Thursday, December 20, 2007
Last 'Post' on many borders tonight
Back in 1945 my mother swam the Elbe to escape the oncoming Soviet army and find refuge in British held territory. Europe was a place of fear.
At midnight today (20 December 2007) the Schengen agreement that allows for free passage –without need of passports- across national frontiers within most of the European Union is extended to include her native Lithuania (and eight other countries including Latvia and Estonia). What an extraordinary contrast in 60-odd years.
This is going to be a bit of a challenge for our new LibDem leadership team as of course there are public fears associated with this move, with which we have to deal. And as far as I can see, our own party policy is hardly in line with embracing Schengen for the UK. We remain outside.
But I am still slightly breathless at the extraordinary changes engineered within the developing European Union, a place of hope.
At midnight today (20 December 2007) the Schengen agreement that allows for free passage –without need of passports- across national frontiers within most of the European Union is extended to include her native Lithuania (and eight other countries including Latvia and Estonia). What an extraordinary contrast in 60-odd years.
This is going to be a bit of a challenge for our new LibDem leadership team as of course there are public fears associated with this move, with which we have to deal. And as far as I can see, our own party policy is hardly in line with embracing Schengen for the UK. We remain outside.
But I am still slightly breathless at the extraordinary changes engineered within the developing European Union, a place of hope.
Labels: EU powers, European Union, migration, Schengen
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Thursday, September 06, 2007
Haes the Union ower muckle pouer?
That is a crucial question we should be putting to our prospective candidates for MEP in the current hustings and candidate selection process.
As the article on the EU in the Scots version of Wikipedia says:
Could't have put it clearer myself, in any language.
There is an useful table on how the distribution of seats between EU countries has changed for the upcoming election on this page.
As the article on the EU in the Scots version of Wikipedia says:
The European Union (EU) is a group o 27 member kintras in Europe. The Union was pitten thegither for cultural an economic ettles. Monie kintras in the Union uises the same siller, the Euro.
The'r grand debate in monie airts o the Union the nou anent whit pouers the Union shuid hae ower an abuin the member kintras. Some fowk argies that the Union shuid hae mair pouer, wi some sayin that aa European kintras shuid come thegither in a federal superstate; ithers believes that the Union aareadies haes ower muckle pouer, an shuid gie some up, or e'en that the Union shuid dissolve aathegither.
Could't have put it clearer myself, in any language.
There is an useful table on how the distribution of seats between EU countries has changed for the upcoming election on this page.
Labels: EU powers, European Union
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