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| Europe |
| Lithuania first to ratify EU Constitution |
| 2004-11-11 |
| Lithuania has become the first country in the European Union to ratify the European Constitution - just under two weeks after the document was formally signed. The small Baltic state, which joined the EU on 1 May, ratified the document via its parliament - the Seimas - by an overwhelming majority on Thursday (11 November). Eighty-four voted in favour of the Constitution with four against and three abstentions. One down, twenty-four to go. Nice overwhelming majority though. |
| Posted by:Aris Katsaris |
| #6 One can be against that "EU Constitution" while agreeing with some parts of it. It's enough that there are a few major tyrannical aspects to it. In a similar vein, a terrorist is not murdering innocents 24h a day. Just a few times in a lifetime is enough to make such a beast deserve the death penalty. Evil can come in small pieces, and compromise with it means it wins by default of the good. |
| Posted by: Kalle (kafir forever) 2004-11-11 11:59:46 PM |
| #5 Surely those who voted in favor of that "Constitution" have read it all and don't have any objections. Surely those who voted against it, have read it all and don't have any agreements. Even *I* have objections to the Constitution. Voting in favour of it simply means that you feel the pluses outweigh the minuses. You don't have to consider it the paragon of perfection. But as for "reading it all", it's perhaps noteworthy that in the Eurobarometer IIRC the country that is most hostile towards the European Union is also the one that claims to know least about it -- similar to the situation in Rantburg, I feel. And once the EU Constitution is adopted by all, the EU will have exactly one seat at the UNSC, right? No, the EU member states (even with the new constitutional treaty) don't give up their right to conduct their own foreign policies. So, from the point of view of other international organizations, we will still be 25 countries, not one. Even if we try to coordinate policies. It is uncertain whether EU will however gain a seat in *addition* to the 25 member states. I hear it's gonna accede to gain such a seat in the Council of Europe, anyway. Which I wonder if it will one day merge with the EU, same as the WEU has almost-sorta merged with the EU. |
| Posted by: Aris Katsaris 2004-11-11 5:12:16 PM |
| #4 Surely those who voted in favor of that "Constitution" have read it all and don't have any objections. And once the EU Constitution is adopted by all, the EU will have exactly one seat at the UNSC, right? |
| Posted by: Kalle (kafir forever) 2004-11-11 4:47:40 PM |
| #3 Did your relatives vote for or against the EU Accession? Because *that* one they did put to a referendum. |
| Posted by: Aris Katsaris 2004-11-11 2:20:55 PM |
| #2 I just like how they didn't put it to a vote of the people. Knowing my relatives, they never would have voted for it. |
| Posted by: Desert Blondie 2004-11-11 1:38:05 PM |
| #1 Appropriate, as we are coming up on the 65th anniversary of the last time they lost their independence. |
| Posted by: jackal 2004-11-11 12:31:58 PM |