Cyprus WE THE PEOPLE - NEED FOR A REFERENDUM

cmantas_liberal · advanced member

Modern states suppose to ask their citizens to participate in the decision making process. This does not work in EU. EU needs to change in a participative democracy scheme. Therefore it is a NEED to ask European citizens to vote for many issues including the turkish bid. Eurobarometre showed a 55% being against the turkish bib and only 25% in favor. So what's the story? Let us make a referendum for all important issues in EU.

cypezokyli · lecturer

ireland, (if i am not mistaken) did have a referendum about the ten new countries and voted NO
if democracy was respected that would have beeen the final answer.
instead what the eu did, was to kindly say to them:

look u have to optinons
u either vote right or u vote again till u find the right answer Smile

as a result cyprus is a member of the EU.

i believe that if all EU treaties were left to the peole to decide it could be that EU wouldnt have existed (just like the constitution).

a significant number of europeans dont like the euro. they want to return to their old currencies. should there be a referendum?

the real choises we make are the choise of political leaders in each country.

cmantas_liberal · advanced member

i am refering to an official pan-european referendum for crucial issues. Not a local or national referendum.

cmantas_liberal · advanced member

i ve never heard of any OFFICIAL referendum in Ireland. If it was official it would bind the Irish governmnet to reject the expansion

Piratis · Moderator

cmantas_liberal, the EU doesn't function in this way. EU is a union of independent countries, not a country. Each country can take a decision on critical matters separately from the others. For example France already announced a referendum for the Turkish accession. Cyprus can do the same. It is up to the individual countries, not the EU.

However I agree that the citizens of the countries should be asked very often for all critical matters.

cmantas_liberal · advanced member

yeah, what i am saying is that.,..the current system is wrong. We ALL have to take part on such decisions. EU works as one state..it has a parliament, a legistlation which is above the national law and etc.

lets make some common decisions that will derive from WE THE PEOPLE. not from a bunch of politicians.

cypezokyli · lecturer

it would be really nice cmantas_liberal

but i really believe that the people think more nationalistically than their politicians. in that respect reaching a compromise would be much more difficult.
it is sad but i think that how it is...

cmantas_liberal · advanced member

It is upon the politicians to explain what is going on.... hence the politicians will have to make some clear procedures and to make clear to the voters for what is going on. therefore this will push for more clear procedures within EU

cypezokyli · lecturer

an exaple.

for us it is vital that turkey stays concetrated on the eu prospect. without that there is no chance for a solution, or there wouldnt have been even the plan that was proposed.

if u ask the average greek he would most probably vote against turkish accession. i am sure many would already be in favor of a veto.

and in that both ND and PASOK know it, and wouldnt let turkey to loose that prospect

cmantas_liberal · advanced member

frankly speaking..the anti-turkish figures are higher in germany, france and austria than greece. check the latest eurobarometre poll. France has something like 80% against. at the same time in greece is 72% and the EU average is 55% with only 25% in favor..so turkey gotta do something to change the EU citizen's views or there is an obvious culturally gap