Hoogleraren tegen de grondwet

Brief van ruim 100 professoren tegen de Europese constitutie

[document-ikoon]Een groep van ruim honderd hoogleraren en medewekers van onderzoeksinstituten roept in een brief aan de Financial Times en de Frankfurter Allgemeine op om invoering van de Europese grondwet te voorkomen. Nederlandse ondertekenaar is de econoom Casper de Vries van de Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam. Hier volgt de letterlijke, Engelstalige tekst, met tussen [haken] de Nederlandse vertaling.

We, the undersigned, [from universities and Think Tanks in Europe] unite in rejecting the agreement reached by Heads of State or Government on the proposed constitution for the European Union. We call on the peoples of the Union to withhold ratification through their parliamentary representatives or through referenda.

[Wij, ondergetekenden, van universiteiten en denk-tanks in Europa, verwerpen gezamenlijk het akkoord bereikt door de staatshoofden en regeringsleiders over de voorgestelde grondwet voor de Europese Unie. We roepen de volken van de Unie op om ratificatie tegen te houden, via hun parlementaire vertegenwoordigers of in referenda.]

First, the proposed constitution paves the way for ever-more matters to be decided at an ever-increasing distance from the citizen. Instead of trying to provide a clear focus on what the Union can do best and leave the rest to member states and their regions the constitution opens doors for the Union to pre-empt the role of other jurisdictions in an increasing number of fields.

[Ten eerste maakt de voorgestelde grondwet het mogelijk om beslissingen over steeds meer onderwerpen steeds verder van de burger te nemen. In plaats van een helder beeld te bieden over wat de Unie het best kan doen en andere zaken over te laten aan de lidstaten en de regio's, opent de grondwet de deur voor de Unie om zich taken toe te eigenen van andere overheden op een groeiend aantal beleidsvelden.]

Secondly, the proposed constitution opens up numerous new avenues for increased regulation in Europe. It would undermine Europe's competitiveness in the world economy. Europe needs less regulation not more.

[Ten tweede opent de voorgestelde grondwet nieuwe wegen voor meer regelgeving in Europa. Dat zou de concurrentiekracht van Europa in de wereldeconomie ondermijnen. Europa heeft minder regels nodig, niet meer.]

Thirdly, by centralising policy-making, the proposed constitution gives the state more power over the citizens and suppresses international differences in preferences and needs. The centralising dynamic has to be checked by institutions which do not have a vested interest in centralisation.

[Ten derde, door beleidsvorming te centraliseren geeft de voorgestelde grondwet de staat meer macht over de burgers, en worden verschillen tussen landen in voorkeuren en behoeften onderdrukt. Om de tendens tot centralisatie te controleren, zou er controle moeten zijn door instituties zonder eigenbelang bij centralisatie.]

Fourthly, the fundamental purpose of a constitution to base the rules of political association on popular assent cannot be achieved with such a complicated and ambiguous document. Crucially important matters such as whether or not the Union has the power to tax or how the Charter of Rights is to be applied have been left deliberately obscure or have become hopelessly overcomplicated.

[Ten vierde: het fundamentele doel van een grondwet, om staatsinrichting te baseren op instemming van de burgers, kan niet worden bereikt met een dergelijk ingewikkeld en dubbelzinnig document. Essentiële vragen, zoals of de Unie belasting mag heffen of hoe het Handvest van Grondrechten toegepast moet worden, worden opzettelijk in het midden gelaten of zijn onnodig ingewikkeld geworden.]

We do not deny that the proposed constitution contains some positive elements. But on balance it clearly makes things worse. It pushes people still further away from those who exercise power in their name. It must be rejected.

[We ontkennen niet dat de voorgestelde grondwet goede elementen bevat. Maar de balans slaat door naar verslechtering. Het voorstel duwt mensen nog verder weg van degenen die in hun naam macht uitoefenen. Het moet worden afgewezen.]

