Bonde’s Back - Bonde’s Briefing 08.09.2008
Jens-Peter Bonde is back in Brussels and continues his work on the Lisbon Treaty. Read about the latest developments here.
I am back in Brussels after the summer break. I am here to prepare the European elections in June next for the EUDemocrats.
I have also promised to assist Declan Ganley from Libertas in his attempt to safeguard the Irish No to the Lisbon Constitution, eventually by turning the European elections into a referendum on the Lisbon Constitution they would not allow us or directly stole from us in some countries.
No Danish referendum
There will be no referendums in Denmark on the so-called Danish derogations. For one very simple reason: a referendum now would be heavily lost for the government and the 80 % majority in the Danish parliament ready to abolish the derogations on the euro, supranational home and justice affairs, defence and the EU Citizenship.
This summer the so-called Metock case raised a war between the European Court of Justice and the Danish minister of immigration, Birthe Rønn Hornbech. Foreigners from non-EU-countries will have free access to be married in Denmark when they have had 2 weeks of 10-12 hours weekly employment in another EU country. The whole restrictive Danish immigration policy has been outlawed by different court decisions.
The Danish parliament has not been properly informed although they them self has approved the more liberal immigration directive from 2003. I normally attack the European Court for “judge activism”. In this case the politicians are more guilty because they did not establish more precise rules.
The Danish Prime minister want to become president of the European Council. He is in a mess. Firstly because the Irish rejected the Lisbon treaty opening this new job opportunity. Secondly because he is now forced to be in a battle for safeguarding the restrictive Danish legislation by convincing other member states that they shall amend the directive against the court verdict.
First the Commission shall be convinced to raise a proposal. No one else than the non-elected can propose an amendment to a European law. Then he shall count to a qualified majority of votes in the Council. Finally he shall safeguard at least the passive support of the European parliament.
The EP has the right to put forward amendments. The EP would normally use their limited but often real influence to liberalise further. The EP can threaten to cancel the Commission proposal (with absolute majority of members). By the end of this process the Danish government may be worse off that when they started this impossible road.
It may also raise the resistance against the Lisbon treaty again and give a surprisingly good election result for the Danish JuneMovement, the Peoples Movement and the Danish Peoples party in next years European elections.
