eurealist.co.uk

Bruno Kaufmann President of The Initiative & Referendum Institute - Europe’s Direct Democracy Think Tank

No other country in Europe has received as much financial assistance from EU taxpayers as Spain has since its accession back in 1986.

The Spaniards also said ‘yes’ to a new European Treaty, which in fact weakens the country’s voting right in the European Council in comparison with the Nice Treaty.

“But at the same time, millions of Spanish voters said ‘Si’ to the new basic law of the Union, because of the introduction of the first transnational citizens’ initiative, which gives one million people across the continent the right to propose a new European Law”

However, the Spanish ‘Yes’ was not a full ‘Yes’ to a democratic European future, but more of an expression of deep appreciation of the developments over the last 20 years.

How on earth can Mr Kaufmann make theses claims, what evidence has he that the reasons for the Spanish yes vote was “because of the introduction of the first transnational citizens’ initiative, which gives one million people across the continent the right to propose a new European Law”

Because he is the director of a think tank which concentrates on the subject of direct democracy his claims are simply to push his own agenda, I could equally claim that the people voted yes because the sun shone.

Any Eusceptic claim that the 42% turnout is symptomatic of a less than enthusiastic agreement with the constitution is equally flawed reasoning, it could equally be for the very opposite reasons, or even because the people did not want the introduction of the first transnational citizens’ initiative, which gives one million people across the continent the right be ignored.

Politicians will always try to read that which will enhance or defend their own arguments into any polling situation, as was attempted when the people of the North East soundly rejected elected assemblies some were trying to claim that this meant that they preferred the imposed unelected Regional Councils.

If the British people vote No to the referendum, the pundits will be out in force making claims that have no basis in reality, but will allow the government to renegotiate or temporarily opt out of those areas which they will claim have influenced the vote, the only evidence they will have is that more people voted no than yes, but this will not stop them building any argument they wish out of the result.