The Robert Schuman Foundation is publishing a European Issue by Jean-Dominique Giuliani on the Defence of Europe. He shows that boosting the defence policy is possible. To do this certain political conditions must be fulfilled, together with economic decisions with regard to the European defence industry and finally new political initiatives.
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On 21st May next the Georgians will be renewing their Parliament during a general election that is taking place a few months early (the elections should have been held in the autumn). The constitutional amendments approved on 4th March by Parliament brought changes to the appointment of MPs whose number will drop from 255 to 150. Half of them will now be elected by a majority vote within 75 constituencies whilst the other half will be appointed by a proportional system from a list within one single national constituency. The most recent poll by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner (GQR) published at the beginning of May credits the United National Movement for a Victorious Georgia with 44% of the vote ahead of the New Rights- United Opposition bloc which is due to win 12% of the vote, the Christian Democratic Party 11%, the Labour Party 7% and the Republican Party 4% which for the latter means a result lower than the necessary minimum to be represented in Parliament. Will Mikhail Saakachvili maintain his parliamentary majority in spite of the rebellion undertaken against him? The answer will come on 21st May next.
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The treaty modifying the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty Establishing the European Community was signed on 13th December 2007 in Lisbon by the Heads of State and government of the 27 Member States of the European Union. If it is ratified by all Member States it will come into force on 1st January 2009. Ireland is the only European State to submit its ratification to referendum, an obligatory measure since it appears in the articles 46 and 47 of the Irish Constitution. The referendum will take place on 12th June next.
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