Europe's Dueling Egos

The EU Trade Chief and French President Nicolas Sarkozy are at odds.

EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson has accused French President Nicolas Sarkozy of undermining him and Europe's position at world trade talks.

He spoke after Mr Sarkozy accused him of trying to force a trade deal on the EU that would destroy European jobs.

Mr Sarkozy's comments came just days after he said Mr Mandelson had been a factor in Ireland's referendum rejection of the EU's Lisbon Treaty.

So what did Sarkozy say?

Mr Mandelson told the BBC's Newsnight programme he was "mystified" that the French president had blamed him over the Irish 'no' vote.

"I am being undermined and Europe's negotiating position in the world trade talks is being weakened and I regret that," he said.

Well, having been in Ireland for several weeks preceding the Lisbon Treaty vote, I think that Sarkozy has a point and Mr. Mandelson needs to back up a bit. As I was touring Ireland I repeatedly was told by the locals about how the EU was imposing restrictions on what they could grow and produce, costing the Irish jobs.

I will always remember the look in one man's face as he pointed to a now shuttered sugar beet processing plant that used to employee 2,000 locals, saying that it was closed by the EU to prevent competition. I heard similar stories at many other locations around Ireland.

I was completely unsurprised that the Lisbon Treaty was voted down. This no vote was especially significant cause the government had put out a major effort to lobby for yes votes. Almost every local news broadcast I saw included an appearance by some government official campaigning for the Treaty to be passed. You could hardly drive down a street without seeing "vote yes" signs like burma shave signs every where you looked.

So Mr. Mandelson might want to shut his yap and go look in the mirror if he wants to know why the Lisbon Treaty ended. A large part of it was distrust of the EU due to economically damaging restrictions imposed on Ireland.

I predict that the EU will adopt the EU treaty in safe, supportive country's and then give Ireland an ultimatum to reconsider their vote or get out of the EU. I think I know how the average Irish resident would respond to such an ultimatum.

Which just one of many reasons is why I still expect that the EU will one day split apart. It's not a matter of if to me, just a matter of when.