Today Peoples Movement against EU and June Movement have demonstrated the broad and popular support to an appeal of referendum to the Danish Government and Parliament.

Tomorrow – Tuesday, 8th of April – is second and last reading of two bills about referendum of the Lisbon-treaty at the agenda in the Danish parliament – Folketinget. Also the ratification of the treaty itself will be discussed.

In connection with this Peoples Movement against EU and June Movement have today handed over 40.438 signatures of an appeal, which call on the Danish Government and Parliament to call a referendum of the treaty. The two movements have invited the Prime Minister´s department and all the political parties in parliament to receive them. Representatives of the Social Democratic Party, the Danish Peoples Party, the Socialistic Peoples Party, The Conservative Peoples Party and the Red-Green Alliance was there to receive them.

All opinion polls shows a large majority in favor of a referendum – not only in Denmark, but by and large also in every EU-country. Our petition is a symbolic expression of this wish from a majority of the people, said member of the European Parliament from the Peoples Movement Søren Søndergaard at the presentation.

One of the new things in the Lisbon-treaty is, that the peoples can get a matter on the agenda of EU, if in all EU are collected one million signatures. The rule is not yet in power, and you can give many different opinions of the value of this, when it gets to the point. But it doesn´t change, that it corresponds to about 10.000 signatures in Denmark, Søren Søndergaard said as he presented the signatures, and continued:

Therefore our intention was to collect 10.000 signatures as a symbolic expression of the wish for a referendum. The reaction has been very positive, and that is why we today can hand over more than 40.000 signatures. Together with these signatures we will send you a request to take on responsibility for the future of democracy and secure tomorrow that the Danish people will get the opportunity to vote on the Lisbon-treaty.

Press release, press photos and more information from People’s Movement here. Here is the report from the June Movement.

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