Franco followers and bishops urge a boycott of EU vote

[emad]

Alex Duval Smith, Europe correspondent
Sunday February 20, 2005
The Observer

In a last stand by traditionalists and erstwhile supporters of General Franco's dictatorship, Roman Catholics in Spain are being urged to boycott today's referendum on a European constitution as a way of censuring the socialist government for advocating gay marriage and wider access to abortion.

While a 'yes' vote looks almost certain in the first of 10 countries putting the idea of an EU constitution to a referendum - turnout will be what counts. The governments of countries with Eurosceptic tendencies, such as France and Britain, want Spanish voters to deliver a resounding endorsement of the constitution. This, they hope, will create a sense of inevitability about the project before it is put to their own electorate.

But if the Spanish bishops' conference has its way, the 37 per cent of voters who told the CIS opinion poll last week that they were undecided or would abstain will be swelled by conservative Roman Catholics and a vestigial body of Franco supporters.

Approximately 51.2 per cent of registered voters said that they would vote for the constitution. The 5.7 per cent of no-voters were principally supporters of the Communist-Green Izquierda Unida and Catalan republican independence party.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1418515,00.html

[LinuxInsurgent]

1. and they will lose...

and fall into the osbcurity of history....with the rest of the conservative obstructionists of equal rights progress.

[slackmaster]

2. I thought Franco was still dead

:dunce:

[Barcelona]

3. I voted "sí"

It's not the perfect constitution, but I think is a step forward for the European Union.

[Sinistrous]

4. And a big welcome aboard!

From someone whose own country's constitution needed ten amendments right out of the gate.

[Ellen Forradalom]

5. Bienvenido a DU!

Why did you think it was a good document? Tell us what you think of it.

[K8-EEE]

8. Hola y bienvenidos!

That's cool that you got to vote on this! My grandfather came from San Sebastian, he left because of Franco. I can't believe anybody would be nostalgic for Franco, Hitler, Pinochet etc but it seems all these dictators, even Saddam, have these insanely loyal followers.

[Just Me]

6. What's so bad about joining together?

:shrug:

[K8-EEE]

7. Franco Followers?? Spain's Equivelent To FREEPERS!

Oh give us a crazy strongman dictator to overturn our democracy and take us back to the good old days.