MacShame Goes to Prague

Our Esteemed and Beloved Europe Minister recently visited the fair city of Prague, a place where attitudes toward freedom and liberty are shaped by a history of brutality by outside interests. In an effort to influence Czech hearts and minds he gave a speech in support of the European Constitution. He starts:

I am delighted that they chose Charles University. I am honoured to be a guest of one of the oldest and most distinguished Universities in Europe. A University of which Jan Hus was Rector and whose history is inseparable from that of the Czech nation.

Jan Hus, an icon of Czech Nationality and mentioned by JS Mill’s On Liberty for his battles in support of freedom, is best known for his defiance of the Pope. When speaking in support of the New Treaty of Rome, his is not the first name to spring to mind.

I am glad that after Britain's decision to open its labour market so many Czech workers are making a welcome and valuable contribution to economic success in the UK.

Me too, but it’s a shame that your boss, Our Dear Leader chose to lie about how many of these newcomers there would be.

Over 1 million British citizens visited the Czech Republic in 2004, contributing to your economy. Many of them flying backwards and forwards with the new lost cost airlines, driving down prices and opening up travel to all of us. …… These kinds of links are exactly what a successful and dynamic Europe is about.

I couldn’t have put it better myself. It has nothing whatsoever to doing with the EU and is all thanks to entrepreneurs like Stelios and Michael O Leary. In fact the EU’s latest regulation on air travel seems intent on destroying these companies as does the calls for tax on airline fuel.

I am a strong supporter of social Europe, but social Europe based on today's mass unemployment is a contradiction in terms. A well-crafted Services Directive will create new jobs and new economic energy in Europe.

Governments and legislation create jobs? We all know that whatever comes out of the discussions on the services directive, it is unlikely to be of much use. Until they accept that business creates jobs, not directives, the outlook for employment in Europe will remain bleak. On the Constitution:

Let me conclude by dealing with some of the criticisms of the Treaty. Because it has its critics, and not just in the UK. Our city bankers think it contains too many social rules. Neo-conservatives in Washington think it is anti-American. And part of the French Left thinks it is too liberal. They are all wrong. The Treaty will be what we make of it.

No. The treaty will be what the European court of justice makes of it. Biased and federalist organization that it is, it will make more federalism out of it. Besides, the idea that you can ignore the contents of a treaty and interpret it however you want later, is a somewhat novel approach to international relations.

The Treaty reinforces the powers of the European Parliament and – for the first time – of national Parliaments who will be consulted systematically on European laws.

Consulted, but will have no power to stop anything they don’t like.

The paradox, apparently beyond the intellectual grasp of some Eurosceptics in the UK, is that by setting common standards, sharing common rights and accepting common responsibilities at European level, we are increasing our national sovereignty rather than reducing it.

Calling your opponents stupid. That’s a grown up way to handle debate isn’t it. If you claim blatantly that black is white you should not be surprised when others fail to understand you.

Today, embedded in the heart of Euro-Atlantic political, economic and security structures it is inconceivable that Czech freedoms will ever again be suppressed by an external aggressor. Czech sovereignty has been reinforced, rather than diminished, by its entry into the EU and NATO.

He confuses sovereignty and power. The obligation that the Czech Republic has to defend other NATO countries is a diminishing of Czech Sovereignty. If I were Czech, I would think that the security gained in exchange made it worth it. That does not change the facts in any way though. Following the successful bamboozling of the European Electorates:

It will be time to leave 15 years of institutional debates behind us, and for Europe to remember its true role: to promote economic prosperity, social justice and security for all of its peoples.

Is he really stupid enough to believe that this will be the end of the argument? Has he really not heard the comments by Zapatero, Martin Hans Bury and others? And does he really think that any of us could ever fall for his false promises? I have high hopes of the Czech Republic and I’m sure that speeches by a Quisling Brit will make no impression on them come voting day.