says: Not "Germany in Europe", but "Europe has to follow Germany"
  • #SPD: The Lisbon Treaty is the result of 10 years open and public discussions and strengthens European democracy.
  • #SPD: As long as die #LINKE holds their positions on Europe as it does, there will be no coalition on the national level with the #SPD
  • #SPD: While the Constitutional Court has underlined "national sovereignty",while this term does not exist in the #Grundgesetz (constitution)
  • #Grüne: Against an imperative (=binding) mandate for the German government in #EU negotiations
  • #Grüne: We have to figth against new forms of "executive democracy", and the Constitutional Court has strengthened us parlamentarians.
  • #Grüne: It seems as if we cannot separate nation state and European level, so we have to strengthen national parliaments against governments
  • #Grüne: This is a sign of the working #democracy. But we should have done this much earlier.
  • #Grüne (#Greens): This is a good day for the German #Bundestag, because we have agreed on law during an election campaign. #eu
  • #LINKE: We want referenda for important treaty changes. #eu #lisbontreaty
  • #LINKE: Against giving the government the right to deviate from Bundestag decisions in #EU negotiations
  • #LINKE: All other four parliamentary factions want a Europe of the elites, which we reject.
  • #LINKE: Talks about topics of the election campaign, not about #Lisbon
  • #LINKE: This debate was fostered by our complaint before the German Constitutional Court. Thx to us,#Bundesrat & #Bundestag have more rights
  • #CDU: Like this, the German parliament can become the engine of European integration. We want a Europe of citizens, not of governments. #eu
  • #CDU: The new law will allow an early information of the German #Bundestag,so that the parliament can actively influence #EU policy-making
  • #CDU: Europe is not far away, but it is part of our internal (!) politics. #eu
  • #CDU: We don't discuss enough about European politics and law-making, which would be part of our national interest.
  • #CDU: nation states are basis for cultural identity and democratic legitimacy of the #EU.
  • #CDU: Europe and the national state are mutually dependent; neither can exist alone. #eu
  • #CDU: This is all about the basic question of the relation between the nation state and the European level which may not be ignored #eu
  • #FDP: We as parliament will not only get new rights, but also new duties;we will have to care more for European law-making in the committees
  • #FDP: Good cooperation between #SPD, #CDU, #Grüne, #FDP in the preparation of the new law.
  • #FDP: We want to make Europe better, not to harm it. Against a limited understanding of the German pro-European identity. #eu #lisbontreaty
  • #FDP: underlines that Court agreed that the Treaty is constitutional
  • SPD: Criticises CSU (Christian Social Union, Bavaria) for its anti-EU positions that would lead to a blockage of the #EU
  • SPD: Government may deviate from Bundestag position in EU decision, but needs to give full account of reasons
  • SPD: What was a simple agreement between Bundestag and government before (on cooperation in EU matters) becomes a full law now
  • SPD: If new competencies are given to EU,legislator needs to be involved
  • SPD: Success of EU is based on internal market, and German industry/economy profits from this market.
  • SPD: European integration is a basic reason of the German federal state. EU strongest force against war and nationalism.
  • Now (!) livestream on the discussions around the German Lisbon Treaty by-law in the #Bundestag: http://tr.im/x9fv (German)

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