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"It is a naive fallacy that among the citizenry there exists a coherent body of political thought untainted by party political machines" (Photo: EUobserver)

Why it may not be right to consult the people

You may be forgiven for not having noticed but the grand European Citizens Consultation exercise has entered its final phase. This idea grew out of the reflection into which all Europe was thrown following the upset of the failed constitutional referenda in France and the Netherlands.

One element was to stimulate a dialogue with ordinary people; to ascertain the views of ordinary folk as to how Europe should develop. This assumed that they both knew and had the time and inclination to...

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Disclaimer

The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s, not those of EUobserver
"It is a naive fallacy that among the citizenry there exists a coherent body of political thought untainted by party political machines" (Photo: EUobserver)

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