The member states of the EU, racked by the financial crisis, have requested a cut in the EU budget. This is a welcome move. However it has angered the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, who actually wants an increase in the budget to help pay for the champagne and caviar lifestyle he is accustomed to. Schulz is a German Socialist, and even by the standards of career politicians, is a fanatical Europhile. In the upcoming European Parliament vote on the budget, Schulz has demanded a secret ballot, and he only needs 151 MEPs to back him for it to become a reality.
To give you some idea of how unusual this move is, this secret ballot procedure has only been used three times in the 34 years of the European Parliament's existence.
The European Parliament's archive service
have already confirmed this (Request number 17044 and answer number
29576).
The reason is simple. Schulz thinks it is okay for career politicians to keep how they vote a secret from the people who pay for their salaries and expenses. To Schulz, the taxpayer, already at breaking point financially, should be squeezed even harder for even more money - and to add insult to injury, they should not be allowed to know which politicians are squeezing them.
The secret ballot goes against the principles of accountability and transparency that so many of us hold dear. I am launching a campaign to demand both British MEPs and their European counterparts of all parties commit not to support this secret ballot initiative.
Please contact your MEPs and demand that they oppose a secret ballot. Spread the word, and let the arrogant elites in Brussels know that you will not put up with this any longer.
The reason is simple. Schulz thinks it is okay for career politicians to keep how they vote a secret from the people who pay for their salaries and expenses. To Schulz, the taxpayer, already at breaking point financially, should be squeezed even harder for even more money - and to add insult to injury, they should not be allowed to know which politicians are squeezing them.
The secret ballot goes against the principles of accountability and transparency that so many of us hold dear. I am launching a campaign to demand both British MEPs and their European counterparts of all parties commit not to support this secret ballot initiative.
Please contact your MEPs and demand that they oppose a secret ballot. Spread the word, and let the arrogant elites in Brussels know that you will not put up with this any longer.
