From the DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT http://www.democracymovement.org.uk
Following the French and Dutch votes on the EU Constitution, is anyone
listening to the people's verdict?
The DM has today updated its coverage of the recent referendums with a
collection of quotes that expose exactly how seriously leading EU figures and
supporters of the outdated EU centralisation project take democracy.
Help the Democracy Movement, Kershaw House, 449 Great West Road, Hounslow
TW5 0BU, T: 020 8570 5681, F: 020 8570 5213,
http://www.democracymovement.org.uk
QUOTES OF THE WEEK - 3rd June 2005
"It's no good saying the Constitution was rejected because it was not
understood. Opinion polls in France showed that the more the French discussed
it, the less they liked it" Gisela Stuart MP (Labour), a representative of
Parliament on the Convention that drew up the EU Constitution - article in the
Birmingham Post, 2nd June 2005
"The Dutch 'No' shows that the crisis is European and not just French. That confirms my idea that there is an integrationist elite, in other words a group of leaders who believe a forced march is necessary whatever the criticism from the people" Hubert Vedrine, French Foreign Minister, 1997-2002 - The Times, 3rd June 2005
"We welcome the No votes in France and the Netherlands... The EU needs to start listening more and doing less. That means accepting both referendum results for what they were - powerful expressions of unease about the current direction of the EU." Rodney Leach and seven other leading business chiefs - letter in the Financial Times, 3rd June 2005
"I believe that we should return to the first principles of the European project. The Common Market was originally about free trade. Since then, the EU has taken on a life of its own." Carol Vorderman, TV presenter - The Times, 3rd June 2005
"One can naturally discuss certain questions, the too many laws, the too many regulations, the bureaucracy" Silvio Berlusconi, Italian prime minster - The Guardian, 3rd June 2005
After the Dutch 'No', the European Constitution is like a decapitated duck that is still running around." Phillipe de Villiers MP, president of the Mouvement pour la France - The Times, 3rd June 2005
"The EU is an artificial construct. It is an anti-democratic machine, a bureaucratic nightmare. I am pro-Europe, but opposed to the EU, which is not Europe". Luke Johnson, chairman of Channel 4 - The Times, 3rd June 2005
"The Constitution was an over ambitious attempt to consolidate an outdated political and economic vision of Europe." Gisela Stuart MP (Labour), a representative of Parliament on the Convention that drew up the EU Constitution - article in the Birmingham Post, 2nd June 2005
"It does not surprise me that people do not trust the EU's institutions and are not prepared to give them more power, which is what the constitution would do." Marta Andreasen, former European Commission chief accounting officer, sacked after whistle-blowing over fraud - The Times, 3rd June 2005
Links: Referendum campaign
Page started 7 June 2005