Monday, May 30, 2005

Not listening

Following up the comments on North's blog from the European Parliament Group leaders et al, here is a round up of some national politicians and their responses.

"Our country suffers from true sickness. I do not know how it can be cured”. - Jacques BARROT
"Europe cannot stop". - Joaquin ALMUNIA Commissioner for Monetary Affairs
"This « No » is not a vote against Europe" – Belgian PM Guy VERHOFSTADT.
“the French 'no' will not have any influence". - Danish PM Anders Fogh RASMUSSEN
“I am not happy with what has happened” - Estonian PM Andrus ANSIP
"Let us not forget that thanks to the European Union we have had a half century of peace. Without the European Union, sooner or later nationalisms, the ghosts of the 1930s, will reappear," – Italian President Carlo Azeglio CIAMPI
"But while we must take account of this signal, it is necessary to continue to advance the European project despite everything ". - Romano PRODI,
"I am convinced that the French people did not say 'no' to Europe" - Lithuanian President Valdas ADAMKUS
"It is a major political crisis" - Jeannot KRECKE, Luxembourg Treaury minister.
"this result gives a reason moreover to the Netherlanders to vote yes" - Dutch PM Jan Peter BALKENENDE
"the French must tell us what they mean by this vote" – Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula PLASSNIK
It "means serious problems in the process of adoption of the constitutional treaty, but should not slow down the process of integration" - Polish President KWASNIEWSKI

4 comments:

@nooil4pacifists said...

Elaib:

Great round up--I've linked to you on my No Oil for Pacifists blog. My thoughts on 1) the vote; and 2) the reaction.

Irina Tsukerman said...

This is unreal. Sounds like a joke. "The French must tell us what they mean...". What do they expect Chirac to say?

Gawain Towler said...

Irina
Its simple, knowing that they are pro-European it stand s to reason that they don't actually mean it. a 10% difference is mallebal, thus it is legitimate to suggest that if they understood the ramificatiosn oftheir actions they might not have doen what they have done.

According to some Dutch friends who came roundto dinner I understand the Dutch PM Balkenende said today "I will have failed if there is a No vote", They fear that this might encourage people to send him the message.

Irina Tsukerman said...

So what are they going to do about it now?

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