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EU elite afraid of giving people a say

Friday, 29th October 2010

The EU elite has been condemned by UKIP for planning to make changes to the Lisbon Treaty in such a way as to avoid triggering referendums across member states.

Two moves have been tentatively agreed. EU Council President Herman Van Rompuy is to be tasked with exploring whether such a limited change can be done via a simplified revision procedure, in which EU leaders can make the change without having to call a full Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) - involving negotiations between the governments, consultations with the European Parliament and the participation of the European Commission, which could open a Pandora's Box of other new proposals.

Mr Van Rompuy would also explore whether this can be done legaly without the tweak having to be presented to national parliaments for approval, which would almost certainly grind down the process, or even further, whether such a move would provoke referendums in some countries, notably Ireland, which maintains a constitutional requirement that any shift in powers from Dublin to Brussels be approved in a vote by the people.

UKIP chairman and MEP Paul Nuttall, in Brussels for the summit, rounded on the attempts to change without consultation.

He said: "These EU politicians are absolutely terrified of the people. They will do anything to avoid the people having a say in a referendum.

"We will now see the undignified spectacle of Herman Van Rompuy scurrying around, taking legal advice in a desperate effort to ensure that changes they intend to make to the Lisbon Treaty does not require referendums in member states.

"I foresee a challenge to this EU sleight of hand by citizen groups in Ireland at the very least.

"This matter is too important to be agreed by a political elite at the expense of ordinary people who will pick up the bill."

To join the call for a referendum, sign the EU Referendum Pledge here.

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