Sources please. I'm pretty sure none of what you said is accurate. There is no such thing as EU law because there is no EU consitution, the EU itself is just a set of a treaties and thereby always subservient to national laws. Any member state can quit the EU at any time, but they would also lose the considerable benefits, which is why even vehement anti-EU governments like the UK choose to be part of the EU. All laws in europe are national laws and must be approved by the respective parliaments. EU directives must be transcribed into national law before they go into effect, and all EU directives must be voted by the EU parliament before they go to the national parliaments (although the vote isn't always binding, that part is a bit complicated). The EU commission has no lawmaking powers to my knowledge, they are allowed to draft proposals, but they cannot bring them into law.
The European Court of Human Rights (for example) has frequently overruled national law and their rulings stand, even in the face of national opposition.
Lisbon Treaty is an EU Consitution. They needed to change the name from Constitution to Treaty once French and Dutch voted no. That's how much they respect democratic process. They hate democracy, they call it 'populism'. Nobody can quit EU - look at Greece! They are not allowed to. They have to suffer in Euro prison forever, till the German banks will be repaid each and every euro-cent! And even if someone quits then - looking at the EU history - they will be voting every year to re-join till they eventually say 'yes'. Again, no respect for democratic process. Any vote that's not in alignment with the EU unelected officials like Barroso (Marxist) or Van Rumpoy is called 'populism', 'nazism', 'anti-democratic'. Go to hell with your Marxism, stop spreading this cancer on this beautiful continent.
Just because you've decided to call it a constitution doesn't make it so. Even the greeks could quit the EU at any time, but they cannot quit their debts which they entered into as a sovereign nation. Greece lied, for years, about their ability to repay loans, to get more loans than they could handle, and they even went so far as to ask big american financial companies to help them cook their books, which shows it wasn't just a lapse in judgment. Now, in the defense of greece, all the other EU countries knew they were lying from the beginning, and they pretended they didn't because they wanted to prove people like you wrong and show the EU could bring prosperity to all including the greece. In the line of bad ideas, that only comes second to the german notion that greece must repay their loans in full, even if it bankrupts them. So, yeah, everybody messed up gloriously.
That still doesn't change a thing to the fact that the EU process has brought peace to half a billion people for the first time since never, and with peace has come prosperity for most (sadly not all though). The current Europe is however still better for its people than any Europe in history, despite its many flaws.
I know europe-bashing is popular in many regions in europe right now because things are bad and it's an easy scape-goat for inept or incapable national governments and an easy target for jingoistic parties hoping to channel frustration and fear into votes ('populism'), but no rational analysis can say that europe is the cause of the current economic woes, except perhaps for the greeks. I see only two paths out of this situation: (1) less EU, nationalism and protectionism, and (2) more EU, moving democracy up to the EU level by giving true power to the EU parliament. The first path takes us back to the europe that was, a continent rife with war and poverty. I'll take option 2 thank you very much.
>Just because you've decided to call it a constitution doesn't make it so.
Lisbon Treaty is almost exactly the same document as the one they called the EU Constitution. Because the Constitution was voted no, instead of changing the content and addressing the issue the people of France and Netherlands had with it, they introduced a trick. Repackaged everything into a "treaty", so it doesn't need people's approval in referendum anymore. It can be just voted into existence at parliamentary level. And that's what happened. To have their constitution they had to change it's name and give up on the idea of referendums for it. Again, they disrespected democracy and their arrogance towards regular folk on the street is staggering.
>Even the greeks could quit the EU at any time, but they cannot quit their debts which they entered into as a sovereign nation.
Of course they can. Any sovereign nation can simply stop repaying its debts. That's how nations go bankrupt. Nation is not a business. You screw up with a nation for too long, people loose patience and ooopppssss… neo-nazi Golden Dawn at 22% support in Greece. But for some people the most important thing in the world is bankster bonus. Neo-nazis governing Greece? Who cares as long as the Euro currency and bankster bonuses can continue!
>Greece lied, for years, about their ability to repay loans, to get more loans than they could handle, and they even went so far as to ask big american financial companies to help them cook their books, which shows it wasn't just a lapse in judgment.
Let me give you example. I'm an investor. I invest in bonds, equities, commodities, stock, you name it. I understand - as a simple investor - that my investments may go bad. I understand that bonds or stock I bought may go 20% up, may go 20% down, or may go all the way down to zero. I understand that. I accept that risk. So, if I buy Greek debt (bonds) in 2000-2007 I understand there is a risk there. They may go to zero. Like Russian bonds did in 1997. Like debt of Iceland in 2008. Like debt of over 5,000 other countries in the history of the world that went bankrupt. But Greece in 2008? Oh Nein! It can't go bankrupt! It needs to repay German banksters!!! That's how EU works. And the reason why neo-nazis are at 22% in the polls in Greece now? Because they said they would cancel the so-called debt in Greece with a stroke of a pen. As it should have been done long time ago. German, Greek, or other tax payers shouldn't be hold hostage to incompetence of German banksters who can't do their job of risk assessment properly. What the fuck is it? Socialism for German banksters and capitalism for everybody else? Is that how your EU works?? And if taxes aren't enough for bankster bonus we will steal your bank deposit too! Yep, that's how EU works! Just fucking awesome!
>That still doesn't change a thing to the fact that the EU process has brought peace to half a billion people for the first time since never, and with peace has come prosperity for most (sadly not all though).
Ever heard of NATO? You really think that Putin's Red Army would give a fuck about you and your stupid EU if the US Army and NATO weren't stationed on this continent? Dude, NATO is the only reason for peace in Europe since 1945. The Yugoslavia war in 1990s hasn't been stopped by EU Marxists too. It's been stopped by NATO. Next thing I hear from you probably will be that we'll have a sunrise tomorrow thanks to the EU. The EU did something else recently. Germans hate Greeks, Greeks hate Germans. Division between Northern and Southern Europe. That's EU at works!
> The current Europe is however still better for its people than any Europe in history, despite its many flaws.
Right, like paying taxes to make sure German banksters get their bonus. Like over 60% unemployment rate for young in Spain, Portugal and Greece. Like nationalism and neo-nazis raising their heads all over Europe now in reaction to the EU craziness. Great Job! Just congratulate yourself!
> I know europe-bashing is popular in many regions in europe right now because things are bad and it's an easy scape-goat for inept or incapable national governments and an easy target for jingoistic parties hoping to channel frustration and fear into votes ('populism'), but no rational analysis can say that europe is the cause of the current economic woes, except perhaps for the greeks. I see only two paths out of this situation: (1) less EU, nationalism and protectionism, and (2) more EU, moving democracy up to the EU level by giving true power to the EU parliament. The first path takes us back to the europe that was, a continent rife with war and poverty. I'll take option 2 thank you very much.
Btw, marxism, really? You're trolling, right?
And what about third way? Trust democracy. Don't ignore people's vote. Sounds good? EU is Anti-Democratic. They have proven it again, and again, and again. They keep ignoring democratic vote, if they don't like it. And they - Barroso, Van Rumpoy - who voted these clowns in? You? Me? Who? What democracy are you talking about? Democracy where we will vote till we say 'yes'? Fuck that!!!
Ireland rejected both the Nice Treaty originally[1] and the Lisbon Treaty[2].
Our considerate government had the stupid, uneducated electorate have a second attempt at both referendums until we came up with the "right" answer. Talking about being undemocratic.
My own view is that if you put most issues to a popular referendum, people would vote no. It's the assholes in national governments and in Brussels who ram through stuff that only the elite wants.
