Nightwind’s home

For the last few years, the European Union has been the theater of a struggle to update its own principle of functioning in the wake of it enlargement and the new global context changes since the treaty of Maastricht.

The main aim of adopting a European Constitution crash landed when France and Netherlands rejected it at the end of separate referenda in 2005. Still, the goal remained and in 2007, under Germany’s patronage (who took over the Presidency of the EU), there was a period of time dedicated to researching the causes for rejection while also deciding on adopting a new Treaty to reflect the needed changes in the structure of the EU bodies in time for the 2009 EU Parliamentary elections (Declaration of Berlin).

After much thinking and deliberating of many legal experts from all the member states, the Treaty of Lisbon was put forth and signed in December 2007 in Lisbon.

Naturally, after the signing, the time of ratification came and such a move inspired fear into those who had though over the Treaty, especially Angela Merkel of Germany (who had inspired the Declaration of Berlin and the timeline for the new treaty) and Nicolas Sarkozy of France (one of the most prominent advocates of the EU).

Again naturally, measures were taken to expedite the adoption of the treaty. Fear of rejection led to the French government to use an exception inside the Constitution that allowed skipping public referendum on international treaties. Similarly, most countries did similar things, preferring various forms of governmental or parliamentary ratification. In fact, all countries resorted to this, all except Ireland whose constitution sees as mandatory to consult the population in such issues.

In Ireland, despite most political parties rallying together in a pro-Treaty camp, the Treaty was rejected following the referendum. Why? The motivation of most voters was that they were poorly informed about what the new Treaty was bringing and how is the Treaty affecting everyday life.

In the wake of this outcome, Ireland was both blamed and congratulated, with people claiming that a country who received so much economic aid (as Ireland) should have supported the other members of the EU in adopting the Treaty (which, I think we all agree, is quite needed). To this I agree.

But (here comes the but), I still think the people of Ireland did the right thing. Sometimes I believe the leaders of the EU have forgotten that it is them who have coined the concept of “citizen of the EU”. Aside from being citizens of France, UK, Finland, Germany, etc, we are also “citizens of the EU” and, to put is simply, as citizens of the EU we should have a say about something as important as the Treaty, who works as foundation to what might one day become a EU Constitution. In the light of this fact, I think we have a right to be informed about what exactly the Treaty includes (aside from laughable FAQ’s that amount to a spit in the face of the gullible) and how it really affects us. I think we have a right to decide if we really need it, aside from the political ambitions of Merkel, Sarkozy, Gordon Brown or Jose Socrates. The politicians should realize that EU is not a game of ambitions, but it’s a community, a fragile union of countries that are inhabited by people, not by politicians … and these people should have a say in something this big.

If those named above think that managing a union of 27 countries makes it impossible to build a Treaty that could convince the people of each of the 27 of its necessity or that spending a couple of extra years in order to help people understand is too much, then maybe it’s time for Sarkozy, Merkel and Brown to step down and make room for the new generation of EU politicians that understand what democracy really means.

So, thank you people of Ireland, thank you for speaking out for us, the millions who weren’t given the chance to do so, those who were stripped of their right to have their voices heard (first by  our own governments and second by the leaders of the EU). We were silence by the means of an obtrusive and obtuse legal loophole that I hope will be closed soon.

Again, thank you Ireland!