” “According to Nicole Fontaine, the author of a popular booklet called "The Lisbon Treaty", there should be no surprise "in the ratification process" taking place in 2008, "because most countries will see to that through their parliaments. The only exception is Ireland, which, for constitutional reasons, must go through a public voting process". "The real problem adds the MEP is another one: there’s the risk that, by entrusting the national parliaments with the approval of the Treaty, the debate about it might be overshadowed. It would be a negative result, as it would keep the citizens far from a fundamental institutional process". Fontaine speaks instead of "communication problems" within the EU institutions: "They do deliver results, but they have trouble showing their citizens any direct or indirect benefit that each country gets from their belonging to the common house. We have to learn how to tell about the laws and the policies which are born and are effectively developed within the EU institutions" in Brussels and Strasbourg.
