EU responds to Constitution criticism with "totalitarian" move
The European Parliament is to establish a rapid reaction force to address what it considers to be unfair criticism of the European constitution in any EU member state.
The move has angered opponents of the proposed constitition, who say that the rapid reaction force is made up entirely of MEPs who support the constitition but is funded by taxpayers money.
Jens Peter Bonde, a Danish Eurosceptic MEP, said: You cant have a rapid reaction force with taxpayers money and represent only one view its a totalitarian tendency.
As part of a campaign by Brussels, to combat Euroscepticism in the Union in time for a wave of referendums on the constitution, the Parliament has told its representative office in each country to monitor the press and note unfair criticism. MEPs will then be asked to write letters to the newspapers to put the record straight.
The European Parliament is also sending delegations consisting of only pro-constitution MEPs to parliaments in London and Paris, and last week spent ¬375,000 (£260,000) on a pro-constitution rally in Strasbourg.
There is concern that one or more of the 11 countries holding referendums on the constitution may cause turmoil by rejecting it. There is a high chance that Britain, Poland and the Czech Republic will vote no , with rejections possible in France, the Netherlands, Denmark and the Irish Republic.
The European Commission has set up a special communications strategy committee and is promoting a website to rebut Euromyths spread by the British press in the hope of winning the propaganda battle over the next two years.
Source: The Times
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