Monday, 12th January 2009
Letter to editor - French Presidency marred by PMOI disgrace
Dear Sir,
The French Presidency of the EU which ended its six month duration on 1st January, despite receiving well-earned plaudits for successfully handling an arduous agenda, has nonetheless been marred by a colossal disgrace. The EU's institutional integrity has been threatened because the Council of Ministers, led by France, has three times defied the Court of First Instance in Luxembourg on unlawful grounds. The court has ordered the immediate delisting from the EU Terror List of Iran's democratic opposition, the People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI). Similar verdicts led to the PMOI's delisting in Britain last June. But, the EU Council, at France's behest, has refused to comply with successive verdicts from no fewer than 7 courts, coming frighteningly close to exemplifying how, as Lord Acton famously said, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
A united Europe thrives on its democratic institutions and the rule of law, not arbitrary decision making by any one body. The Council of Ministers defied the rule of law by thumbing its nose at the judiciary. If one institution can so arbitrarily and effortlessly trample upon fundamental EU principles today, what can we expect for the future? Even worse, this sad tale is the result of a decision by the French government to appease the Iranian regime through the illegal blacklisting of Iran's opposition. This will undoubtedly set a dreadful precedent for the future. It is regrettable that this defiance of the rule of law occurred during the French presidency and with the blatant approval of the French government.
Yours sincerely
Struan Stevenson, MEP
