Madam, – May I question some aspects of Richard Greene’s vigorous critique of the EU and Lisbon Treaty (February 2nd)?
He favours “a more democratic less federalistic union” but dislikes the prospect of the larger member states becoming more powerful. Yet it is the union’s “federalistic” character that prevents more democracy leading inevitably to the big countries dominating through the sheer weight of numbers.
Throughout the EU the system of government is representative democracy. In each country, the people elect a parliament which in turn elects a government. Ministers representing these elected governments take EU decisions, increasingly subject to approval by the elected members of the European Parliament. In all the committees preparing draft decisions, in every council that adopts them, and in the Parliament that approves them, Ireland is represented – and at above its democratic weight. Where is the democratic deficit that Mr Greene refers to?
The preparation of EU decisions, and, in many cases, their execution are in the hands of civil servants – just as in Ireland. Are these what he calls the “unelected elites in Brussels”? Since Irish voters don’t elect the officials in the various government departments, or senior gardaí, or the staff of the Central Bank, or even the chairmen of CIE and the ESB, does he regard these as the “unelected elites of Dublin”? – Yours, etc,