Here’s a ray of sunshine amongst the prevailing gloom! It might be
‘Glad Tidings of Great Joy’ were it not for the long-established
principle that if the people use the rules to deny the Federalists
their wishes, the Federalists’ reaction is always to change the rules.
However, dream a moment!
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TELEGRAPH Blog 8.12.08
Bruno Waterfield in Brussels
Demophobia and the EU
Demophobia is the fear of crowds. In the world of European Union
officialdom it is manifested as fear of people, of voters.
An internal Brussels letter has revealed euro-institutional fears
that June 2009 polls for the European Parliament could be a political
disaster for the EU.
Margot Wallström, the European Commission's Vice-President
responsible for "communication" wrote a letter to the Parliament's
President on Dec 1.
"In next year's elections, the legitimacy of your parliament, and
that of the Union as a whole is at stake," she warned.
So worried is the Commission that it is intervening, with a £14.5
million contribution, for the first time in the 30 year history of
European elections.
Mrs Wallström's letter is focused on the issue of turnout - which has
dropped almost a fifth since the first euro-polls in 1979.
But behind the scenes in the Parliament itself, there is a growing
fear that with Ireland's No vote on the Lisbon EU Treaty upstanding
then next year's elections could become a pan-European referendum.
Because of this concern pressure to hold a second referendum in March
or April next year is still being applied on Dublin.
Les Amis du Traité de Lisbonne, a group of French EU officials and
politicians are still at it.
This summer Les Amis worried that without the Lisbon Treaty "the rate
of voter abstention as well as the Eurosceptic vote could be
reinforced with detrimental consequences".
A recent briefing note opined: "If the Treaty of Lisbon does not
enter into force before the European elections, it has a high risk of
being definitively buried and such a failure could become that of the
whole European Union."
If the level of fear among the EU institutions is anything to go by,
could it be that the next European elections, possibly with new
parties running, could count for something?
‘Glad Tidings of Great Joy’ were it not for the long-established
principle that if the people use the rules to deny the Federalists
their wishes, the Federalists’ reaction is always to change the rules.
However, dream a moment!
xxxxxxxxxxx cs
=========================
TELEGRAPH Blog 8.12.08
Bruno Waterfield in Brussels
Demophobia and the EU
Demophobia is the fear of crowds. In the world of European Union
officialdom it is manifested as fear of people, of voters.
An internal Brussels letter has revealed euro-institutional fears
that June 2009 polls for the European Parliament could be a political
disaster for the EU.
Margot Wallström, the European Commission's Vice-President
responsible for "communication" wrote a letter to the Parliament's
President on Dec 1.
"In next year's elections, the legitimacy of your parliament, and
that of the Union as a whole is at stake," she warned.
So worried is the Commission that it is intervening, with a £14.5
million contribution, for the first time in the 30 year history of
European elections.
Mrs Wallström's letter is focused on the issue of turnout - which has
dropped almost a fifth since the first euro-polls in 1979.
But behind the scenes in the Parliament itself, there is a growing
fear that with Ireland's No vote on the Lisbon EU Treaty upstanding
then next year's elections could become a pan-European referendum.
Because of this concern pressure to hold a second referendum in March
or April next year is still being applied on Dublin.
Les Amis du Traité de Lisbonne, a group of French EU officials and
politicians are still at it.
This summer Les Amis worried that without the Lisbon Treaty "the rate
of voter abstention as well as the Eurosceptic vote could be
reinforced with detrimental consequences".
A recent briefing note opined: "If the Treaty of Lisbon does not
enter into force before the European elections, it has a high risk of
being definitively buried and such a failure could become that of the
whole European Union."
If the level of fear among the EU institutions is anything to go by,
could it be that the next European elections, possibly with new
parties running, could count for something?
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