The yes-side always argues, that the proposed Constitution is the only European perspective. This is a wrong. A variety of voices from across the EU and all political camps oppose this Constitution for not being good enough for Europe.
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Laurent Fabius
“This text will imprison us, it is irreversible. In the name of Europe, and of my European conviction, we need a better text.”
Source: Le Figaro, 28 September 2004
"One can be pro-European and against this Constitutional project. One can even be against this project precisely because one is pro-Europe" Source: EU Observer, 13 October 2004
“We are being asked to vote on policies and to set them in stone. As soon as we have adopted this text, we will only be able to revise it by unanimity of all the members. That is what’s causing an enormous problem. If you vote for a policy and it is not satisfactory, you are stuck with it for thirty years”.
Source: Le Monde, 14 September 2004
Laurent Fabius is a
socialist MP and former French Prime Minister
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Jean-Pierre Chevènement
“I am truly frightened [by the EU Constitution]… the hope for a flexible Europe has been nipped in the bud… I am certain that among the countries concerned, several will reject this text, hopefully including France”.
Source: Le Figaro, 25 August 2004
Jean-Pierre Chevènement is a Socialist MP and former interior and defence minister of France
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Jean-Luc Mélenchon
“[We are] trying to make people understand that we are not against Europe, but against the content of the text… the text is not European… there is no democratic advance. Therefore it’s a double retreat."
Source: Le Parisien, 6 August 2004
Jean-Luc Mélenchon is a
socialist MP and former Education and Skills minister
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Gisela Stuart
"The Convention brought together a self-selected group of the European political elite, many of whom have their eyes on a career at a European level, which is dependent on more and more integration and who see national governments and national parliaments as an obstacle. Not once in the sixteen months I spent on the Convention did representatives question whether deeper integration is what the people of Europe want, whether it serves their best interests or whether it provides the best basis for a sustainable structure for an expanding Union. The debates focused solely on where we could do more at European Union level. None of the existing policies were questioned."
Source: from Gisela Stuart's book: The Making of Europe's Constitution
"The constitution only provides for powers to flow to the EU centre. However, the constitution is not actually a huge move to a federal Europe either, because it does not provide for the EU to have its own army or to tax individuals.”
"One underlying problem is that there is no mechanism for specifically abandoning legislation if the case for it has not been proved. There is no delete button.”
"I would like to see people look carefully at the kind of Europe they want and put a constitutional framework in place that will achieve it.”
"I would like to see a Europe that does more at some levels and less at others.”
"This is why I believe that the constitution is a lost opportunity."
Source: Birmingham Post, 7 October 2004
Gisela Stuart is a Labour MP and was member of the presidium of the Convention on the Future of Europe
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Vaclav Klaus
"I am afraid that steps such as the European Constitution endanger freedom, democracy and prosperity" - "This is matter of deep concern because freedom, democracy and prosperity were endangered in the past by other 'isms.' They are now being eroded by another 'ism,' which is called Europeanism and is embodied in the European Constitution."
Source: The Washington Times, 2 December 2004
"[The Constitution] does not resolve Europe's real problems." (...) "It is a radical text with wide-ranging consequences for freedom and for the well-being and future of the nation state"
Source: AFP, 27 September 2004
Vaclav Klaus is the president of the Czech Republic
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Jens-Peter Bonde
“The EU-constitution is a big step towards a European state with more centralisation of law making as in The United States, but less democracy.
The Constitution moves legislative power from the voters and elected members of regional and national parliaments to unelected civil servants in Brussels.
It is important that we show that the battle against centralisation and for democracy concerns all European citizens. That is why we have join forces in the European No Campaign.”
Jens-Peter Bonde MEP (DK), June Movement, President of the group for independence and democracy.
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Esko Seppaenen
“The Constitution has supremacy over national legislation. It strenghtens supranational decision making and gives the veto on laws only for a few countries. The EU is militarized and starts operating militarily outside of its own borders. In the name of democracy and military non-allignment we Finns want to say no to such a Constitution, and to get a referendum, we need to act together with the others.”
Esko Seppaenen MEP (FIN), Vasemmistoliitto, European Left
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Caroline Lucas
“UK Greens are opposed to this constitution, which will take the EU further down the road of economic neo-liberalism and require member states to increase their military spending and continue to promote the nuclear energy industry.
“The EU faces a crisis of democratic confidence. The need for radical reform to place social and environmental justice at the heart of a transparent and democratically accountable EU has never been greater – but this proposed constitution is a step away from, not towards, these goals.”
Caroline Lucas MEP (UK), Green Party
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Nils Lundgren
"This is a call for a more open and democratic Europe, which listens to its citizens. So far, this has not been done. The EU Constitution will not change this - it will continue the ongoing centralisation of power from accountable national parliaments to unaccountable EU-institutions."
Nils Lundgren MEP, Junilistan
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David Heathcoat-Amory
”This European Constitution is centralising and technocratic - a Politicians Europe. By rejecting it we can build a Peoples Europe which puts democracy first. Whatever our political leanings let us join together in this international campaign for a better Europe.”
David Heathcoat-Amory MP, Conservative Party
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Ian Davidson
“The EU Constitution is a step backwards for democracy in Europe – so it is vital that the campaign against the Constitution and for EU reform is put forward across borders.”
Ian Davidson, Labour MP (UK)
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Theresa Villiers
"The Constitution is designed to create a country called Europe and give ever more power to Brussels at the expense of nationally elected governments. I think that's bad for democracy, bad for Britain and bad for Europe."
Theresa Villiers MEP, Conservative Party (UK)
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... to be continued ...
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