A British "No" vote in a planned referendum on the EU constitution would be tantamount to a vote to leave the bloc, one of the country's two European Commissioners said yesterday.
External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten told the Observer newspaper a "No" vote in the referendum Prime Minister Tony Blair promised in a career-threatening U-turn last week would drive Britain from the EU -- set to expand on May 1 from 15 to 25 members.
"If we ever get into this referendum it's really going to be about whether we want to stay in. What's the point of being inside and endlessly, truculently making trouble," he said.
Asked if a vote against the constitution would mean Britain quitting the EU, the former Conservative Party government minister and ardent europhile said:
"I think as good as. I just think that psychologically we can't go on like this."
The proposed EU constitution, designed to oil the bloc's creaking decision-making mechanisms, which were drawn up when the group had just six original members, is scheduled to be agreed at an EU summit in June.
Blair, a staunch pro-European who has repeatedly rejected calls for plebiscites on a range of issues including the constitution, did an abrupt about-face on the issue on Tuesday.
But the once unassailable Blair, who has led his Labour Party to two consecutive landslide election wins but lost public trust over the war in Iraq, faces a serious uphill struggle.
An ICM poll in the News of the World said just 25 percent of people would support the proposed EU constitution, although 51 percent would vote to stay in the bloc.
The poll echoed similar results from other soundings during last week.
But the Sunday Telegraph quoted an unnamed government official it said was close to Blair as saying they were confident they could convince a traditionally europhobic populace.
"We know that if we had the referendum now we would lose. We know it is a very big risk. But we believe we can turn it around," the official was quoted as saying.
However, the pro-Conservative and euroskeptic Telegraph, which had campaigned for a referendum on the constitution, balanced this optimistic view with one of its own mocking Blair.
"A fading Blair is embracing a cause with the smell of death upon it: European integration," it said in an editorial.
Political analysts have said a "No" vote in the British referendum -- which is expected to take place in mid-2005 -- could torpedo both Blair's future and the constitution's.
Aware of the paralysis a British rejection could cause the bloc, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder told Focus magazine he wanted the new constitution to permit implementation of new voting rules even if not all countries had ratified the deal.
A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office, which on Saturday hosted a party in central London to celebrate the imminent eastward expansion of the bloc with free food, drink and music, declined to comment on the German Chancellor's suggestion.
A new online voting system aimed at boosting turnout among the Philippines’ millions of overseas workers ahead of Monday’s mid-term elections has been marked by confusion and fears of disenfranchisement. Thousands of overseas Filipino workers have already cast their ballots in the race dominated by a bitter feud between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and his impeached vice president, Sara Duterte. While official turnout figures are not yet publicly available, data from the Philippine Commission on Elections (COMELEC) showed that at least 134,000 of the 1.22 million registered overseas voters have signed up for the new online system, which opened on April 13. However,
ALLIES: Calling Putin his ‘old friend,’ Xi said Beijing stood alongside Russia ‘in the face of the international counter-current of unilateralism and hegemonic bullying’ Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) yesterday was in Moscow for a state visit ahead of the Kremlin’s grand Victory Day celebrations, as Ukraine accused Russia’s army of launching air strikes just hours into a supposed truce. More than 20 foreign leaders were in Russia to attend a vast military parade today marking 80 years since the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, taking place three years into Russia’s offensive in Ukraine. Putin ordered troops into Ukraine in February 2022 and has marshaled the memory of Soviet victory against Nazi Germany to justify his campaign and rally society behind the offensive,
ENTERTAINMENT: Rio officials have a history of organizing massive concerts on Copacabana Beach, with Madonna’s show drawing about 1.6 million fans last year Lady Gaga on Saturday night gave a free concert in front of 2 million fans who poured onto Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro for the biggest show of her career. “Tonight, we’re making history... Thank you for making history with me,” Lady Gaga told a screaming crowd. The Mother Monster, as she is known, started the show at about 10:10pm local time with her 2011 song Bloody Mary. Cries of joy rose from the tightly packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand. Concert organizers said 2.1 million people attended the show. Lady Gaga
CONFLICTING REPORTS: Beijing said it was ‘not familiar with the matter’ when asked if Chinese jets were used in the conflict, after Pakistan’s foreign minister said they were The Pakistan Army yesterday said it shot down 25 Indian drones, a day after the worst violence between the nuclear-armed rivals in two decades. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed to retaliate after India launched deadly missile strikes on Wednesday morning, escalating days of gunfire along their border. At least 45 deaths were reported from both sides following Wednesday’s violence, including children. Pakistan’s military said in a statement yesterday that it had “so far shot down 25 Israeli-made Harop drones” at multiple location across the country. “Last night, India showed another act of aggression by sending drones to multiple locations,” Pakistan military spokesman Ahmed
RSS