The terrocrats of Europa extract consensus by Delphi techniques. It is rehearsed psychology. The EU parliament is a facade of democracy with no real power. That belongs to the new feudal banking overlords who will regulate the size of tomatoes and cucumbers for us, just as in the Middle Ages, when you needed a writ from your land-lord to grow certain types of vegetables or hunt game. Some of the black slaves in the American South had more farming freedom. We are back to the Dark Ages now.

Jurgen Dorst, Vienna, Austria

Good for Poland to stand up for their rights. The EU, as it is configured, is nothing more than an anti-democratic state for the super elite. It looks to me like the new Soviet more than anything that resembles a democracy. Unelected executive branch and decisions imposed on democracies can not be good for their future.

I wonder if anyone in Europe has heard of the term Confederation in which Canada and the United States were built upon. Much better and more accountable political model IMO. They should just stick to the concept of an econmic union and save us all the big wars in the future.

Chad, Prince George, British Columbia

"Yes, why shouldn't a country like Luxembourg with a population of almost 500,000, have the same vote than a country with 85 million. That is just so democratic!" - alex London UK

Democratic? Since when was the EU democratic? It has never been democratic and was never ever intended to be democratic. The EU was, is and always will be a co-operative oligarchy. When the founders of the EU were planning how Europe would evolve, they never ever intended it to be a democracy.

We should be allowed a referendum on membership, we have never ever been asked about whether we wanted to be subsumed in a country called Europe. With an unelected president and foreign minister, a common policies on defence, crime, business industrial relations and the environment. We have gone from an independent country chosing our own laws to a tiny region of a country that dictates most of our laws without any debate or consultation.

We need a referendum now.

Ken Hall, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria

Poland's is the sovereign authority here. The European Commission is merely a treay organisation.

Kevin, London,

Andreas from Heidelberg should remember than in a perfect world Germany would have had to pay Poland full reparations for WW2. In addition Poland found itself on the wrong side of the Iron curtain for reasons beyond its control. In 1945-7 a single nuclear bomb would have resolved the issue and I am sure the Polish air force based in England would have been prepared to apply this solution if requested. I still believe that Poland in general has recovered post 1989 compared with the former East Germany after taking into account the support the latter has received from the former West Germany

Robert , Warsaw , Poland

Poland's is the sovereign authority here. The European Commission is merely a treaty organisation.

Kevin, London,

Losing my patience with the unashamedly populist and dishonourable current Polish regime. If the Polish electorate doesn't kick the Kaczynskis out of office then we should kick the Poles out of Europe.

David, Muenster, Germany

Not sure how Poland can 'save freedom again' (remind us when they did it last time, please); but I agree with the 'Hurray for the Poles' bit. It is high time not only for new EU members to stand up to the EU bullies, but for the populations of all the countries to stand up to them: we are being governed by unelected foreigners, without having a say in the matter.

Ann Sinclair, Manchester,

I don't know what irritates me most: the denegation of Jaroslaw's Kaczynski own words or the reactions on this forum. (1) For me, a deal is a deal, and coming back to what was negotiated less than a week ago unacceptable. The fact that Mr.Kaczynski be Pole or French or whatever is irrelevant. (2) The European Union IS A DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTION, whatever the Murdoch-owned propaganda on this island may distill day in day out. The national governments, and the democratically elected Parliament, decide: the Commission only has a right of proposal. Enough lies.

Laurent , Cranfield, UK

I don't think that Polands performance is more disgraceful than the attempt to bypass the european electorate by disguising this constitution as a "treaty". The entire process, which basically states that the EU electorate is irrelevant and ignorant, seems much more disgraceful to me. All of it is done in full view of the EU electorate thus actually proving them irrelevant and ignorant.

bernard ross, st. anns bay, jamaica

Many Euro-sceptic comments here. My message to the europhobes: stop and think for a minute. If the UK were not part of the EU then UK businesses would be in trouble because they could not enter European markets on the same basis as their European competitors. = unemployment in the UK. And because European businesses would not be abe to enter UK markets on the same basis as UK competitors that would mean less competiton, less choice and higher prices over her. And as for some semi-racist anti-immigration sentiments here expressed, I urge those people to think too. Immigration fills gaps in the employment market which leads to economic growth. It is only through economic growth that more jobs are created. We have all benefitied immensely from the Poles coming to Britain, and with their populist reactionist government back home I do not blame them for coming here. They are most welcome as far as I am concerned.

David, Muenster, Germany

I am amazed at all these people living outside Europe voicing their opinon , I suggest they look after their own back garden until they start paying taxes here.

michael campbell, londonderry, N Ireland

Good for Poland which is trying to build a European Republic and not what is on the agenda of a European Clique which will in days become a European Dictatorship.
Whether Europen likes America or not, the answer is the American system of Senators and Representatives which divides power between each state and each population.

