Hungary can ‘no longer be considered a full democracy,’ says EU Parliament

[Bkk Brian]

Quite right too

 

BREAKING: EU suspending 65% of #Hungary’s EU funding because of #Orban’s attacks on the rule of law, announces Commissioner @JHahnEU

. It pertains to €7.5 billion in funding.

 

BRUSSELS, Sept 18 (Reuters) - The European Union executive recommended on Sunday suspending some 7.5 billion euros in funding for Hungary over corruption, the first such case in the 27-nation bloc under a new sanction meant to better protect the rule of law.

https://www.reuters.com/world/first-eu-seen-moving-cut-money-hungary-over-damaging-democracy-2022-09-18/

Edited September 18, 2022 by Bkk Brian

[JonnyF]

The EU criticising Hungary for a lack of democracy? ????

 

Pot meet kettle. 

 

More headaches for the failing federalist project after the Swedish election results. 

[placeholder]

5 hours ago, nauseus said:

My first thought. 

What about your second thought? You know, the one where you realize that in the UK the PM and cabinet members aren't elected to their leadership positions by a popular vote either?

Edited September 18, 2022 by placeholder

[Slip]

13 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

The EU criticising Hungary for a lack of democracy? ????

 

Pot meet kettle. 

 

More headaches for the failing federalist project after the Swedish election results. 

You would be well advised to look closer to home at your failing tory government and the way they with their brexit are failing the people of the UK.

[JonnyF]

6 minutes ago, placeholder said:

What about your second thought? You know, the one where you realize that in the UK the PM and cabinet members aren't elected to their leadership positions by a popular vote either?

But they are elected into parliament by their constituents.

[placeholder]

1 minute ago, JonnyF said:

But they are elected into parliament by their constituents.

Please. They're given safe constituencies where they don't have to reside. In theory they don't even have to live in the UK at all to represent a constituency.

[JonnyF]

2 minutes ago, Slip said:

You would be well advised to look closer to home at your failing tory government and the way they with their brexit are failing the people of the UK.

The Conservatives were elected by the British people. 

 

The electorate voted to leave the EU.

 

Democracy.

 

I know it's annoying for the vocal,  extreme minority but that's how it works.

[JonnyF]

1 minute ago, placeholder said:

Please. They're given safe constituencies where they don't have to reside. In theory they don't even have to live in the UK at all to represent a constituency.

The electorate know who they are voting for.

 

Nobody voted for Von De Leyen. She was "selected" by technocrats about 3 layers above the votes of the people.

 

 

[placeholder]

14 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

The electorate know who they are voting for.

 

Nobody voted for Von De Leyen. She was "selected" by technocrats about 3 layers above the votes of the people.

 

 

It's amazing how little some know about how the EU works. She was elected by a majority of MEP's.

 

[Chomper Higgot]

27 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

But they are elected into parliament by their constituents.

MEPs are elected.

[stevenl]

30 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

But they are elected into parliament by their constituents.

Yes, very democratic, a landslide majority with 43 percent of the vote.

[Chomper Higgot]

51 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

The EU criticising Hungary for a lack of democracy? ????

 

Pot meet kettle. 

 

More headaches for the failing federalist project after the Swedish election results. 

Headaches you say, well here’s a real headache:

 

https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/33-Of-All-UK-Exporters-To-EU-Vanish-Due-To-Brexit-Related-Red-Tape.html

[RayC]

Given their influence, the suggestion that the President of the EU and (perhaps) the Commissars should be elected by the public has some merit imo.

 

However, the idea that the UK system is somehow more democratic isn't supported by the evidence.

 

The Conservative party won 43.6% of the vote at the last election but holds 56.1% of the seats in the House of Commons. At the other extreme, the Lib Dems received 11.6% of the vote but have only 1.7% of the available seats. Members of the House of Lords and the Head of State - two entities which have constitutional power - are appointed not elected. 

 

Not exactly a fair and equitable system of democracy.

[candide]

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

The electorate know who they are voting for.

 

Nobody voted for Von De Leyen. She was "selected" by technocrats about 3 layers above the votes of the people.

 

 

Not true.

She was nominated by elected governments ( the Council), then approved by elected MEPS.

She is also not the president of the EU, only of one of the three main EU institutions.

Two  directly elected bodies (Council and EP). One appointed by the two other elected bodies.

 

Not so bad compared to UK. Only one elected entity. An unelected chief of State and an unelected House of Lords. None of them elected directly or indirectly. On top of it, applicants are pre-selected according to the most undemocratic criteria.

Edited September 18, 2022 by candide

[nauseus]

4 hours ago, placeholder said:

What about your second thought? You know, the one where you realize that in the UK the PM and cabinet members aren't elected to their leadership positions by a popular vote either?

