Letter: Brussels democracy

Mike Norris
Tuesday 23 March 1999 01:02 GMT
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Sir: David Aaronovitch (Comment, 18 March) urges Tony Blair to adopt an open list for elections to the European Parliament next time around. Yet in his proposal for an elected Commission, he favours a closed system, with Commissioners being elected only by their own countrymen.

The Parliament is a representative assembly, but the Commission is not about national interests - that's what the Council of Ministers is for - but for taking action, when appropriate and with due regard to subsidiarity, in the interests of Europe.

So if there are to be elections for Commissioners, as an Irish person I would like to be able to express preferences for candidates of all nationalities, not least that of England.

MIKE NORRIS

Dublin

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