Comments on: They, the people?

By: Eurobarometer

Eurobarometer — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:30:07 +0000

Post-referendum survey in Ireland
Preliminary results:

http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/flash/fl_245_en.pdf

By: Jo Leinen, MEP

Jo Leinen, MEP — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:08:42 +0000

Vielen Dank für die Stellungnahme zur aktuellen EU-Krise. In der Tat ist es notwendig, neue Wege für einen permanenten Dialog der Bürger mit den Institutionen und der Institutionen mit den Bürgern einzurichten. Das EP fordert dies seit langem. Leider ist die “nationale” politische Klasse nicht sehr bereit, ein solches strategisches Engagement zugunsten der europäischen Sache einzugehen. Notwendig ist jetzt eine gründliche Analyse der Beweggründe für das ‘nein’ in Irland.
Ratschläge von außen sind nicht sehr angebracht. Es ist Sache der Regierung in Dublin, im Dialog mit dem eigenen Parlament und der eigenen Gesellschaft Punkte herauszufinden, die mit dem Vertrag von Lissabon zu tun haben. Leider gab es, wie wir wissen, auch viele Kampagnen mit Themen, die mit dem neuen Reformvertrag nicht in Zusammenhang gebracht werden können. Wir respektieren das ‘nein’ in Irland. Es ist allerdings auch das ‘ja’ in den vielen anderen Ländern zu respektieren.
Diese Krise begreife ich auch als Chance für einen neuen Aufbruch zur gemeinsamen Definition der Richtung, die in der Europapolitik eingeschlagen werden soll.

Mit besten Grüßen
Jo Leinen

By: Oliver Hauss

Oliver Hauss — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:14:27 +0000

Europe has been wasting time with omphaloskepsis far too long now. Ireland had plenty of time to raise concerns. From a democratic point of view, this is far more a self-slap of the Irish electorate than a slap against the EU, since the Irish electorate attested itself to have elected a government which does not bring its concerns to the negotiation table. The first and foremost consequence of this should have been a resignation of the Irish government, having obviously lost the mandate for negotiation. But it doesn't end there. I DO have issues with referendumania. Parliaments and governments are expensive business if we don't care what they say and want to do everything on our own. Especially since responsibility demands that we put in the necessary amount of time and effort. When people complain they haven't understood the treaty, it surely is partly an issue of communication. But they likewise have to ask themselves if they put in an amount of time and effort that makes understanding a treaty of this size and importance a realistic goal. Read on...

By: Bernhard Müller

Bernhard Müller — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:09:48 +0000

Personally, I come to a slightly more radical view in this regard and, yes, it is mostly about values and identity that we either share or we don't. I wouldn't bother if we had all the time in the world to create a stronger feeling of adhesion among Europeans, common values and a common identity, especially in countries on the periphery, be it the islands, Scandinavia or Central and Eastern Europe, but we don't have decades of time as we used to have. Read on..

By: Rosen Dimov

Rosen Dimov — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:51:57 +0000

I am fully confused and irritated by the controversial signals of European Union officials and leaders of the member states. How may anyone possibly deny or disdain “vox populi”, the voice of the Irish people? Let me remind those bureaucrats that one of THEIR common well-announced priorities is to increase publicity in the decision and policy-making processes at all EU levels. Do their current words and reactions corroborate it?

The changes and reforms must fulfil the inner pace in the sui generis European family, a pacec indicated by its members. And by members we cannot understand the governments or their representatives: the citizens, who suffer the pros and cons of any external movement, are those who direct the parade! Now the Irish band blew their authentic and inherent sackbut(i.e. the sacred civil right to vote) to alarm to other participants in the chaotic callithump that the so-called European community is in urgent need of a new road…I hope the Irish get heard, especially by other peoples.

Rosen Dimov, young policy-maker and European citizen, Bulgaria

By: Rufe aus der Jetztzeit. » Permanent crisis?

Rufe aus der Jetztzeit. » Permanent crisis? — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 23:42:09 +0000

[...] our European reality by democratic means. Please do not let it slip away easily: see the resolution by Citizens of [...]