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Tuesday, June 10, 2008 |
EUObserver: "French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner has warned Ireland about the consequences of voting 'No' in Thursday's referendum, saying the Irish would be the 'first victim' if they reject the EU treaty.
Speaking on France's RTL radio, Mr Kouchner said that a 'No' vote would be met by 'gigantic incomprehension' in the rest of Europe.
Mr Kouchner alluded to the Irish being ungrateful about what the country has received from the EU since its membership in 1973.
With the latest poll showing only a narrow gap between the 'Yes' and the 'No' side, politicians in larger member states particularly cannot understand why the treaty may be defeated.
Referring to a rejection of the treaty - which needs to be ratified by all member states to come into force - Mr Kouchner said this was 'beginning to be envisaged' almost everywhere."
But he said that France, which holds the EU's six-month rotating presidency from July, would continue with implementation of the treaty anyway while trying to persuade Ireland, which already voted twice on the bloc's Nice Treaty, to 'put this treaty back on the drawing board'.
His comments mirror those of French Green MEP Daniel Cohn-Bendit who told Le Monde on Monday 'Why say yes to something that forces them to share what they get with the new EU members from Eastern Europe? The basic reaction is to protect one's own interests.'
'A referendum must have consequences: if we say 'No', we leave Europe,' he added.
Ireland is the only country to vote on the EU treaty and is feeling the strong pressure from the rest of Europe to secure a 'Yes' vote. All the main political parties support the charter but the outcome is likely to hinge on turnout, with a low voter show at the ballot box aiding the anti-treaty camp."
Several European countries held a referendum about the planned European Constitution resulting in a 'No'. Now they call it a 'Treaty', made some cosmetic changes, and the governments of most European countries will no longer allow a referendum on the 'Treaty', they want to push the Treaty against the will of the people.
I hope Ireland will give us a definite NO; it is the hope of millions of Europeans who are denied the right to decide on their own future. The bullying by France already points to the undemocratic nature of the new Europe our leaders have in mind.
The Netherlands voted unequivocally against a European Constitution and is still in large majority against the Treaty. That is why our government has brushed aside the people's wish and wants to go ahead without the consent of the citizens. The majority of the European population is against the Treaty, for the simple reason that it is undemocratic. The present shenanigans are the first indication of an undemocratic Europe. A ratification of the Treaty without the consultation of the people would be a breach of each country's constitution.
11:09:03 AM 
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