To not know who the EU is?

[crankyblob]

I mean I know who are politicians are but can someone please educate me and tell me who the decision makers are in the EU?

A quick Google tells me about a commission but who makes this up?

I have never really thought about it before as had no choice anyway but now I am wondering that if I vote in, who am I actually voting for? Do we get to vote these people in?

Sorry if this sounds really ignorant but I just have not paid much attention to it before!

"Anyone who believes in democracy cannot vote to remain in the EU, at least not without shutting their eyes and crossing their fingers. The EU is fundamentally NOT a democratic institution. Indeed it is anti-democratic. The power in the EU lies not with the parliament but in the unelected EU Commissioners. Twice in the past five years the EU has removed a democratically elected government (in Italy and Greece) and appointed Brussels-approved technocrats. Tony Benn got the situation spot on. Once you have rulers who you cannot get rid of then you no longer live in a democracy. The lack of democracy means that there is a lack of accountability and therefore greater opportunity for corruption."

^^ I felt this needed copying and pasting again.

Well if you'd like to see some EU democracy in action watch this video!

Redexpat, I haven't seen extremists win anywhere as yet (unless you count the SNP or Sinn Fein).

Born Free nails it with the above^^ The frightening thin g is that after the UK referendum, the EU is considering banning referendas on leaving the EU, so we will be stuck inside forever, until it implodes. I would prefer to be on the outside.

OP - Paxman is fronting a programme on BBC1 this Thursday on this very issue, which I will be watching as I am also disturbed by the question of who is actually formenting the policies and decisions to me made (who pulls the strings, in other words).

A PP on another thread said that laws made by the EU cannot be repealed, no matter what, so I am looking for clarification on that too.

scary There's a coalition group for the far right in the EU parliament.

There are lots of interesting threads on the EU Referendum section of MN.

BMW6 I will be watching Paxman in Brussels: Who Really Rules Us? tomorrow. (Thursday BBC1 8pm, for anyone interested!)

Winterbiscuit and PP - thanks I will set that to record.

BornfreebutinEUchains - thanks for the one sided propaganda videos and quotes.

I do just want to check though - you know the quote you have bastardised for your name - you do realise the point of the original quote was that the only way we can be free now without going back to a state of nature is to submit to rules (chains) which govern everyone and therefore protect us? In fact your name is the counter-argument to the very point you seem to be trying to make? Just thought you might want to know that. Because it was too delicious an irony to ignore.

Redexpat Guy Verhofstadt keeps getting elected and he's an EU federalism fanatic. I'm more worried about his lot succeeding. He didn't do so well when he was PM of Belgium, God knows what his vision is for the EU.

Fair point. Sounds equally frightening. Was he the one that nick Griffin or Nigel farage said was president of a non country?