Down with proposed Double Majority for EU

German Chancellor Angela Merkel held her third meeting of the day with Polish President Lech Kaczynski at the European Union summit on Friday in a bid to persuade Poland to agree to a new EU treaty (Constitution).

Poland fiercely opposes proposals by Germany to reform voting rights for the 27-country EU as part of the new treaty. The populist Kaczynski twins who rule the former communist state say the so-called "double majority" mechanism would give big countries such as Germany too much power in decision-making for the EU and penalise mid-sized nations such as Poland.

The German proposal would mean that decisions are passed if they have the support of at least 55 percent of member states and 65 percent of the EU population.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy offered Poland a compromise, suggesting that a small group of EU member states could block certain decisions adopted under the proposed voting system, but the idea was rejected as "a slogan" by a Polish spokesman.

The treaty is intended to replace a draft constitution which was rejected by French and Dutch voters in referendums two years ago.

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[Also see evil of double majority system of EU]