Europe

ARE we seeing the start of the end of the European Union? The rise of the eurospectics in last week´s European elections shows that there is growing discontent with the so-called European dream not just in Britain but in France and even Germany. But I think it is more a problem of communication rather than the actual union. No-one is too sure really what a European Member of Parliament does for their vast salary. I have spoken to many MEPs and they say that most of the legislation which they pass affects our day-to-day lives. They blame the media for not doing enough to underline the virtues of the European Union. This is certainly not the case. It is not our job to say what a great job they are doing, it is their job to show us what a great job they are doing. I certainly believe in Europe and believe that Britain should be a member of the EU, but a charm offensive is certainly needed and MEPs need to work harder at getting their message across.The mainstream parties failed miserably at trying to stop or even contain the surge in support for the eurospectics and the pro-European parties were punished hard. So perhaps it should be back to the drawing board for the European Union. Perhaps, a new Europe should be planned in which there are fewer MEPs, more talk of trade than political union and ofcourse a massive charm offensive which underlines the work of the European Union and why is it so important for us.