Re: EU Constitution, yes or no?

ian wrote:

> 
> "J.M." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> Anneke Andriessen wrote:
>>
>> > Nils Zonneveld wrote:
>> >> Next year we get to vote on a referendum whether the Netherlands
>> >> should approve of the proposed EU Constitution or not.
>> >>
>> >> I'm really in doubt. I want a more democratic EU. The proposed EU
>> >> constitution could give more of that, but far from enough. We also
>> >> had a stability pact for the Euro which has proven worthless. Why
>> >> should we give consent to another set of deals if the big countries
>> >> don't give a shit about deals when it's inconvenient to them?
>> >>
>> >> In the proposed constitution power still isn't fully checked by
>> >> directly chosen representatives. To change that you'll need an
>> >> unanimous vote of all (soon to be 25!) member states. That means it
>> >> will be impossible to amend the constitution.
>> >>
>> >> At the other hand, if we vote no, we return to the present status quo,
>> >> which is also far from perfect.
>> >>
>> >> Any thoughts about it?
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Nils
>> >
>> > There is no regulation in preventing the "headrunners" Germany France
> and
>> > UK to colonize in a legal sense all smaller EU countries. Now come
>> > again where this EU constitution would not collide with national
>> > juriprudence? Where in national constitutions does it say that in case
>> > of colllision with the EU
>> > constitution the national constitution prevails?  This would be the
>> > beginning of a democratic EU.
>> >
>> > Anneke
>>
>>
>> Hardly. The beginning of a democratic EU would be if the EP had real
>> power and to have clear cut responsbilities belonging to the EU and to
>> the
> member
>> states. Giving the national constitutions priority over an EU
>> constitution makes no sense as it would make the EU entirely
>> dysfunctional. A country could simply refuse to abide by any EU decision
>> by adopting its national constitution appropriately, so effectively all
>> EU rules would be suggestions, not laws. A common market or any union can
>> hardly work under those circumstances.
>>
>> Jan
> 
> 
> LOL, how does giving more power to the EP make it more democratic?.

Because the EP is elected by the people directly, i.e. by you and me? So
when the EU makes decisions that affect all of us, I like the idea of the
people I voted for directly having a big say.

> 
> Why doesnt each country a referendum on whether they want a country called
> Europe and then go from there.

That is not a European issue. Any country is free to leave the EU. As long
as a certain country, e.g. the UK, chooses to stay in the EU, the only
question of interest is, "how are decisions made in the EU?" This should be
as democratic as possible, i.e. with as much EP say as possible.

> 
> Being the whole EU project is to create a country called Europe why not
> ask the people ,instead of trying to sneek it in the back door.

Blame your government, not the EU. If your government is not letting you
have your say on that matter, blame your government, not the EU.

Jan