12/05/2014
Despite the media hype, only a tiny fragment of the British public is getting worked up about the euro-elections, with a recent
Ipsos poll recording that only 27 percent of the electorate is likely to vote on Thursday week next.
The hype itself is bolstered by number of
misguided reports portraying an apparent wave of "euroscepticism" sweeping across Europe. This is based largely on a
misunderstanding of the nature of protest movements on the continent, giving the impression of a Europe-wide movement that is hardly merited.
Meanwhile, to confound the more excitable pundits, the European Commission
is purring over the results of the latest
Eurobarometer poll, which has "trust and optimism" growing across the European Union. The "majority of Europeans", it seems, are saying they have a positive image of the EU â 34 percent compared to 26 percent who say they have a negative image of the EU. This is up three percent since the autumn poll.
Doubtless, these findings have little more validity than the more lurid polls which tell us that UKIP is to sweep all before it at the euros, especially when all that is up for grabs in the UK is 9.7 of the total European Parliament vote, making the poll a studied exercise in irrelevance.
What is more worrying is the Euobarometer finding on the idea of an elected president for the EU, recording an EU-wide average of 69 percent in favour, compared with 22 percent opposed, as against 70 percent for and 20 percent against
in the UK (click the pic below to expand).
Throughout
the entire EU, there are majorities in every single member state, support falling to its lowest in Finland and Estonia which come in sharing 54 percent in favour. And, to that extent, we have all fallen into a trap. The constant complaints of an "unelected Commission" have simply invited the response that the president, at the very least, should be directly elected.
What the "colleagues" have in mind, of course, is a presidential election on the lines of the United States, the contest doing more than any single thing to cement in the identity of the EU as a single political entity. Give the EU its elected president, and the game is over â yet a startling 70 percent of the British are in favour of it.
This, and the EU-wide support, gives sustenance to the Commission and its plans for a future treaty. We fully expect this to be couched in terms of enhancing EU democracy, which is exactly what was being said in
Merkel's name back in September 2012.
That article would merit re-reading as, compared with
Barroso's recent speech, there are uncanny similarities â not least with both suggesting further discussion before a treaty is proposed. On gets the sense that the agenda was settled years ago and is being rolled out exactly to plan.
Small wonder, therefore, that the only thing coming out of Brussels at the moment seems to be an air of smug self-satisfaction. While others flounder, they are on top of their game.
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