Right now you have an mob rule of too many socialists looking to trample people's rights. The European state exists for the people and not the people for it.
What will happen though is a breakdown of central Europeans forming a dictatorship, western Europe in the cold and approaching a Hitler type war with Russia waiting to pounce.

Europeans never play well together and a world war is brewing not over this but over all of your Eurasians wanting to rule the world.

LC, Watertown, USA

I think if a referendum was required most people in Europe would not have voted for Poland not to be allowed in,so stop crying Poland. Just look at Turkey and thank your lucky stars for the oppertunity.

michael campbell, londonderry, N Ireland

I guess all europhobics side with Poland....;funny....they are the same who are the staunchest advocates for the Turkish bid. :))) Yes to a hard core of EU states.....:))

Pascal-Pierre, Dinan / france, European Union

Donald,
You're not seriously saying Germany and Luxembourg should have the same voting rights. The people of Europe should be represented equally - this is not the same as one country one vote.
Polands behaviour is sadly reminiscent of some of the lunatics in the Scottish parliament blaming England for every problem we've ever had.
Poland please grow up.

Jaycee, Amsterdam,

The EU plan is both transparently simple. It serves the Globalist owners of the world's Central Banks.

Just as the United States of America surrendered its national sovereignty with the treasonous and UNconstitutional Federal Reserve Act of 1913 - handing over its own political and economic future/destiny to the Federal Reserve's private globalist/oligarchy owners thus leading to World War I, World War II and all the U.S.A.'s wars & 'police actions' and 'regional conflicts', the European Union is nothing but the exact same sort of surrender of national sovereignty by those native traitors of the European countries.

Poland, it would seem for the moment, prefers NOT to 'sell its collective soul' to the Devil's human minions as has the U.S.A. and its European counterparts.

Joseph Hryczyk, Wallington, New Jersey - U.S.A.

Kick Poland out and let them go back to the good times.

michael campbell, londonderry, N Ireland

Well done the Poles! They have shown their people what leadership is about not like Blair and Brown both of who have scant regard for the British people.

CALL A REFERENDUM on the cave in you agreed to in Europe Mr Brown! Stop all the spin and show some back bone!

Your other article Au Revoir Tony is not surprising, Blair the "negotiator" (ha ha) has done more for the French cause in Europe than the French! Will Brown follow? Only a Referendum before October 07 on the agreement will tell.

If not Vote them out before they do any more damage to Britains Sovereignty.

Peter, Auckland,

To those who condemn Poland for asking to be treated fair and on equal rights: this is not any blackmailing or selfishness, you should first learn a little bit about the history of betrayal, promises not kept and backstabbing that Poland experienced from some of "old Europe" countries in it's history. You should know a little bit more about not so great Polish-German relations and complicated history that both neighbors have. Would Sunny Dutt from Canada be happy about his country to be in a position of a subject who has to listen and dance according to what US say? (maybe it's not good example, it's actually almost this way already...)
If Poland can not have equal voting rights than Poland will leave UE and will not cry about it - it was Germany who wanted Poland in there in the first place but without the right to say "no" to what Germany wants ha ha...or do they love Poland so much that all they want is to be able to decide what is better for Poles for their own good, lol

Robert, Oakville, Canada

Well done Poland..... that is so going to backfire on you.
Just keep manipulating your main benefactor and neighbour Germany. Yes, why shouldn't a country like Luxembourg with a population of almost 500,000, have the same vote than a country with 85 million. That is just so democratic! The current issue just shows us again how ready Poland was for the EU.
I recommend for them to go into a private alliance with Turkey and let the rest of Europe go on with their politics. I think they have forgotten that they are only in the EU because of Germany
in the first place....

alex, london, uk

Good for you Poland! You stood up to Hitler and you stand up now to the new attempt by Germany to control Europe. Funny the British are not standing up to it this time, isn't it?

British citizen, London, England

Is it that easy to stun Brussels? By simply airing an honest wish for greater democracy and more localised government. Send in Tony Blair with a dossier and a few puppets. He'll sort this out.

Richard, Huntingdon, Cambs

Joining the EU is the same as being enslaved. The people who can think will resist a global government to the death.

Larry, Greenbay, USA

Excellent news. Thank goodness for Poland.

Maybe the whole undemocratic mess will unravel, and need to be renegotiated in a few years time, by when hopefully a few more countries will have recognized the need to give their citizens a say in whether to continue with this creation of an EC Uber Alles super state... There >must< be a referendum!

