With the news the Lisbon treaty has now been ratified by all 27 European states it looks likely (nothing is absolutely certain when it comes to Europe it seems) that we will be getting a new president now, but not one for whom we can all vote for. I don’t pretend to know an awful lot about European politics, but I would consider myself generally as a Europhile rather than a Europhobe, however it does seem to me that if a President of Europe has great powers (and why else would they not, if its worth having one at all?), then you should probably have that person elected by the population of Europe.
Of course, the media are unable to talk about Europe without also mentioning what effect it will have to our next general election. It amuses me that everyone is talking about a Tory victory as an all-but-certainty. Yes, the opinions state it, but I’m not so sure its a full gone conclusion. It could actually be one of our most interesting elections for a lifetime, with, I would have thought a stronger certainty of a hung parliament than a Tory victory. And if not a hung parliament, certainly a minority win for whichever party, and I’m really not sure that its assured to be a Conservative win…
