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Comment by cat199 | Hacker News Reader

Yes, a supranational organization which draws its executive leadership from unelected politicians certainly needs to create an armed force with broad-stroke investigative powers in order to prevent corruption. That sounds like a fantastic idea!

Exactly part of the EU meisterplan - 1st economic union, then, oh wait, that doesn't actually work without sacrificing national sovereignty.. guess we need to have a federal european government afte rall, and all the better if noone is elected.

Heil das Heiliges Römisches Reich!

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What's with the funny German? Are you saying you are an EU sceptic or are you mainly a germanophobe?

You know that different dialects of German were just some of the many languages spoken in the Holy Roman Empire, and not the official ones, right?

I agree that democracy in EU is far from perfect but no EU institution is beyond democratic control. All answer to democratly elected politicians.

Not a germanophobe; but that the trajectory of a single autocratic western empire (what would result from this police force in my view) is not a new idea, and infact the EU is to some extent simply an economic-focused philosophical follower-on of the holy roman empire, which in turn was the philosophical follower-on of the actual western roman empire.. The fact that the german central bank dominates the economic discussion does make for a bit of fun double entendre however.. which is not to say that this is either good nor bad - i'm of mixed feelings as concerns our view of historical systems.. it's just rediculous that it pretends to be some sort of 'free market democracy'

> All answer to democratly elected politicians.

In much the same way that when acting in cabinet, the 'prince electors' were still subject to their local populace.. it is a second tier.

It is completely inconsistent to complain about the EC not being directly elected (it is nominated by the member governments) yet also complain about "sacrificing national sovereignty" to the EU.

The entire reason that the EC is controlled by the member governments rather than by the directly-elected parliament is because that arrangement maintains national sovereignty of the member states. A directly elected European executive would have a competing mandate with the national governments; an EC controlled by the member governments is naturally subservient to them.

when a consortium of other state leaders can meet to enact legislation that is binding on my country it is not sovereignty, even if my leaders have a vote..

I understand this is by treaty currently so your points tsnds; my argument is that creating standing armed bodies such as this is a step down the path to a change in such arrangements (as basically all of history will demonstrate)...

Maybe not so far fetched http://www.german-foreign-policy.com/en/fulltext/59067

Oh come on. Do you take those guys seriously?

>draws its executive leadership from unelected politicians

Eh?

They work at the whim of the parliament don't they?

EU parliament is lame duck, the commission can ignore any resolution if they so please.

Democracy in EU is only second order because commission is made up government representatives of each member.

How do you propose handling this assassination?

No clear answers unfortunately..

Increased effort to fight corruption on a local level and dismantle the tax loopholes which facillitate such things would probably be the right path..

Bureaucracies grow larger and gain more power over time!?

Can the EU be stopped? Nations will plead the 50th slowly over time.

That's the only answer I believe is feasible.

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