It is always thus.
The union is ostensibly formed to benefit the people. But even when it manifestly has not served its purpose, it is the ‘union’ that must be saved. At. All. Costs.
So it is that the rights of people are sacrificed at the altar of ‘union.’
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Commission has been providing legal advice to others who are considering possible scenarios should Greece leave the euro, a European Union spokesman said.
Olivier Bailly said Tuesday that, legally, limits could be imposed on movement of people and money across national borders within the EU if it’s necessary to protect public order or public security — but not on economic grounds.
“Some people are working on scenarios,” he said, but refused to confirm or identify which organizations and people were working on them.
We must have order.
June 12, 2012 at 5:10 pm
Ok speaking as a eurosceptic Irishman and someone who has studied EU Law for a year. The EU is actually very very strict when it comes to limits on trade and free movement of goods and persons in the union and public order and security is literally the ONLY way to prevent what is almost essentially a borderless Europe. This is nothing new, in fact national governments and many eurosceptic WANT stronger borders and more limits imposed on the free movement of persons, this has been a controversy for years, I do not understand why you have this posted up here, it has very little to do with the oncoming disaster of the Union.
June 12, 2012 at 5:50 pm
Matthew perhaps you aren't taking something into account. Countries do have a right and duty to permit travel across their borders, and passports or other permits are the way that's always been handled. If you are experiencing economic hardship is it really tyranny for another country to expect you to jump through the neccessary hoops for legal entry? My suggestion to you is to go down to an INS office and spend the day watching the "now serving number…" sign increment. That will give you a sense of what awaits applicants who want to do things legally.
June 13, 2012 at 8:20 am
I think he is saying that, according to the law governing the EU, member states are not allowed to impose restrictions on immigration from other member states except in the case of protecting public order or security concerns. With the crisis, some of the member states may be considering restricting the free movement of peoples for economic reasons, which this fellow says is not allowed.
I think Pat may have misread the statement to mean that the EU will impose restrictions on people moving from one state to another to preserve order. After all, I don't think Pat would be against a sovereign state asserting its right to restrict immigration.
June 13, 2012 at 9:32 am
More ignorant, American tripe; blathering about Evil Europe so they can feel better about the incredible mess in which they find themselves. As the 2nd Euro-skeptic here (continental this time) I will repeat Servent's assessment of the situation; this has always been the case. It is especially poignant when new countries join the EU, since the immediate tendency of some more parasitic elements would be to prey upon their cheaper real estate and labor force.
If this is your idea of tyranny, then it's no wonder you remain a joke in the Catholic blogger community. Stick with whining about your current politicians, and leave the deeper concepts of economics and Europe to those who can grasp them.
June 13, 2012 at 9:24 pm
@most recent anonymous: like you, presumably? Somehow I remain unconvinced, since you can't grasp the sign-in functions attached to the combox.
Oh, but then again, it's not like Europe actually understands economics, or anything else. At least America's left are lying when they describe their politics (it isn't actually unknown where FDR got the New Deal); you silly little creatures actually believe you've got socialism. Only, socialism does not, has not, and probably cannot exist—your economics, just like those of the Democratic Party, are pure Mussolinian Corporativism from end to end.
And you're welcome for that whole "don't worry about having a respectable military, it's not like you're a real country with a right to its sovereignty; we'll handle keeping the Soviets out, and we won't even say anything when you denounce the 'militarism' that's the only thing between you and the Russians teaching you what that word actually means".
Stick with explaining away the fact you've let radical Islamist micro-states form enclaves that your governments have no control over, and ignoring your hilariously low birthrates, and leave the thinking and acting to the actual adults, i.e. the Americans. Just like you always do.
June 13, 2012 at 10:43 pm
Hahahaha oh wow, I did not mean to to spark off another petty you-know-what measuring match between europeans and americans. But for the sake of fair play.
@Anon; Its not like we have any better grasp of economics and we ourselves are not even sure what european even means anymore.
@Sophia's Favorite; America is adults? Right, ok, we'll let you children think that if it makes you feel more important than us and let you forget that you are tethered to China.