Today a piece by Ruth Barrington on "Was holding referendum on Lisbon Treaty really necessary?"
While in a democracy one should never discount minority views, the outcome of the Lisbon referendum does raise questions about Ireland's constitutional status as a representative democracy.
Er... which minority? The one that had 53% of the vote in the referendum?
We now know the dangers for Ireland and our partners in Europe of being the only country to hold a referendum on a highly technical treaty such as Lisbon.
Perhaps we can help on that front... according to the polls, if there had been referendums everywhere, 16 countries would have said no... then you'd not be on your own.
Another consequence of the use of the referendum in situations where it is not clear why people are voting is a growing perception across Europe that the Irish are disengaging from the European Union.
Have the people lost touch with the EU? Or could it - gulp - be the other way round...?
After the uprising of the 17th June
The Secretary of the Writers Union
Had leaflets distributed in the Stalinallee
Stating that the people
Had forfeited the confidence of the government
And could win it back only
By redoubled efforts. Would it not be easier
In that case for the government
To dissolve the people
And elect another?
2 comments:
Any chance of a post about the EU's new legislation to record all details of our phone calls and website visits?
http://www.commonsleader.gov.uk/output/Page2461.asp
I read that article. Even after some of the extraordinarily anti-democratic reactions to the Irish 'No' vote, this plumbed new depths.
Where has this unpleasant clique of neo-feudalists that Europe seems to be suffering today come from?
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