If it be your will wrote:Hang on, you haven't answered the question. I'll have a go, and you can correct where I've gone wrong:
WHAT POWER HAVE YOU GOT? Oh, you wouldn't believe! We are the only ones allowed to propose new European laws (bar in some exceptional circumstance), and these laws trounce your silly domestic ones, the ones your democracies passed. We are also the arbiters of whether an EU member has broken the rules of the treaties (you want to bail out British Steel? Do you now?), We also negotiate ever-lasting trade agreements like TTIP and CETA, the ones that mean corporations can sue national governments if they harm their economic interests.
WHERE DID YOU GET IT FROM? We were appointed by heads of state, but we are duty bound in law to represent only the EU, and not individual member states. Our first duty is to uphold the treaties of the EU - those ones like Maastricht and Lisbon that you didn't actually get to vote on.
IN WHOSE INTERESTS DO YOU EXERCISE IT? Corporate. Why the hell else would we have passed CETA??
TO WHOM ARE YOU ACCOUNTABLE?Once appointed, effectively no one. The Parliament can pass a vote of no confidence if they want to, but then we'll just be replaced again, and have the same powers and same obligations as before, so there isn't much point doing that, really. Parliament doesn't get a say on who is appointed, of course.
HOW CAN WE GET RID OF YOU? God knows. And it doesn't really matter whether you can or not, because we'll still act in the interests of corporate lobbyists anyway. And we'll still carry out our duty to uphold the treaties whichever group of humans actually sit on it. And those treaties last forever.
Should I get started on your questions now?
Unlike Ringo I'm more than happy to answer questions. I don't really view Brexit/EU with the same religious devotion as some.
WHAT POWER HAVE YOU GOT? - I would agree that their powers are too wide ranging compared to the parliament. I'd disagree that they are the
final arbiters of whether the rules have been broken, I'd say that was the European Court of Justice. They may negotiate trade agreements but they have to be approved by the Council and the Parliament who, inconveniently for the narrative, were elected.
WHERE DID YOU GET IT FROM? So from the elected heads of state (a reasonable proxy for the will of each country). (And further approved by the EU Parliament who were also elected). You seem to be answering a different question.
IN WHOSE INTERESTS DO YOU EXERCISE IT? I'm starting to feel your views may be colouring this a little. Is it all corporate interests? Are we including Nike, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, VW, etc?
TO WHOM ARE YOU ACCOUNTABLE? So they are accountable to the elected parliament is what you're saying. Parliament obviously does get a say. It happened about half an hour ago.
HOW CAN WE GET RID OF YOU? The above seems to cover this too.