Word: referendum
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...Because of the stinging criticism, the Irish government may now be reconsidering the move. Complaining that he has been the victim of "a sophisticated campaign, mostly on the Internet," Ahern last month proposed holding a referendum on the law, insisting that this was always his "preferred choice." However, with no date set for any referendum, opponents are keeping up the pressure. In May, Atheist Ireland will organize a 25-day walk across the country to hold public meetings on the statute, while the Museum of Contemporary Art is planning further one-off anti-blasphemy law events, as well...
...direct democracy campaigners are split on its merits. Bruno Kaufmann, president of the Initiative and Referendum Institute Europe think tank, welcomed the move, saying "it will force people to reflect on how Europe really works." But Carsten Berg, coordinator of the European Citizens' Initiative, an organization advocating more direct democracy in the E.U., warned that the "intrusive personal data requirements, narrow topics and unclear follow-up could render it unusable." And Janis Emmanouilidis, an analyst at the European Policy Center, a Brussels-based think tank, believes it could backfire. "One million people is a low threshold and it risks falling...
...schools. Headscarves have also been outlawed in schools in the Netherlands, Britain and in many German states, and the Italian government has just started a debate on whether to ban them. The European pushback against Islam has gone even further in Switzerland, where the public last year approved a referendum making it illegal to build minarets on mosques, a move that outraged Muslims in the country. (Read a study on why European Muslims feel shut...
...President and Foreign Minister are entities which have been created by the political élite of the E.U. and agreed to by Europe's governments, and are virtually irrelevant. The Lisbon Treaty was approved by E.U. heads of state, with only a small number of states holding a democratic referendum prior to signing up to the treaty. Like most countries, the British government did not hold a referendum, and the government signed up to the treaty on our behalf. Little wonder then that many Europeans remain uninterested in these new positions, and that senior politicians in European countries have...
Leftists described the election and its result as a referendum on the right's national leadership - a claim difficult for Sarkozy's government to deny, given that 20 Cabinet members (including eight full ministers) who ran in the polls were roundly defeated. "The President of the Republic, the government and its majority must take into account this thrashing defeat and recognize their failure," said 2007 Socialist presidential candidate Ségolène Royal, who triumphed in the Poitou-Charentes region. "The French people have spoken, and I believe they must be heard," echoed Socialist Party leader Martine Aubry. "Hearing...