Aftonbladet: "Don't be yellow on Europe"

On february 27:th Sweden's major evening paper Aftonbladet published an editorial by moderately well-known europhile Helle Klein on the ratification of the Constitution. The paper is pro-Constitution, but the title says it all: "Don't be yellow on Europe" (Sluta fega om Europa).

While reading this, remember that Aftonbladet is a major Swedish media, and that it's the only national newspaper in support of the Government.

"Aftonbladet is a warm defender of the EU as a political project, but also a stern critic of the Unions stance in certain issues. As friends of Europe we realize that the future of the EU is dependent on the support of its citizens. Here we have great problems. This has been shown in one EU-election after another. The gap between the EU-positive elite and the sceptic people only seems to widen.

Head in the sand.
It won't do for Swedish politicians to put their heads in the sand..."

"The EU-positive parties have decided that the Swedish people won't be allowed to vote on the new Constitution. Aftonbladet is sceptical towards the instrument of referendum, and would rather see that the established parties took responsibility also for the difficult party splitting questions. The EU-question, however have time and again been taken from the Riksdag and put to referenda. That the people were allowed to vote about EU-membership and EMU, but not about the Constitution is hard to understand.
But isn't the people tired of referenda? Well, maybe. The low turn-out in Spain might be a sign of that. But to claim, as Göran Persson and Marita Ulvskog does, that the Constitution is not so important, and that therefore our citizens doesn't need any special opportunity to support or discuss it is intellectually dishonest. This is about a new Constitution for the Union.

The cowardice is devastating
If there is no referendum, the question of the Constitution should be put to the electorate in the framwork of a national election. According to Swedish parliamentary tradition, constitutional matters shall be decided twice by two different parliaments with an intvervening general election. Let the European issue have a natural place in a Swedish election. Continued political cowardice will be devastating for democracy and the European project.

Helle Klein"

My translating skills may be in need of improvement, but I think you get the gist of it.