Somebody is hopping mad about the Irish no vote.
According to the Irish Times Spanish MEP Íñigo Méndez de Vigo yesterday demanded the resignation of Irish PM Brian Cowen:
"You're not going to stop us. We'll go ahead [with Lisbon]. There are ways to do it. This is the history of the EU. If compromise is not possible, the others will go ahead. To me it is shocking that a government that held a referendum and failed is still in office. A government that puts a question to a referendum and loses has to resign: that's democracy."
Er, a government that puts a question to a referendum and loses has to scrap the idea - surely that's democracy?
Anyway - it's definitely one of the more sinister threats we've heard since the no votes - "There are ways to do it. This is the history of the EU."
GULP. He is certainly right about that.
There seem to be a lot of European MEPs who don't quite understand democracy, and this Spanish one epitomises the totally undemocratic nature of the move to push through a rejigged constitution which all voters who were given the choice rejected. All countries should have held a referendum on Lisbon. Ireland stands out as the only country which respected its voters, and they get threatened to ignore it or else! Puts one in mind of fascism.
ReplyDeleteActually, whilst not disagreeing with the thrust of your post, the Spaniard is right: it was a main plank of Govt legislation, with Govt resources pushing it along and the people rejected it. Cowan should certainly have resigned.
ReplyDeleteI take your point, Tim. Either way, it seems very ironic that he's claiming to be standing up for 'democracy' after warning Irish voters: "You're not going to stop us. We'll go ahead [with Lisbon]. There are ways to do it" !
ReplyDeleteAlso, on Méndez de Vigo's logic, shouldn't the Commission, which has been pushing the thing for years, resign too?
The EU simply cannot grasp the principles of Democracy, even though Ireland voted no to Lisbon the EU will go ahead anyway saying that it's the EU's way. the Irish filled me with pride when they Voted against Lisbon and its wrong that countries like Ireland that can still think for themselves are treated like Idiots for thinking outside the Box. if you Vote again please drive the "NO" vote home even Harder to those unelected EU Beaurocrats.
ReplyDeleteThe EU is not a democratic institution - it is a "Mockcracy"!
ReplyDeleteIreland voted "NO" but it means nothing to the dictators of the EU. In the UK it is estimated that 80% of new laws come in thru'the backdoor, from Brussels, and not thru parliament!
See Scotland's support for the Irish voters : http://www.letterwritersguild.org.uk and go to "about us"/ "typical members" (photo at bottom of the page)
Solomon2
We Scots have a word to describe the Unelected EU decision makers and that word is "Sleekit", these people only force things through in order to perpetuate and further the EU thus protecting the very gravy train they all ride on. If the EU was left as a Common Market it would be fine but sadly it was Hijacked by the greedy over the Cause of the needy...its time for change as we simply cannot afford to continue with these useless freeloaders or their mad grandiose shemes.
ReplyDeleteThis comment from Íñigo Méndez de Vigo beggars belief and demonstrates the sheer arrogance of the EU on these matters. They will have to face facts that a majority of Britains do not want political and economic integration or the creation of the USE. I hope that the present crisis will persist long enough for a new Conservative government to give us our referendum and that the Irish refuse a second referendum. If Britain vote in favour then fine; a no vote however from a G7 partner will be catastrophic for the EU plan because it will result in Britain re-defining its relationship with the EU. The result could well the crack in the dam that brings the whole obsequious mess down around their ears.
ReplyDeleteer, isn't democracy a system where people decide for themselves how they are governed and by whom they are governed? And, most especially in the case of the EU, isn't a referendum the only way to demonstrate that? Shouldn't this be made clear to everyone who thinks they know the subject, but demonstrates through their feeble objections to a referendum that they obviously don't?
ReplyDelete