Some arguments made on both sides of the Lisbon treaty debate are false. Some are true. Some are unprovable either way.
And a large number of arguments are irrelevant.
Take what was credited as a winning argument last time: ‘Save Our Commissioner: Vote No’.
As it turns out, once Ireland voted No, the EU suddenly decided that one commissioner (more or less) per country wasn’t so inefficient after all.
Both side now claim this is a victory. Yes men say the commissioner is now saved, so we should vote Yes, and copperfasten the deal. Naysayers claim we ould vote No or lose him all over again.
But here’s the thing: What has the Commissioner ever done for us?
Commissioners work for Europe, they don’t represent the countries that appoint them. That’s what the council of Ministers is for.
It might be argued that commissioners are nominally European, but under the skin they’re still loyal to the old home sod. But are they? What has Charlie McCreevey done specifically for Ireland since going to Brussels?
I can’t think of anything, and if you can’t too, then you need to ask, what does it matter whether Ireland nominates a commissioner or not.
Some arguments made on both sides of the Lisbon treaty debate are false. Some are true. Some are unproveable either way.
And a large number of arguments are irrelevant.
Take what was credited as a winnning argument last time: ‘Save Our Commissioner: Vote No’.
As it turns out, once Ireland voted No, the EU suddenly decided that one commissioner (more or less) per country wasn’t so inefficient after all.
Both side now claim this is a victory. Yes men say the commissioner is now saved, so we should vote Yes, and copperfasten the deal. Naysayers claim we ould vote No or lose him all over again.
But here’s the thing: What has the Commissioner ever done for us?
Commissioners work for Europe, they don’t represent the countries that appoint them. That’s what the council of Ministers is for.
It might be argued that commissioners are nominally European, but under the skin they’re still loyal to the old home sod. But are they? What has Charlie McCreevey done specifically for Ireland since going to Brussels?
I can’t think of anything, and if you can’t too, then you need to ask, what does it matter whether Ireland nominates a commissioner or not.
