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French "Three Strikes" Law Gets New Life

Posted by kdawson on from the batter-batter-batter dept.

Kjella writes "A little over a week ago we discussed the EU's forbidding of disconnecting users from the Internet. But even after having passed with an 88% approval in the European Parliament, and passing through the European Commission, it was all undone last week. The European Council, led by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, removed the amendment before passing the Telecom package. This means that there's now nothing stopping France's controversial 'three strikes' law from going into effect. What hope is there for a 'parliament' where near-unanimous agreement can be completely undone so easily?"

4 of 193 comments (clear)

  1. None, not without massive reform by Nursie · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The EU is a great idfea but the execution is terrible. The council should be destroyed, stricken from the legislature.

    That anyone on the council thought that this was even remotely conscionable tells you just how undemocratic the people on it are. The fact that they could then go and do this tells you how undemocratic the council system is.

    Get rid of it. It's sick.

    1. Re:None, not without massive reform by amorsen · · Score: 3, Interesting

      The commission is completely unelected. Part of their rules of conduct is to NOT act with any favour towards those who picked them. The commission isn't a political body, but it has extensive political powers, including being the only body who can actually propose new laws.

      The government isn't elected directly in most European countries, but parliament gets to pick the prime minister, and they can vote them out again. In contrast, the European parliament is a squabbling mess who doesn't accomplish anything. They could in theory dissolve the commission, but it didn't happen even when the commission became so obviously corrupt that it had to step down.

      If the commission was abolished, I'd have fewer reservations about the EU. I still don't believe that you can actually have a well-functioning democracy the size of EU, and India and USA don't particularly challenge that belief.

      --
      Finally! A year of moderation! Ready for 2019?
  2. No standing anyway by l2718 · · Score: 3, Interesting
    \begin{rant}

    This French law is stupid, but to what extent should the badly-run shady organization in Brussels overturn by fiat laws made by the National Assembly?

    The European Union executive runs roughshod over the European Parliament; there is much backroom dealing and invisible lobbying. Under such conditions I don't think the laws passed have much legitimacy, even if they achieve good results (they rarely do). Depending on the dictators from Brussels to enforce freedom in France is a contradiction in terms.

    \end{rant}

    1. Re:No standing anyway by marnues · · Score: 4, Interesting

      As an American, I want a strong EU. They are an entity that would bring very positive competition that I'm not certain China or India can offer. So please take your rant and turn it into activism. Change those "dictators in Brussels" into democratically elected and fully responsible civil servants. The world would be a much better place.