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FAILING THE TEST OF MATURITY

Any organisation formed by individuals who join to gain personal advantage, rather than subsume self, in the pursuit of group-advance, will fail. Westminster is a good example. Maturity is the key - maturity is declining. We are no different from Afghanistan. The self-serving warlords are gathering in Brussels, backed by their 'tribal areas' pretending to work for some common good. For such a disgraceful exhibition of pathetic humanity, I can think of no more apposite 'dream topping', than Anthony Blair himself. They are welcome to him. What a circus!

In submitting what he did barriesingleton (@ 1) has arguably rendered further postings unnecessary; I cannot readily think of a better summary. Could also explain why we were denied a vote; a "no" really would have spoilt their little games. At least it's nice to know that we are needed if only to pay for it all...

Do the EU ececutives of the EU nations other than Britain want someone who can go to war? A 'Wannabe Winston' if they do - Blair is the man.

If the other EU nation see this as a disadvantage - Then who are the other main candidates or is that another Brussels/Starsbourg secret? - It's not very democratic or transparent is it?

This is the EU trait - deals behind closed doors (are these guys masons or something similar?)

The media tend to focus on the personalities whereas arrogantly informal process itself is alarming and is hardly reported when it shows contempt for many millions of EU citizens?

I have to agree that #1 sums it up really well. If the Eurocrats really wanted democracy then we'd be electing the EU commission and the EU president by popular vote across the whole of the EU, not leaving it to the warlords (good comparison) to decide. However, that would indeed spoil their party because various parts of the EU electorate have shown leanings in that direction before and had to try again before their answers were acceptable.

Dear Mark

Rather the back room dealing that has typified the Brussels process is continuing in grand style and that, incidentally, may well finish off Mr Blair's chances of gaining the president's post.

You sound as though you would regret Mr Blair not getting the post. Some of us have particular and so far little reported reasons for wondering whether he is really a suitable candidate.

#4

By eurocrats do you mean the people working in Brussels or the people who create, sign and ratify EU treaties on our behalf (our leaders)

Blair might not be Euro President. Ahhh diddums.

Well it will mean he won't have to give up all those lucrative US speaking engagements and bank jobs.

The UK will need to establish whether it wants to be ruled by a foreign country which is what Europe, as a trading bloc has become. The United states of America do not have individual sovereign governments any more, and neither will Europe; anyone who thinks otherwise is kidding themselves and burying their heads in the sand. This 'trading' bloc has been from its inception a 2nd Roman Empire and it needs an emperor.

NOW LE MOND SAYS BLAIR-BABE MILIBAND-D IS BRILLIANT!

It seems that the Anglo-American Disease (being unable to tell a self-serving charlatan from a living saint) has spread to Europe. I have facetiously characterised Blair, previously, eminently suitable as a figure-head for that profligate, corrupt institution; but seriously, why would anyone appoint a shallow, wealth-and-adulation-insatiable narcissist, even as janitor? Now - as if that weren't enough, Miliband D (retrospectively cloning himself to conform with the Blair DNA) a man about as arrogant as any can be, when telling the world how 'it is done', is also in the EU frame for high office.

Weird.

"Britain cannot expect to get both plumb jobs"

As someone currently suffering from brewer's drupe, I conker.

This is all fair enough. I just wonder how all you critics think that posts in the national government and parliament are negotiated before they are put to a vote. When was there a referendum on Mr Brown as PM? Was it you who chose the new speaker of the parliament? And who proposed all the ministers? Was that publicly discussed or rather fought out behind closed doors between all the different groups within Labour (old leftists, new Labour, Scots, Welsh...)?

Of course, politicians could stop talking to each other and just have funny votes every time they have to choose somebody for a new post. Now that would be a wonderful world, I suppose.

people mingling at the summit.....Italian foreign minister to Brown.' I suppose you will be endorsing the canditure fo Mr Tony for EU President' Mr Brown replies, 'Of course I think he would make a fine EU President' the German ambassador interjects, 'But, Mr Brown the whole of Europe knows that you cannot stand Tony Blair' Mr Brown smiles and says 'I am currently the most unpopular man in Europe, if not the world so anyone with my seal of approval is dead meat....does that answer your question, those canapes look nice.....

bring on the dealing if it destroys that guy from getting in.i don't care for europe,but i suspect after lisbon is again forced on the british people, we are going to see alot of the eu pres.not another 10 years please.

what is a euro sceptic,is it someone who doesn't like french cheese.i say this because when someone is described as a euro sceptic,they never speak out and accept europe in a second.i have to say when it comes to politics it is usually the middle-class that has the cash,time and opportunity to show repugnance.but it seems to me we have the worst middle-class in europe.they have no backbone,accept every facist policy that is put forward and search cash and money with a fervour that i find disgusting.where are the pankhursts of our era.

BUT IT WON'T JUST BE DON TONY - HE WILL HAVE SANCHO CAMPBELL DONKEYING BY HIS SIDE (#13)

I heard Alastair Campbell doing that '100% eulogy for Tony' stuff, today. I could not get the fawning Waylon Smithers out of my head (with minor adjustments). . .

I can only say again: When an accomplished fireman is also known to be an arsonist, why do people want to promote him to Fire Chief? Are our priorities now so skewed, we would rather enjoy adoring a nutter, and go down in flames, than have a life predicated on some degree of reality?

Beggered if I can work out how we got here.

Endemic EU backroom dealing and frontroom arrogant rigging and strutting has already scuppered any public faith in democratic process

Nice picture, but.

Blair has never had an iota of a chance of becoming the first puppet president of the corruption ridden democratically deficient eu. The grusome twosome merkel and sarkozy told him that he would be if he handed even more of the British tax payers money over to the economic black hole, run by unelected, failed politicians called the eu commission, and he was so centred on his own self glorification that he did as they asked, now we are left with a massive increase in our personal taxation, and Blair has been sidelined from politics forever, so there is at least one good thing to come out of it.