Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-05-23-Speech-3-255"
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"en.20070523.20.3-255"2
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"Mr President, one has to ask how much energy has now been wasted on chasing the moonbeam of an EU Constitution. In the rarefied atmosphere of this House, an EU Constitution may seem important, but frankly, most of our citizens have moved on and care more about things like good education, a good health service and rising house prices – things a constitution will not change.
Part of the reason that the EU institutions are stuck in this rut is because of the refusal to take a democratic ‘no’ for an answer. These debates are dominated by siren demands for what is unobtainable and with demands for stratagems to avoid letting the citizens have their say. Hence the ploys of a change of title, a slimmed-down text and a total aversion to referenda.
But rejig it as you might, that which imposes the apparatus of statehood on the EU, with a president and a foreign minister, and that which further savages national sovereignty by promoting even more qualified majority voting, is the same old tired, tarnished product that has already been rejected, and upon which citizens must have their say.
Desperate as my own government is to welsh on the pledge of a referendum in the United Kingdom, I say the people of each nation-state have a right to have their say. Only those lacking in confidence in their own case or with a knavish design to thwart public opinion run away from letting the people decide.
Prime Minister, you were brought here today – as I am sure you realise – so that the Euro-fanatics of this House could try to pressurise you to depart from the democratic decision made in your own country. I trust you will not be so foolish as to allow that to happen."@en1
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