Letters

Citizens have right to vote on EU Reform Treaty

Madam, - European leaders meeting in Lisbon have agreed to the EU Reform Treaty which is to replace the rejected EU Constitution…

Fri Oct 19 2007 - 01:00

Madam, - European leaders meeting in Lisbon have agreed to the EU Reform Treaty which is to replace the rejected EU Constitution.

According to Commissioner Margot Wallstrom, "It's essentially the same proposal as the old Constitution". Taoiseach Bertie Ahern agrees: "They haven't changed the substance - 90 per cent of it is still there."

The EU Constitution was created without the citizens; and now they are openly avoided. You cannot build Europe without the people, and 75 per cent of citizens across the EU want a referendum. They have the right to vote on this treaty and after a fair debate they will make the right decision.

Therefore we are making the following demands:

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1. The EU Reform Treaty must be submitted to the citizens in a referendum in each EU member-state.

2. If necessary the parliaments of EU member-states must make the appropriate legal and constitutional provisions to allow for referendums.

3. A real and unbiased debate on the EU Reform Treaty must be secured in the framework of a fair referendum.

The adoption of this far-reaching document without referendums would further decrease the legitimacy of the EU and seriously damage democracy in Europe. - Yours, etc,

DEREK SCOTT, Former Economic Adviser to Tony Blair, Labour Party, UK;

CAROLINE LUCAS MEP, Green Party, UK;

DAVID HEATHCOAT- AMORY MP,Conservative Party, UK;

NICOLAS DUPONT-AIGNAN MP, Debout la Républic, France;

JENS-PETER BONDE MEP, June Movement, Denmark;

BJØRN ELMQVIST, Former MP, Social Liberals, Denmark;

HARRY VAN BOMMEL MP, Socialist Party, The Netherlands;

NILS LUNDGREN MEP, Junilistan, Sweden;

MAX ANDERSSON MP, Green Party, Sweden;

ESKO SEPPÄNEN MEP, Vasemmistoliitto, Finland;

GERALD HÄFNER, former MP, Mehr Demokratie, Germany;

Prof KARL ALBRECHT SCHACHTSCHNEIDER, Professor of Public Law, Germany;

Prof ROLAND VAUBEL, Professor of Econimics, Germany;

Prof HANS HERBERT VON ARNIM, Professor of Public Law, Germany;

Prof DRUDE DAHLERUP, Stockholm University, Sweden;

Prof THOMAS WALLGREN, University of Helsinki,  Finland;

Dr ANTHONY COUGHLAN, Senior Lecturer Emeritus, Trinity College Dublin;

Prof PETER KOPECKY, Former Ambassador, Slovak Republic;

Prof NIKOLAJ BLIZNAKOV,  Plovdiv University,  Bulgaria;

SUSAN GEORGE, Author, Political Scientist, France;

ERIK WESSELIUS, Ander Europa Coalition, The Netherlands;

FIONA DOVE, Executive Director,  Transnational Institute, The Netherlands;

HANNE DAHL, President, June Movement, Denmark;

SHARON ELLUL BONICI, Vice-president, EU Democrats, Malta;

LAVE BROCH, Spokesman, EU Critical Network of the Social Liberals, Denmark;

ROGER COLE, Chairperson, PANA (Peace and Neutrality Alliance), Ireland;

ALESSIO NICOLETTI, President, Movimento Libero, Italy;

ETIENNE CHOUARD, Political Activist, France; European Referendum Campaign, 113 rue du Trône, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.