Democracy – EU style

With thanks to Anthony Coughlan

The following report about former Belgian Prime Minister Jean-Luc Dehaene was carried on page 11 of yesterday's Irish Times by reporter Tim King in Brussels, under the heading "Belgian PM to put EU treaty to referendum".

"In a radio debate with Mr Verhofstadt yesterday, Mr Dehaene strongly criticised the idea of a referendum. 'We know that nine out of 10 people will not have read the Constitution and will vote on the basis of what politicians and journalists say,' he said. 'More than that, if the answer is No, the vote will probably have to be done again, because it absolutely has to be Yes.'"

Jean-Luc Dehaene was one of Giscard d'Estaing's two Vice-Chairmen of the Convention on the Future of Europe which produced the draft EU
Constitution.

These revealing remarks by Mr Dehaene typify the arrogance, sense of superiority and sheer contempt for democracy that characterise the members of the EU political elite who are currently seeking to impose an embryonic State Constitution on the EU's 25 Member States.

Perhaps, even at this late stage, they should read the Article I-1 of their own draft, which starts, "Reflecting the will of the citizens and States of Europe…."