Bypassing Democracy

national | rights, freedoms and repression | news report

Sunday April 13, 2008 18:55

by liz c - Campaign Against the EU Constitution

Democracy-Lite Treaty

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is addressing the National Forum on Europe in St Patrick's Hall in Dublin Castle at 3pm tomorrow followed by President of the EU Commission Manuel Barroso speaking this Thurs. Some of us will be going along to suggest to Angela and Barroso that if they are in any way interested in democracy they won't be afraid to hold a referendum in Germany and in the other EU states and let the people decide. All welcome. There should be some media attention around the visits so getting involved in polls or radio debates on the treaty would be great. We're being conned but it doesn't have to be quietly. Yes, they'll try to do it anyway but why make it easier for them. A referendum is the closest thing we have to voicing a direct opinion and this will be the last one we'll have on the EU if we vote yes.

No winning this referendum won't make the EU better, but it will be saying no to the EU business project. The very least we can do. Building direct democracy is the ongoing and longterm project. Halting the by-passing of representative democracy and copperfastening of corporate power is part if this.

A Financial Times poll in October 2007 shows that 70% of respondents in Germany want a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

German government plans to approve the controversial EU reform treaty could be delayed for months. A legal challenge to the document has been made by the third largest political party in Germany. According to a report in German daily Die Welt, politicians from the Left Party as well as Peter Gauweiler, a centre-right politician from one of governing parties -the CSU - are examining the text of the EU treaty to see if they can bring a case before the country's constitutional court, could hold up ratification, sparking fears that the EU's biggest member state may not sign off the treaty in time for it to come into effect on 1 January 2009 as planned.

In France 63% of people polled in the same survey want a referendum. Sarkozy is also planning to visit Ireland to campaign for a yes vote.

The EU heads of state are trying to push through what they fear the people of Europe would never vote for, a re-packaged EU Constitution with economic competition and 'free' trade as its heart. Recent European Court of Justice rulings have ruled that it is legal for a company to pay up to 50% of the local minimum wage to workers from a third country that has lower wages and that workers cannot strike for more than the minimum wage even if collective bargaining had secured a higher wage. In other words unions will no longer be in a position to negotiate for higher wages, migrant workers can legally be paid less than local workers and contracts will not be allowed to be given to local companies over international ones, regardless of treatment of their workers or environmental record.

The single most important value in the Lisbon Treaty is the right to carry out business. This right supersedes workers rights and environmental protections,. Add to this the opening up of health and education to 'competition', meaning privatization, and what we're looking at is a US model of extortionate private healthcare and education and minimal facilities for those who can't pay.

Apologies for not adding all the relevant links and articles yet as am in a rush. will add them. For now please see

www.caeuc.org
www.eu-referendum.org
www.forumoneurope.ie

What you can do. Check out the treaty summaries. Talk to people you know about what the treaty means. Get in on radio discussions. Vote in online polls. Check out the please vote no for us site. Demand equal airtime for the No side on public broadcasters.