Damn - never thought of that. But the difference is that the UK PM/Cabinet generally qualify because they are elected MPs in the first pace.

[placeholder]

1 hour ago, nauseus said:

Damn - never thought of that. But the difference is that the UK PM/Cabinet generally qualify because they are elected MPs in the first pace.

So the best qualified people are to found among the 357 Conservative MPs?

[Chomper Higgot]

7 hours ago, nauseus said:

Damn - never thought of that. But the difference is that the UK PM/Cabinet generally qualify because they are elected MPs in the first pace.

In general es, but not necessarily so:

 

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/breaking-boris-johnson-hires-unelected-23518890

 

https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/prime-minister-lost-seat-general-election

[JonnyF]

15 hours ago, placeholder said:

It's amazing how little some know about how the EU works. She was elected by a majority of MEP's.

 

Actually, she was approved by a very slim majority of MEP's. She scraped though after a secret ballot (how transparent!!) after being nominated by the European council. 

 

No citizens of the EU directly voted for the failed politician, Von Der Leyen to be President. 

 

Thank goodness we've left the failing, undemocratic federalist project.

 

 

 

Edited September 19, 2022 by JonnyF

[placeholder]

Just now, JonnyF said:

Actually, she was approved by a very slim majority of MEP's. She scraped though after a secret ballot (how transparent!!) after being nominated by the European council. 

 

No citizens of the EU directly voted for the failed politician, Von Der Leyen to be President. 

 

Thank goodness we've left the failing, undemocratic federalist project.

 

 

But it was a majority.

And no public ballot was held for citizens of the UK to vote directly for any PM.

 

[baboon]

21 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Actually, she was approved by a very slim majority of MEP's. She scraped though after a secret ballot (how transparent!!) after being nominated by the European council. 

 

No citizens of the EU directly voted for the failed politician, Von Der Leyen to be President. 

 

Thank goodness we've left the failing, undemocratic federalist project.

 

 

 

You do not speak for me. I did not vote to be poorer and have my country made a worldwide laughing stock. 

[JonnyF]

20 minutes ago, placeholder said:

But it was a majority.

And no public ballot was held for citizens of the UK to vote directly for any PM.

 

The UK has a completely different, democratic system, thankfully.

[JonnyF]

5 minutes ago, baboon said:

You do not speak for me. I did not vote to be poorer and have my country made a worldwide laughing stock. 

I don't claim to speak for you. The majority who cared enough to vote, voted to leave the failing federalist project. Attempts to overturn the democratic vote failed. That's Democracy in action. UK style. 

[baboon]

30 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

I don't claim to speak for you. The majority who cared enough to vote, voted to leave the failing federalist project. Attempts to overturn the democratic vote failed. That's Democracy in action. UK style. 

Turkeys voting for Christmas is certainly democracy, UK style.

[stevenl]

9 hours ago, placeholder said:

But it was a majority.

And no public ballot was held for citizens of the UK to vote directly for any PM.

 

So a majority of mep voted for her. Did a majority of UK members of parliament vote for the UK pm?

[placeholder]

13 hours ago, stevenl said:

So a majority of mep voted for her. Did a majority of UK members of parliament vote for the UK pm?

Not this time around. Just conservative party members.

[puchooay]

On 9/17/2022 at 4:03 AM, stevenl said:

EU funding should be halted now.

EU f̶u̶n̶d̶i̶n̶g̶  should be halted now.

[RayC]

17 minutes ago, puchooay said:

EU f̶u̶n̶d̶i̶n̶g̶  should be halted now.

Brexit wasn't enough for some people. Nothing less than the disintegration of the EU will do.

 

Sadly that seems to be the view of many in the UK government. Is it any wonder that the relationship between the EU and UK is so bad?

[puchooay]

14 minutes ago, RayC said:

Brexit wasn't enough for some people. Nothing less than the disintegration of the EU will do.

 

Sadly that seems to be the view of many in the UK government. Is it any wonder that the relationship between the EU and UK is so bad?

My comment was one based on economics, not politics.

 

Unions simply don't work. They would have a slim chance if all members were on an even keel, had the same economic views and strengths and all had something to offer. Sadly, this is never true. EU has shown this and ASEAN is showing it too.

 

 

 

 

[puchooay]

26 minutes ago, RayC said:

Brexit wasn't enough for some people. Nothing less than the disintegration of the EU will do.

 

Sadly that seems to be the view of many in the UK government. Is it any wonder that the relationship between the EU and UK is so bad?

Surely you mean the "leader" of the country. Wouldn't that be the monarch?

[puchooay]

On 9/18/2022 at 2:26 PM, Slip said:

You would be well advised to look closer to home at your failing tory government and the way they with their brexit are failing the people of the UK.

The government held a referendum. There was a majority vote, by the people, for Brexit. It was not the government's decision.