No soul is interested in the EU. The reason for this is that there are rarely true conflicts. Most of the MEPS sight-read, very few of them challenge the opponents. Exciting discussions, such as those one can witness in the House of Commons – clearly divided between the “evil” government and the “good” opposition – are being suppressed by the internal rules of procedure, the architecture of the plenary hall and finally by the primary legislation.
Harmony and consensus dominate the voting process at the Council. Between July 2006 and October 2009 the Austrian MEPS voted for 425 voting subjects out of overall 435 voting subjects. There were 3 abstinences and only seven votes against. Thus Austria is the EU record holder among the rebels. No other country votes against more frequently that Austria.
This kind of consensus terrorises the public debate and therefore democracy. A lukewarm light diet cannot stipulate any discussion, whereas lamb tripe and chilli can. We need lively TV debates between Obama, Putin and Blair, between Junker, Cohn-Bendit and Le Pen. Instead the EU invests 2, 4 billion euros in its image campaign; much more that Coca-Cola annually invests in its worldwide advertising. But one cannot really respond to a smooth commercials, they do not it doesn’t engage anyone in a debate. The European democracy needs big and conflict-ridden debates.