Nick, Rotherham, UK

So the Poles have the temerity to say their piece, without regard to what their piece is, perhaps they should be allowed to voice it.

wpo, warsaw, n.y.

Well done Poland!
This provides an ideal opportunity Gordon Brown to play hardball and get back everything Yesterday's Man gave away only a couple of weeks ago. Also, our new PM can also give Sazkozy a bit of the 'clunkin' fist' over the free trade issue.
I believe that with a bit of initiative, that Gordon could insist that the UK needs a referendum and that would probably be much appreciated byan electorate that has been largely ignored and patronised over the last 10 years.
Could 'Dave' or Ming stand up to Europe?
C'mon Gordon!

A Gordon Convert, Wessex,

Who thought the new treaty was back on track ?
I believe some EU states have grown increasingly dissatisfied with the EU ( ie: Britain, Poland, the Czech Republic and in some lesser extent, the Netherlands ) I think that those countries should be granted a referendum so as to settle their being part of the EU once for all. if the outcome is NO, let them leave the EU...but please, NO MORE OPT OUTS or compromise.......

The best solution EVER should be a two -speed EU. The Core EU with the states sharing ALL EU policies ( euro, schengen Foreign policy etc...) and pushing ahead for a political EU, and the others....maily Britain, Poland, and the Czech republic. Why should we keep on doing as though the EU ideal of ever closer integration were shared by all ? let them secede for the EU's sake.

Pascal-Pierre, Dinan / france, European Union

Diplomatic posturing more than likely. Hello Barry Homes in New Zealand what exactly do you mean by "we"? I know the EU has expanded and despite loving New Zealand didn't think it was part of Europe!

Peter Newman-Legros, Lille, France

That's what you get if you think you can hurry enlargement of the EU. Luckily they didn't allow Turkey in (the Turcs are even more stubborn).

l.karremans, heusden,

Poland GO FOR IT

Gene, Sydney,

Poland seems to have fallen into the hands of a reactionary little clique that live in a world a hundred years behind the rest of europe. Which would explain the widespread hatred of their biggest financial benefactor Germany and the totally inexplicable behaviour in the EU. If Poland doesnt decide by itself to leave the EU which it has clearly only joined to milk the Brussels coffers maybe it should be helped on the way. That way we migtht be able to reduce the number of immigrants to our overcrowded island by the odd million or so at the same time. Which would not be a bad thing.

Zach, Swindon, Wiltshire

I think all countries should be treated equally and fair.
This is very simple.
Not for everybody.

Donald, Gdansk, Poland

Hurray for the Poles. At last a government with the bottle to stand up to the EU bullies. Of course they have had plenty of experience ( HItler, Stalin etc) A pity Uk lot is too busy posturing and making friends with everyone in order to feather their own nests (Blair,Kinnock)
Go for it Poland help save freedom again!

carole chapman, corridonia, italy

Most Poles are as confused by our Prime Minister as Europe is.

Kundzia, Warsaw, Poland

I guess it would be more fitting to call the loutish behaviour of the Polish and British governments bad-tempered, than attributing it to the summit as a whole and the almost saint-like patience of the rest of Europe who are going have to pay the bill once more fore those two regular solidarity objectors.

Mr Holmes from New Zealand would certainly consider it a fair deal if his own country was the biggest net contributor to an international organization while a neighbouring country, being the biggest net benefactor (due to previous support by his own country both in entry and budget negotiations) demanded every single citizen of latter country should hold double voting power as compared to the other country's citizens, whose taxpayers are actually paying a great deal of latter country's bills. If Germany was behaving like Britain, Poland hadn't been able to enter the EU in the first place.

Andreas, Heidelberg, Germany

I'm no big EU fan in the sense that this treaty is no more than a bureaucratic document but I was impressed with the way that Merkel got everyone to a consensus....or so we thought. Greg is absolutely right. Poland is trying to blackmail the rest of the EU and is acting selfishly. Their performance on the EU stage has been nothing short of disgraceful.

Sunny Dutt, Toronto, Canada

Who do they think they are. If the Poles don't like the way Europeans do things they can always go of alone. It seems that they are not to be trusted anyway. Standing up for your rights is one thing, going back on your word is dishonorable.

Greg, Berlin,

I note, if your report is correct, once again a deal has been done over the heads, this time of the various Parliaments.
If Poland are MADE to ratify then we, the Brits, must demand an explanation.

Peter Bolt, Redditch, UK

Go for it Poland.
save us all again!
Scupper the eurocrats.

john, london,

Good on them, Poland that is, why should Germany have more voting rights than Poland
and more than any other country. All we want now
is Brown to find some back bone and let the country have a referendum.

Barry Holmes, Christchurch, New Zealand