Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-06-27-Speech-3-024"
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"en.20070627.3.3-024"2
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".
Mr President, we have come to know Chancellor Merkel as a charming, efficient, diplomatic and convincing version of Bismarck. Chancellor Merkel, you united Europe under German leadership, letting it look as though Poland was the problem. The Polish twins helped you by mentioning the war. Many Germans were also the victims of Nazi Germany. The argument is not valid. But from 2017, it is you who can govern the EU with Turkey. Poland did not gain or lose. The losers are the 21 small and medium-sized countries. My country’s strength has been halved. You doubled German influence, why blame Poland for that?
Will you always accept one citizen, one vote? Will you accept this principle in the United Nations with India and China? Would you give India and China 15 votes for one German vote? The Polish proposal is not Polish at all. It was presented by Sweden, and invented by a British mathematician. Is it not also used in the German Bundesrat? In Nice, Poland got 27 votes because Chirac would not allow Germany to have more votes than France. Poland is now offering to reduce its share from 27 to 6, allowing you to have 9 votes instead of 29. Shame on those 21 governments that criticised Poland for arguing their interests, plus the general interest, in an understandable system.
Nice is difficult; the Merkel deal is impossible. If you succeed in ratification, your name will be forever linked to an EU which cannot be understood by the public. Who can remember figures of populations changing every year? Who can count if a law is passed without having a computer? A double majority sounds easy but it is very difficult to use. The Penrose system is much easier and fairer. It could be further simplified by giving Germany six votes, France, the UK and Italy five, Poland four, then we would only have 81 votes together, and most of us could remember all the figures in our heads. Just like you can in the German Bundesrat!
A more just system would be to give all Member States one vote each, and require the support of 75% of the Member States in the Council plus a simple majority in the European Parliament. The American Senate does not take votes according to the size of the State. Why here, and why make it look as though Poland is a thief?
The new system is also as bad for German voters. It moves the legislative function into executive and judging powers. We go backwards in history from Montesquieu to Merkel and Machiavelli. It adds to the democratic deficit.
The core in democracy is the ability to hold elections, have a new majority and then new laws. This core will now be further eroded. The Constitution will have another name but the same content, therefore it should also be subject to referendums. Six proponents and four opponents of the Constitution have sent an open letter to you calling for referendums. 77% of all Europeans want a referendum; only 20% are against – and we know all of them, they are ministers! Listen to your own German citizens who want to be heard by referendum. Sign the petition for a referendum in all EU Member States at the xO9.eu website.
Madam Chancellor, as someone who hails from North Schleswig I have other reasons to hold you in high esteem, and I should like to thank you very much for your commitment to the debate on climate change."@en1
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