Voting until They Get It Right in the European Union | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute: Commentary

Voting until They Get It Right in the European Union | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute: Commentary: "When it comes to the European Union, any vote to increase authority in Brussels is viewed as final. Any vote against consolidating power is treated as merely temporary.

The Lisbon Treaty is the perfect example of such a power grab. Among other things, it shifts responsibilities from national parliaments to European parliament, reduces the number of areas where unanimity is required (eliminating national vetoes), creates a president as a person (as opposed to rotating presidencies for nations) and creates a foreign minister to push a continental foreign policy.

In June 2008, Ireland voted against the treaty. Since the agreement requires unanimous support, the referendum theoretically killed the attempt. However, the European elite insisted that Ireland vote again. Dublin will hold a revote Oct. 2."

"Spanish EU Commissioner Joaquin Almunia claimed that it's not "very democratic" to hold a referendum on complicated issues like the Lisbon Treaty. German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble declared, "A few million Irish cannot decide on behalf of 495 million Europeans.""