New news is no news.

[InsaneApache]

I was reading this story...


Former political sleaze watchdogs Lord Nolan and Sir Gordon Downey have been named as possible candidates to head a new European Union drive against fraud.

Alan Donnelly MEP, who leads the European Parliamentary Labour Party, said either of the two would be "perfect" to head an independent inquiry into alleged fraud, nepotism and financial mismanagement in the EU budget.

Lord Nolan is the former chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life. Sir Gordon stood down from the post of Parliamentary Standards Commissioner towards the end of last year.


Alan Donnelly: An independent inquiry is needed

The fraud claims led to crisis in relations between the European Parliament and the EU Commission last week, and raised the prospect of the mass sacking of the entire EU executive.

In the end, however, the European Parliament backed off using this "nuclear option" to censure the Commission, but has called for a report on the fraud allegations by March.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/260528.stm

then I read this one......


A report on the misuse of expenses by MEPs is likely to be kept secret by the European Parliament despite growing calls for it to be made public.

The internal audit exposes money-making scams without naming individuals and shows “embezzlement and fraud on a massive scale”, according to the MEP who revealed its existence.

But parliament insiders said that today’s meeting of the budget control committee would not result in publication because senior figures were afraid of setting a precedent on publishing confidential auditors’ documents.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3434326.ece

So what? You might ask.

The first story is from January 22, 1999. The second story is from February 26, 2008.

Always more than happy to disregard the voters wishes, in collusion with national governments, always more than happy to swindle the taxpayer. The EU is a shambolic mess and needs dismantling and re-building from the bottom up. How long can the EU last in it's present authoritarian/corrupt state?

I fear for the future of Europe.

[Fragony]

Absolutily no idea, I don't know what it is and I don't know what it does.


heh, eurocrat has hired his own wife as an asistant for 16.000 euro a month, these guys could make the dutch social-democrats look like a club with integrity.

[Fragony]

http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/3007

Corrupt and untouchable, with a hint of editorial immunity. Well, total editorial immunity as long as you are a socialist.

[Fragony]

Update, not even untouchable, we don't even get to know who they are we wouldn't know who we aren't to touch, the report on eu-corruption is strictly confidential. What the hell. I think I am out plenty of family in Denmark gah.

[JAG]

So what.

[Fragony]

So what.

Well that

[Papewaio]

So what.

Transparency and accountability a good government make.

A democracy in particular requires informed voters. When the governments on purpose make themselves less transparent they are at the minimum not presenting all the information for the citizens to make an informed choice. Worse scenarios are that lack of transparency and accountability increase fraud, corruption and the power of special interest groups. This allows criminals and corporations far more power in the political arena and removes even more power from the common man.

So my question is what do you have against the people JAG? :clown:

[rory_20_uk]

"So What"

It is a shame when people are so fixated with an idea that even evidence that it is rotten to the core won't shake their belief in it; if this scandal was the Tories stealing money I doubt there would be the same indifference.

~:smoking:

[Fragony]

"So What"

It is a shame when people are so fixated with an idea that even evidence that it is rotten to the core won't shake their belief in it; if this scandal was the Tories stealing money I doubt there would be the same indifference.

~:smoking:

At least the 'critical media' would be all over it desiring no less then their heads. But not now no sir. Red rats, loves mankind but hates the people, except theirselves of course. Grab grab grab who's money is it anyway the stuff grows on trees!

[JAG]

I don't see the moral indignation, it invariably happens in huge organisations like the EU, it will ebb and flow. It will get better then get worse, just how it will always be, what I don't like is the ignorance that it won;t be like this and then using it as an excuse to attack and damand a withdrawal from, the EU.

At least people could be honest in their attacks and just say, 'we don't wanna be in it.'