BORDERLINE EUROPEAN LEADERSHIP DISORDER

Heading for exciting times (Rob Greene, Radio Netherlands, June 4th, 2005)

If the massive 'no' votes in France and the Netherlands prove anything at all it is that real democracy - government run for the people by the people - is not a system that favours politicians. That is why we have been fed, for many years, a thing that sounds and smells like democracy, but isn't. It's all an illusion. Granted, even that illusion is better than some of the other forms of government we see around the world, but it's far from ideal.

In this country, voters go to the polls on average once every five years, to elect 150 members of Parliament. Once that's done they have no say in anything (Europe, the guilder, the future of the welfare state, marching off to war in Iraq) until the next polling day. The elected politicians work out between them who shall form a government (hardly ever a government anybody wholeheartedly supports) and once the backroom deals have been done a band of worthies steps up, calls itself "the Netherlands" and proceeds to do exactly as it likes, without any further consultation with the people who put them there, who pay them and have a right to demand results.

The instinctive reaction of the politicians to the 'no' votes was, as always, to rubbish the electorate. In France, they said on the morning of 30 May, it had been horrible extremists on the left and right who'd outvoted the intelligent, responsible part of the nation. In the Netherlands, three days later, the suggestion was raised that 'the people hadn't understood what the constitution was all about'. "Perhaps we've not explained it properly", one MP suggested. Not explained it properly?! Not explained it at all, and we now know why. Never ever having given us a say, they must have thought that we'd happily swallowed all the guff they've been ramming down our throats for years.. An obedient 'yes' vote was what Jan Peter Balkenende fully expected……until two weeks before polling day. Unaware of the seething discontent at ground level and of his own deep unpopularity he handed the Dutch a referendum and boy, did they use it!

But when it comes to cynical manipulation, even the Dutch government has nothing on the unelected bunch in Brussels. Consider this: it would have seemed reasonable, wouldn't it, to put this constitution to the vote in every country of the EU……on the same day. "Europe Votes" the headlines would have read on the day itself and very likely "Europe Votes No" the following day. For, given that even a single rejection would render the project a failure, a British 'no' would have killed the constitution stone dead.

Far too risky, and that's why Brussels opted for a staggered process of ratification (and, in true undemocratic tradition, by a mere parliamentary vote in a whole raft of countries). The order was carefully chosen: first the main beneficiary Spain, then europhile France, followed by the eurodocile Dutch. Three big 'yesses' in a row right off; who was going to vote 'no' after that? And, after seeing everyone else embrace the constitution, the smart money was on the British coming round in the end. Oops!

Kudos to Mr. Greene for challenging the popular wisdom we’ve been hearing all week about how the “No” votes reflected the irrational fears of ignorant droolers and menacing extremists. For over a generation Europe’s elites have convinced themselves that democracy is a charming but ultimately irksome frill and that love of one’s country and distinct culture is irrational and dangerous. Now, they are reeling and terrified, not so much of the masses, but of their own inability to understand what has happened and figure out how their dreamy, abstract mindset can possibly be molded to the popular will. We recommend therapy.