Lisbon Treaty in the dock

The Danish supreme court has ruled that a group of 35 Danish citizens may file a case against the country’s Prime Minister and liberal leader, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, explains Berlingske Tidende. According to the plaintiffs, which include politicians and well-known artists, the Prime Minister violated the Danish constitution when he opted to ratify the Lisbon Treaty with a vote in parliament rather than a referendum. In its editorial, the Copehagen daily argues that the ratification procedure had the support of a majority of Danes and warns that a court ruling against the Prime Minister will herald “a return to the Maastricht era and more interminable discussions on our capacity to survive without the EU.” The Danes voted against Maastricht in a 1992 referendum, but finally approved it in 1993, once they had obtained a number of opt-outs.