The EU knows all about destabilising democracy

Moldovans have voted ‘yes’ by a wafer-thin majority to joining the European Union in a referendum that was held amid ‘unprecedented interference’ by foreign powers. That is the view of the EU, whose spokesman, Peter Stano, accused Russia and its proxies of ‘aiming to destabilise the democratic processes in the Republic of Moldova’.

The EU and its proxies know a thing or two about destabilising the democratic processes. Back in 2008, when the Guardian was a broad-minded newspaper which welcomed a diversity of views, Brendan O’Neill wrote a column entitled ‘What part of Ireland’s “no” does the EU not understand?’

O’Neill was responding to the announcement that the EU had told Ireland’s voters that they had erred in rejecting the Lisbon Treaty in a referendum that June. A second referendum would therefore be held. As a sardonic George Galloway remarked, ‘and presumably another, until the Irish come up with the right answer.