Friday 3 October 2008

Speech made by Jaan Van De Ven at the World Forum on Direct Democracy Aarau, Switzerland

Oct 1, 2008

Ladies and Gentlemen it’s a great honor and a pleasure to be here at the first Global Forum on Direct Democracy (DD).

My Name is Jaan Van De Ven and I’m actively campaigning for DD in the Republic of Ireland where, I have been speaking on the subject of DD for several years.

Like most people in modern democracies, the majority of the Irish were born into freedom, have never lived under tyranny, and find it difficult to appreciate what DD is. They don’t see a need for it and are happy to stay with the Status Quo.

Due to a constitutional requirement Ireland was the only country to have a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. As a result, in solidarity with the French and the Dutch, Ireland, a small country of 4 million people Voted “NO” And decided the Lisbon treaty outcome for the European Unions 450 million citizens.

Unfortunately, Referendum in Ireland has an Achilles Heal; Ireland is a Plebiscite, and the parliament which controls the referendum agenda, can force a revote on Lisbon To get the answer they want the same way it did for the Nice Treaty.

A No Vote does Not Mean No And Only a Yes Vote Will have an Irreversible Binding Outcome.

Oddly enough, the possibility of a Lisbon Treaty revote is opening the way for Irish DD. It is the outrage of the “No Voters” which is causing a large political organization to incorporate DD as an Anti Lisbon campaign strategy to end the Irish Plebiscite by changing the constitution.

If successful, the Irish people can be secure in knowing that they will have referendum “push back” without the interference of a Plebiscite on all EU Treaties, laws and competencies. Even though the average EU citizen will never understand the intricacies of each treaty, hardly anyone does, they could then rest assured in knowing that they have the power to change what it is to live with A treaties result.

It’s the EU Commission and the Council of Ministers, who pushed hard for the Lisbon treaty. Through this treaty, they tried to make the outcome of the Dutch and French referendums on the EU constitution, the political will of more than 75 Million people, 1/6 of the citizens of Europe irrelevant.

The Irish “NO” to vote has already had a sobering affect on EU politics, and with additional Direct Democratic powers, the Irish electorate could have a dramatic steering effect on the future political landscape of the EU. It could redirect the push for an EU “super state” with a handful of EU wide unelected ministers at the top, with no accountability and a parliament with “no real power” into a more Swiss like federal union of autonomous direct democracies.

In closing, I would advise those of you who are passionate about campaigning for DD as a political outcome in the European Union and as a result modeling “better democracy” for the rest of the world, consider the small country of Ireland with its 4 million citizens as the best place to focus your resources to accomplish this goal.

If you are interested in knowing more I blog about it at:

http://www.nomeansno.ie/ and http://www.plebiscite.eu/

Email: jaan at galaxius.com

Thank you.

For more information on DD contact the sponsors of the Global Forum on DD


The Initiative and Referendum Institute Europe
http://www.iri-europe.org/