“The European Parliament is considering flying the EU flag and playing the EU anthem more often in its own buildings as part of a political message to member states who have scrapped the Union’s symbols from the proposed new EU treaty,” reported EUobserver July 11.

Members of the European Parliament (meps) met Wednesday to adopt a formal opinion on the reform treaty agreed to by EU leaders at last month’s summit in Brussels. During Wednesday’s meetings, meps praised the fact that the reform treaty safeguarded much of the substance of the original constitution, but also expressed regret at other changes made to the original document.

Among the list of regrets, meps were especially chagrined by the disappearance from the treaty of the European Union’s 12-star flag and the EU national anthem, Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.” The original EU treaty gave both official status as EU symbols.

When it released its formal opinion on Wednesday, the European Parliament defied the wishes of member states and said it intends to give “official character” to the EU flag and anthem by increasing the use of both in its internal operations. EUobserver reported that “some senior meps eye a more frequent use of the Union’s symbols in official ceremonies in the Parliament itself.”

German mep Jo Leinen, who drafted the report, told EUobserver that if the anthem was integrated into “the rules of procedure, we could play it when we have visits of foreign delegation or during celebrations. Why not give the Parliament … an avant-garde role in doing this? That way, those who somehow hope that the flag and anthem would disappear would see themselves confronted with the opposite.”

The idea of promoting use of the EU anthem and flag has even gained traction with European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering. At last month’s EU summit, he shared with fellow EU leaders how “moved” he was when he was received before the Israeli parliament to Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.”

Pöttering suggested to journalists in Brussels that if “the Israeli Knesset is willing to play the EU anthem, the European Parliament should perhaps consider doing the same when welcoming foreign visitors …” (ibid.).

Defying the opinion of member states is nothing new for the European Union; truth is, this is precisely the game plan of EU leaders. The Union government is famous for publicly accepting and embracing the opinion of member states and European citizens, then turning around later behind closed doors and reinserting its own opinions, law and policies.