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We are putting together a Lisbon Treaty podcast this evening and uploading it to the site later, one of the guests lined up is Jo Leinen MEP he is Chairman of the constitutional affairs committee in the Parliament and has suggested before the election that a no vote may end EU membership. Any questions for him or ideas we might want to cover, do let me know. I will be posting it later on tonight to th
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techPresident – The Future of Campaign Technology: The Ground Game
Irish Parties looking at learning online and database lessons from Obama could do worse than bear this post in mind. Almost as soon as the election is over, improvements and evolution are making some parts redundant and others essential. Get your campaign an i-phone for everyone? Might be better than printing flyers, it goes to show how parties, if they take it seriously, need to keep ahead of the wave - not just follow.
Colman at the EuroTrib give his reasoning on why Lisbon is dead. The Government's incapable handling of the budget cuts are the nail in the coffin.
Fine Gael’s Leo Varadkar offers his view on how the SBP Opinion Poll would translate in an election.
Think tank: Time for democracy to click into place
Dan Sullivan gets himself into The Sunday Times, calling for the internet to connect citizens to a more meaningful democracy. Its an argument I agree with wholeheartedly myself. Have a read and let him know what you think.
Colm Burke MEP reckons that we need to get honest and tell people we will be holding a second Lisbon Vote in Oct 2009 with protocols desigend to secure a yes vote.
When Holland and France voted no did he ask for them to leave Europe. If not why not.
A parliamentary ratification would have seen Ireland vote 90% plus for Lisbon; a consultation of the people sees its defeat. France and The Netherlands are in a similar position - a technical rather than a moral ratification. The argument that 800,000 Irish people are holding up 495 million europeans is therefore weakIs the EU trying to build on sand?
In 2006 you gave an intervew with Euroactiv*
You stated that “My message to the national governments is that they cannot continue to ignore the fact that they have already signed the document and that it is their responsibility to contribute to its implementation.” - however the Dutch and French electorate argued differently and a modified version of the constitution was put forward. Is this an indication that the Govts. can only implement but the people must ratify.
* http://www.euractiv.com/en/future-eu/interview-jo-leinen-mep-chairman-committee-constitutional-affairs/article-158122
Finally you could ask him why is it Germany does not hold a national referendum on the issue. Do two wrongs make a right - the wrong of Nazi Germany using referendums to justify military aggression surely does not invalidate the principle of the referendum. Can the people be trusted or should they indeed be dissolved?
{German constitution was drawn up in 1949, when memories were still fresh of how the Nazis twice used plebiscites for aggressive purposes - for the remilitarisation of the Rhineland in 1936 and the swallowing-up of Austria in 1938. }