It came to our knowledge that certain Chairmen of certain Committees in the European Parliament (ok, it’s Jo Leinen) have become careful beyond regular level. Apparently this has something to do with the “politically sensitive nature of some of the issues at hand”. Since it would be unlikely that they’re talking about Cuban cigars it must be something more serious - like the Renamed EU Constitution.

We have promised to start using the results of the Open Europe’s poll from one year ago in the absence of any other relevant polls across the continent. Polish results of 65% citizens being in favour of the ratification somehow don’t look to reliable specially in relation to the actual avoidance by the political class to hold a referendum.

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.

One of the most recognisable members of the European Parliament Jens Peter Bonde from Denmark has announced to end his parliamentary career that lasted 29 years and open his position for Hanne Dahl (also June Movement) while he will focus on leading the EUDemocrats which at present are one of the ten European political parties preparing themselves for the autumn elections in the EP.

Austrian political Platform Volxabstimmung is organising peaceful protest in Vienna on Saturday. They will attempt to make human chain around the Austrian Parliament. Be there at 15:00.

Søren Søndergaard: One more EU-judgment undermines organized conditions on the labour market

This morning the EU-court passed a sentence upon the so-called ”Rüffert-case”. The case concerns a legal conflict between the German Bundesland Niedersachsen and the construction company ”Objekt und Bauregie GmbH & KG”.

Dear friends all over Europe!

To this e-address kuuleminen@tem.fi yourself can send your comments to the EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) program of Fennovoima (34% ownership by E.ON which also builds such beautiful projects as wind mills…) for building new nuclear reactors in Finland. If you would really like to help please do it before April 7th!

EUobserver.com launched the following news from Ireland:

Irish PM Bertie Ahern has abruptly resigned as a result of a corruption scandal. ‘I’ve never done anything to corrupt my office’ he said upon the announcement. A commission spokesperson refused to speculate what effect early elections may have on the upcoming Irish referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.
Mr. Ahern has therefore earned himself an honorary title of “The perfect European”

There is a political tool in the virtual world and it’s called Political Compass. You can take a test for yourself and figure out if your political stance is closer to Stalin, Hitler or Gandhi for example.

Subtitle: Poles blew it

Based on today’s decision in the Polish Seym one can paraphrase: “You can’t ratify the Renamed EU Constitution and keep your own Constitution legally above it.” This simply won’t work but only time will tell. Well not just time - in near future top lawyers will have to explain clearly to Poles, to Germans (when they decide to repeat their own legal case) and finally to all other Europeans the true legal nature of the “Mother of all EU Treaties”.

Not quite the EU-Renamed Constitution news but it has to do with referendum legislation and procedures regarding calls for a referendum in Europe.

They have everything! They have 1st class democracy, they enjoy all the fruits of developed European economy, they can travel all across Europe without being bored at the border crossings. So what is it they are prepared to demonstrate against?

Irish artist Robert Ballagh has offered his artistic skills to support the Irish NO camp in the referendum campaign. His painting Mise Éire (I am Ireland) symbolises Ireland’s muffled and dependent state within the European Union.

We have already made two graphs to visualise “representation” of electorate within the EU member-states. First one was published after the ratification in France and questionable statements by Barrosso and we made the second one after the Bulgarian ratification.

As you could already see we started using letters REC for “The Renamed EU Constitution”.

Austrian NGO’s are well aware that through REC Austrian status of military neutrality will be gravely endangered. This is why they are organising large demonstrations in Vienna on Saturday, 29th of March 2008.

Yesterday Bulgarian parliament ratified the Renamed EU Constitution with another exemplary display of democratic discipline.

Out of 240 seats in the parliament 195 MPs decided the ratification is the way to go 15 MPs mainly from the ATAKA party were against and one MP abstained from the vote.

Here is new graph representing the level of support to the REC in the parliaments:

As we have been reporting through the last months in Slovenia there have been measurable actions by the civil society to ensure the referendum on the Renamed EU Constitution through a collection of signatures. NGO Hervardi have organised a network which succeeded in gathering approximately 2.700 signatures “in the street” in less than 7 days whereas 2.500 were needed (2nd step requires 40.000 signatures).

Statement from TEAM AGM ‘08 made in Copenhagen, 9th of March 2008:

According to EUobserver Danish opposition wants additional explanation and guarantees on legal and political status of Danish collective bargaining rights before the renamed EU constitution receives green light for ratification in the parliament.

The call came from the opposition Social Democrats, who have been on alert since the EU’s highest court in December ruled in the Vaxholm case that a Swedish trade union picket against cheap Latvian labour was illegal. Call received support from members of the two leftist opposition parties and also by the right-wing eurocritical Danish People’s Party. Together, the parties make up a majority in Danish parliament.

Thanks to the web-memory we can read in The Sunday Telegraph, 29th April 2007 that Mr. Barroso gets easily astonished:

Interviewed in today’s Sunday Telegraph, the president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, rejected this argument. “I am astonished that people in the UK think that ratification by Parliament is ratification by the back door,” he said. “Your Parliament is not the equivalent of a back door - it is the mother of all Parliaments. This is the country which invented Parliamentary democracy. You cut off your King’s head to establish the sovereignty of Parliament.” “To say your Parliament is the back door is to say it is not representative - and I have to say, I personally find that rather incredible.”

Report from Slovenia:

As it was expected today the Parliament voted against another call for a referendum from Slovenian National Party (SNS). This time result was 54 against and 7 in favour. Another blow to democracy came from the president of the Parliament, who announced that the Ministry of Interior checked 2700 signatures from NGO Hervardi and found out that more than 200 “were not correct”. This elementary trick has been used many times before and it primarily proved once more that the Law on Referendum and Initiative has many unconstitutional elements. In this case Ministry as a body of Government (executive branch) has followed interests of the Government. NGO Hervardi will file a case at the Constitutional Court demanding revision of the signatures. Battle lost so what else is new.