Ondertekenaars

Mark Baimbridge, Senior Lecturer in Economics, University of Bradford
Prof. Norman Barry, Dept. of Politics, University of Buckingham, London
Prof. Peter Bohley, em. Professor of Economics, University of Zürich
Prof. Philip Booth, Editorial Director, Institute of Economic Affairs, London
John Blundell, Director General, Institute of Economic Affairs, London
PD Dr. Hardy Bouillon, Philosophy, University of Trier
Keith Boyfield, Keith Boyfield Associates, London
Prof. David Conway, Senior Research Fellow, Civitas, London
Prof. Victoria Curzon-Price, Professor of Economics, University of Geneva
Dr. Gert Dahlmanns, Special Advisor to the President, Zeppelin University Friedrichshafen
Dr. Hugo Dicke, Institute for World Economics, Kiel
Prof. Jürgen B. Donges, Professor of Economics, University of Cologne
Ondrej Dostal, Director, Conservative Institute of M.R. Stefanik, Bratislava
Prof. Kevin Dowd, Nottingham University Business School
Prof. Reinhard Eichenberger, Professor of Economics, University of Fribourg
Prof. Norbert Eickhoff, Professor of Economics, University of Potsdam
Prof. Gisela Färber, Professor of Economics, Deutsche Hochschule für Verwaltung, Speyer
Prof. Ulrich Fehl, Professor of Economics, University of Marburg
Prof. Lars Feld, Professor of Economics, University of Marburg
Prof. Anthony Flew, em. Professor of Philosophy, University of Reading
Prof. Cay Folkers, Professor of Economics, University of Bochum
Prof. Vincente Font Pascual, IESE, University of Navarra
Prof. James Foreman-Peck, Professor of Welsh Economic Research, Cardiff Business School
Prof. Hans-Hermann Francke, Professor of Economics, University of Freiburg
Prof. Andreas Freytag, Professor of Economics, University of Jena
Prof. Clemens Fuest, Professor of Economics, University of Cologne
Prof. Otto Gandenberger, Professor of Economics, University of Munich
Prof. Carlos Garcia Pont, IESE Business School, University of Navarra
Prof. Nuno Garoupa, Associate Professor, New University of Lisbon
Prof. Carlo Giannone, Sienza delle Finanze, University of Samnio
Prof. Herbert Giersch, retired President of Institute for World Economics, Kiel
Peter Gonda, Conservative Institute of M.R. Stefanik, Bratislava
Dr. David G. Green, Director, Civitas, London
Prof. Hans Peter Grüner, Professor of Economics, University of Mannheim
Prof. Gerd Habermann, Economics, University of Potsdam
Martin Hanus, Conservative Institute of M.R. Stefanik, Bratislava
Lord Harris of High Cross, Institute of Economic Affairs, London
Prof. Ernst Helmstädter, em. Professor of Economics, University of Münster
Prof. Klaus-Dirk Henke, Professor of Economics, Technical University Berlin
Prof. Stefan Homburg, Professor of Economics, University of Hannover
Prof. Helmut Karl, Professor of Economics, University of Bochum
Radovan Kazda, Conservative Institute of M.R. Stefanik, Bratislava
Prof. Claus D. Kernig, em. Professor of Political Science, University of Trier
Prof. Henning Klodt, Institute for World Economics, Kiel
Prof. Günter Knieps, Professor of Economics, University of Freiburg
Dr. Oliver Knipping, President, Institute for Free Enterprise, Berlin
Prof. Ulrich Koester, Professor of Agricultural Economics, University of Kiel
Prof. Horst Kurth, em. Professor of Statistics and Economics, University of Kassel
Prof. Hans Albin Larsson, Professor of History, Jönköping University
Ruth Lea, Director, Centre for Policy Studies, London
Prof. Hans Otto Lenel, em. Professor of Economics, University of Mainz
Prof. Jonas Ljungberg, Assoc. Professor, Dept. of Economic History, University of Lund
Prof. Helga Luckenbach, em. Professor of Economics, University of Giessen
Dr. Petr Mach, Executive Director, Centrum pro ekonomiku u politiku, Prague
Prof. Kenneth Minogue, em. Professor of Political Science, University of London (L.S.E.)
Prof. Dennis C. Mueller, Professor of Economics, University of Vienna
Prof. Peter Oberender, Professor of Economics, University of Bayreuth
Prof. Karl Meessen, Jean Monnet Professor of Law, University of Jena
Prof. Patrick Minford, Professor of Economics, Cardiff Business School
Prof. Hans G. Monissen, em. Professor of Economics, University of Würzburg
Prof. Hans H. Nachtkamp, em. Professor of Economics, University of Mannheim
Dr. Peter Osusky, vice-rector, Comenius University of Bratislava
Lord Pearson of Rannoch, Global Britain, London
Prof. Gerard Radnitzky, em. Professor of Philosophy, University of Trier
Prof. Ivar Raig, Audentes University Tallinn, Chair of the Board, Institute for European Studies and Research Centre Free Europe
Prof. Rudolf Richter, em. Professor of Economics, University of Saarland
Prof. Carlos Rodriguez Braun, University Complutense, Madrid
Dalibor Rohac, Institute for a Free Society, Bratislava
Prof. Juan Roure, IESE Business School, University of Navarra
Prof. Hans H. Rupp, em. Professor of Law, University of Mainz
Prof. Karlhans Sauernheimer, Professor of Economics, University of Munich
Prof. Wolf Schäfer, Professor of Economics, Helmut-Schmidt-University Hamburg
Prof. Wolfgang Scherf, Professor of Economics, University of Giessen
Prof. Jürgen Schröder, Professor of Economics, University of Mannheim
Prof. Alfred Schüller, Professor of Economics, University of Marburg
Prof. Pedro Schwartz, Professor of Economics, Uni San Pablo-CEU, Madrid
Prof. Gerhard Schwödiauer, Professor of Economics, University of Magdeburg
Prof. Friedrich L. Sell, Professor of Economics, University of the Armed Forces Munich
Prof. Jürgen Siebke, Professor of Economics, University of Heidelberg
Dusan Sloboda, Conservative Institute of M.R. Stefanik, Bratislava
Prof. Karl Socher, em. Professor of Political Economy, University of Innsbruck
Prof. Theodor Siegel, Professor of Business, Humboldt University Berlin
Gabriel Stein, Director, Lombard Street Research Ltd., London
Prof. Manfred E. Streit, Max Planck Institute for Research into Economic Systems, Jena
Dr. Janez Sustersic, Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development, Ljubljana
Sascha Tamm, Research Fellow, Liberal Institute, Friedrich Naumann Foundation, Potsdam
Richard Teather, Senior Lecturer in Tax Law, Bournemouth University
Prof. Rafael Termes, IESE Business School, University of Navarra
Prof. Georg Tolkemitt, em. Professor of Economics, University of Hamburg
Prof. Harald Uhlig, Professor of Ecomonics, Humboldt University Berlin
Prof. Victor Vanberg, Professor of Economics, University of Freiburg
Prof. Stefan Voigt, Professor of Economics, University of Kassel
Prof. Casper de Vries, Professor of Economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam
Prof. Christian Watrin, em. Professor of Economics, University of Cologne
Prof. Rolf Weder, Dept. of Economics and Europe Institute, University of Basel
Prof. Erich Weede, Professor of Sociology, University of Bonn
Dr. Horst Werner, Liberal Institute, Potsdam
Prof. Franz-Ulrich Willeke, em. Professor of Economics, University of Heidelberg
Prof. Hans Willgerodt, em. Professor of Economics, University of Cologne
Prof. Artur Woll, em. Professor of Economics, University of Siegen
Prof. Peter Zajac, Conservative Institute of M.R. Stefanik, Bratislava
Prof. Michael Zöller, Professor of Sociology, University of Bayreuth
Prof. Peter Zweifel, Professor of Economics, University of Zürich

