Brussels' pressure

Since I belong to the generation, who experienced the Iron Curtain - where relatives lived on both sides of the barrier - a united or unified Europe is still a pleasant thought. The EU ensures that we do not have to stop at every frontier, not needing to change your money in every country (admitting that as a boy, collecting coins from many different countries was exciting though), but the economic advantages of free transit, one currency and the like is obviously a step forward.

Furthermore, I vividly remember the entrance of countries into the EEC like Spain and Portugal, which proved to have greatly profited economically (and thus politically?) from the membership. In all, the EU seemed a right solution, especially after the diabolic carnage of WWII.

In the meantime, I have seen a side of the EU, which starts giving me a bit of an uneasy feeling: Slovakia has experienced a government since 2006, which has not exactly been very responsible with the public interest, resulting in an alarmingly dramatical increase of the state deficit. Whereas the government has for a long time completely ignored possible negative influences from the economic crisis, furthermore irresponsible spending sprees to satisfy some people's needs culminated in a budget gap, which the Fico government has kept secret till after the elections.

The Greek crisis is fairly known to us. But, while prime minister Fico has been quite generous to promise Slovakia's participation and contributions to the so called European Financial Stabilisation Mechanism, at home Mr Fico has refused to appear in parliament to discuss the matter. Not only should the parliament function as a control mechanism, but it was just another fling of arrogance of our lusting-for-power red comrade. 

After the elections, when it was clear, that the red leadership would come to a grinding halt - something, which even comrade Fico did not fully foresee - the still acting prime minister was suddenly pressing on the opposition (de facto the newly to be formed coalition) to sit around the table and to discuss the necessity to ratify the agreements. 

One camp has been claiming that Brussels was urging Slovakia to ratify before 1st July, the other that Mr Barroso is personally informed about the post-election status of Slovakia, and has given his understanding of Slovakia's temporary situation until a new government is formally installed. Concurrently, yesterday, another news-item was broadcast regarding EU members, over-stretching the allowed deficit.

But here comes a certain paradox; on the one hand, a relatively (economically ) small contributor like Slovakia is being pressed to cough up a pretty sum to bail out countries like Greece, when in fact, Slovakia is thanks to Mr Fico's household practices (who has had full political support from Brussels or even his PES - the European Socialist Party - friends. 

The European Union is showing some serious flaws in its behaviour, and its principles become slightly inconsistent. Intervening in internal matters may indeed be a tricky thing, but then, when being a bit blackmailed financially (and in all fairness, when taken into consideration the economical status of Slovakia, this is exactly how one could view this) then it becomes a bit of a hypocrite standpoint.

When institutions fail to apply a bit of a common sense, then they slowly lose their credibility. We all know about the tremendous billion slurping apparatus of the European parliament, nonsensically commuting between Strasbourg and Brussels, and the generous fees of the European Commissioners. Perhaps, the EU has become too complacent, and has forgotten, what it has been intended for.

In the meantime, citizens suffer from governments like Fico; have barely enough income to feed themselves or to build an adequate infrastructure, since these type of governments take it all. Every one knows, even in Brussels. But nothing changes. Is this really the EU we wanted?

MS