The EPP, a Suitable Partner?

The Conservative Party has made a commitment to leave the European Peoples’ Party umbrella and create a new, more eurosceptic alliance. This is a move that has upset a good half of the current Conservative MEPs and numerous others. They claim that we will be forced into partnership with totally unsuitable partners.

The EPP, having recently held their congress, and published a manifesto, I though it would be a good time to assess whether we can regard the EPP in any way as a “Suitable Partner”.

(The complete manifesto can be downloaded here)

Throughout the document, the EPP refers to itself as the party for Europe, something of which it is proud. For example:

Throughout history, the EPP has been the European party with a clear vision for Europe because we are committed to solve the problems and to address the concerns of our citizens. Europe has to take the necessary actions to achieve its goals.

They clearly see themselves as the heirs to Monnet and Schuman and are proud of their integrationist heritage. As such they are strong supporters of the Lazarus Treaty:

The EPP is convinced that it was the right decision to draft a Constitutional Treaty as a new basis for the European Union.

And worse:

Therefore the EPP proposes that the process leading to the ratification of a European Constitutional Treaty should be continued after the period of reflection

So sod the voters, we think we are right so we go ahead.

As semi detached members, the Conservative party may not be required to put their signatures to such an abomination, but are still not able to fight against the ideas that are behind it.

Despite all the evidence that refutes such a theory, they claim at every opportunity that the “citizens of Europe”, want a stronger EU. For example

Our citizens want a strong Europe and they want Europe to deliver an added value and to deal with the problems that concern them

And

The EPP is convinced that a clear majority of people all over Europe wants a strong European Union that deals with problems swiftly and effectively at the European level

Two referendum defeats and a downward trend in the polls, is not enough to convince then that there made be a problem in their ideas. The reason is that they are ideologues. Their Europeanism is almost a religion.

As such, they reject any alternative view of Europe:

It has been a long time since Europe was just a customs union that promoted common economic policies. The European Union has already developed into a political union with common borders

Fait accompli, they cry, all doubters can give up now. They fact that majority of Brits, see a value in the economic cooperation but not in the political, is irrelevant. The, project must go on. Show them a problem and they will show you a “European Solution”.

Our success in innovation will largely depend on establishing a European Higher Education Area

How the EU can solve the failures in our education systems centrally, when its clear that even the national level is too centralized an approach, is not explained. We just need faith.

A European energy policy strategy and the creation of a Single European Space for Energy, will help energy supply and energy independence

Energy is a problem? Bring on the EU. They speak at length about the idea of subsidarity, and yet they have yet to see a problem whose solution is not Brussels. Despite being notionally right wing, and making some encouraging noises about regulation, these are people steeped in the intellectually bankrupt social model. It has proven to be a bad idea, but they refuse to let go.

The respect of appropriate social protection and of social rights contributes to highly motivated and productive employees.

So economic growth is somehow linked to making employees more expensive, and

The European Social Model is rooted in Christian-Social thought and based on performance and social justice, competition and solidarity, personal responsibility and social security. These remain relevant in conditions of globalized markets and rapid changes in economic life.

The fact is that The European Social Model worked much better in times when there was a lack of global competition. It is precisely the rigours of globalization that have highlighted the fact that this model doesn’t work.

Its not enough for them that the EU is destroying nation states, they wish to go further:

The EU must develop an action plan to put its European Security Strategy (ESS) into practice, and to strengthen the authority of international law, effective multilateralism and international bodies

So can we look forward to rule by the UN, with its body of upstanding, liberal democracies for members?
They are not completely without wit though, they realise that many Europeans think that the EU is irrelevant or worse. So they propose more propaganda, in good EU tradition. The list of achievements is as follows.

This can include the achievements already made by the EU affecting the everyday life of the people (e.g. increased mobility, lower telecommunication costs, lower flight prices, a common market and a single currency with greater choice and lower prices for all consumers, cross-border environmental protection, peace-keeping missions, democracy-building beyond the EU, transnational police cooperation, the concerted fight against terrorism, the promotion of student and youth exchanges, etc.).

So many of them are nothing to do with the EU, or of such low importance as to be irrelevant, but lets not allow the truth to stop us eh? Because its for the good of us all, just think of the children:

Only when a new generation of leaders emerges, which are capable of convincing and committing their citizens to the European idea, will it be possible to assure the future of their people.

So we sit and wait for the great leader to deliver European Socialism.

I challenge anyone to read the manifesto on still be able to swear, hand on heart, that these people are suitable partners. There is nothing remotely Conservative about them, and the sooner we split the better.