These signatures have been invited by the European Constitutional Group[link naar andere website]:

Prof. Peter Bernholz, em. Professor of Economics, Centre of Economics & Business (WWZ), University of Basel
Prof. Charles B. Blankart, Professor of Economics, Humboldt University Berlin
Prof. Francisco Cabrillo, Chairman, Dept. of Applied Economics IV, University Complutense, Madrid
Prof. Jean-Pierre Centi, Centre d'Analyse Economique, Aix-en-Provence
Dr. Detmar Doering, Director, Liberal Institute, Friedrich Naumann Foundation, Potsdam
Dr. habil. Lüder Gerken, Director, Hayek Foundation, Freiburg
Prof. Christian Kirchner, Professor of Law, Humboldt University Berlin
Dr. Elena Leontjeva, Founder and Chair of Board, Lithuanian Free Market Institute, Vilnius
Prof. Angelo M. Petroni, Professor of Philosophy, University of Bologna
Prof. Joachim Rückert, Professor of Law, University of Frankfurt
Prof. Pascal Salin, University of Paris 9 Dauphine
Prof. Friedrich Schneider, Professor of Economics, Johannes Kepler University Linz
Dr. Jiri Schwarz, President, Liberal Institute, Prague
Peter Stein, CEO, Stein Brothers AB, Stockholm
Prof. Roland Vaubel, Professor of Economics, University of Mannheim
Frank Vibert, Director, European Policy Forum, London
Prof. Jan Winiecki, President of Polish Society of Economists (TEP)

toegevoegd: 29 maart 2005
rubriek: Achtergronden
home » opinie » Achtergronden

Reacties op dit artikel.