Lawyer files case to annul Luxembourg referendum
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No public funds for the give 'No' campaign (Photo: EUobserver)
By Lisbeth Kirk
A lawyer in Luxembourg on Tuesday (16 August) filed a lawsuit to get his country’s approval of the EU constitution annulled.
A majority (56.52%) in Luxembourg voted yes to the European constitution in a referendum on 10 July, 43.48 percent voted against.
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The lawyer, Roy Reding, claimed public funding was used illegally in support of the ‘Yes’ campaign, according to Luxembourg daily Tageblatt.
He also accused Jean-Claude Juncker’s government of violating the Grand Duchy’s constitution by not treating citizens equally when refusing to give the 'No' campaign public funds.
"The only possible sanction …….. is the straight and simple cancellation of the referendum and its result", he said.
The lawyer also called adverts shown on TV ahead of the poll into question.
The TV ads contained "absolutely no information content" about the treaty, he said and added that they "consisted entirely of psychological manipulation of the voter".
Mr Reding, who has spoken publicly against the proposed EU constitution, asserted that prime minister Juncker intervened directly and asked for changes to the TV ads. The lawyer called on the court to hear employees from the ad agency in charge of the campaign as witnesses.
