ESC 09 First Contestant Announced !

Well it was reported last week that De Toppers will be representing the Netherlands in Moscow in next years edition of the Eurovision Song Contest!

De Toppers are a 3 piece band consisting of Gerard Joling, who sang for the Netherlands at the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest, and Gordon and Rene Froger.

Below is an excellent video of them in concert! They could do well in Moscow!

Given the failure of the French and Dutch to approve the European Constitution, how far does Europe need a Constitution?

I was very disappointed to hear the results of the referenda in France and the Netherlands. I believe that the European Union needs a constitution to codify all the treaties and set out the powers of each of the institutions.

Europe needs a constitution. When you look at organisations that have constitutions they are many and diverse. From local sports clubs to countries, constitutions lay out the basic rules and procedures for the running of the organisation.

Currently the rules and regulations of the EU are contained in many treaties beginning with the Treaty of Rome and the other treaties. Other regulations are the result of compromises and have never been written down. A constitution would clearly lay out the role for every institution of the EU.

In this constitution I would like to see the EU set out the basic human rights that every EU citizen should have. I also think that the constitution should contain a role for national parliaments. This constitution would clear up a lot of confusion that many citizens encounter when discussing the EU.