Too Complex?

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Professor Charles Wyplosz has a very interesting and succinct piece in yesterday’s Financial Times on the rejection of the Lisbon treaty by the Irish voters. Interestingly, Wyplosz argues, when discussing whether certain EU issues and questions are unsuited for national referendums due to complexity, that European voters are merely cynical as rejection of grand EU policies, be it the failed constitution or treaties, is the only way in which citizens of Europe get to have a say in the Union’s policy. This is a point regularly overlooked in the frantic discussions that often follow popular refusal to vote Yes to the various EU policies.

Comments

Unknown said…
As Bo stated a few days ago, the mistake seems obvious, why let just one nation reject all this work?

Is it a kind of hubris perhaps, the treaty is obviously so great for everyone involved that no thinking person could possibly reject it?

The complexity certainly seems to be a factor. But what about the referendum machinery itself, Sandy Levinson

(http://balkin.blogspot.com/)

argues that Europeans are "stupid" to "stick with unanimous ratification". They should have learned a lesson from Article VII of the American Constitution that allowed ratification without consent of 2 of the 13 States in 1789, North Carolina and Rhode Island. Why not a similar rule with these new European treaties? 80% of member states must sign on for it to take effect?
20 June 2008 at 11:57
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13 January 2010 at 22:57
Frank said…
This is a point regularly overlooked in the frantic discussions that often follow popular refusal to vote Yes to the various EU policies.
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