Leaders of the European Union talked through the night and into the early hours of this morning as they finalized an agreement on the new EU Constitution. Last minute deals were made in order to persuade some governments to sign up to the new Lisbon treaty. Changes to voting rules had meant Italy would lose seats in the next European Parliament session under the treaty. Bulgaria wanted to use the Cyrillic alphabet on its Euro coins, and Poland wanted the right for small countries to delay controversial EU decisions. Britain was seeking an opt-out clause for the EU Charter on Fundamental Rights, and the government is making every effort to convince a largely Euro-sceptic public that this document is not a Constitution and a referendum need not be held. The BBC reports that the trappings of a super-state have been dropped - the flag and national anthem, but the essence of a super-state remains - a permanent EU President and Foreign Secretary.

Quote: "Mr Brown said Europe "will move away from the institutional, inward-looking debate of the past, to deal with the full agenda of globalisation". He highlighted jobs, prosperity and the environment as priorities. After seven hours of talks, EU leaders emerged embracing and slapping each other on the back in sheer relief that the most serious crisis in the bloc's 50-year history seemed to be over, the BBC's Oana Lungescu in Lisbon says. 

Back-slapping each-other out of sheer relief? Or perhaps because the EU leaders have just pulled off the biggest confidence-trick in the history of Europe? Judging by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's statements, my guesses would be the latter of those two. Europe has healed its bitter divisions of tha past, following the rejection of the former EU Constitution, and has been given the green light to press ahead with its plan for global governance.

Quote: ""We've managed to complete our plan at the summit," Jose Socrates, Prime Minister of Portugal, which holds the rotating EU presidency, told reporters at the end of the summit. We had a treaty yesterday, and today we went straight into high quality debate on the real issue for the future ... the issue of how Europe can successfully rise to the challenges of globalization," he said. He said the EU is ready to tackle the challenges of globalization and intends to "lead" the world debate on globalization, in three areas in particular. The three areas are the redesigning of global institutions, the globalization agenda, which should be an agenda of innovation but not of isolation or protectionism, and the environmental issue, especially climate change. Climate change is the most severe challenge arising from globalization, he said. Socrates said Portugal will prepare a declaration on globalization, which will be submitted to discussion at the Dec. 13 summit in Lisbon. Portugal will also push for the formation of a "group of wise men," who will make proposals for the EU to cope with globalization.

Now that the EU has more or less successfully signed up all European nations to a cloak and dagger Constitution, the next step will be to replicate this all over the world. My guesses are that this is what the "redesigning of global institutions" entails. Probably the "globalization agenda" is the pooling of all national sovereignty and financial systems under one supra-national organization ("not of isolation or protectionism"). And the "environmental issue" will no doubt convince the nations of the need to bring their governments under the control of one regional or global authority. Some believe that there is a global plan of the ages, with secret organizations such as the Illuminati conspiring to bring all this about. That may be the case, but I believe this plan is too complex for mere humans to effect. The plan has been going on for too long, too many people are involved and it is on too vast a scale for that to be the case. I believe demonic spirits are the real architects behind this plan of the ages. They never die, they have superior intellect to man, and according to Scriptures they have power in high places and are the rulers of the darkness of this world (Ephesians 6:12). Make no mistake about it, this "globalization agenda" has for only one goal, the setting up of a one world government which will be controlled by Satan and his minions. Satan may have power over all the kingdoms of earth (Luke 4:5-6), but praise God the Lord has other plans for this world.

Daniel 2:44-45
And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

Source BBC, China View