FORMER SOCIAL Democrats (PSD) leader and political commentator, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, launched a ‘Yes to Europe’ website recently.
The site, called “É Sim!” (www.esim.eu.com), contains the latest documents made public about the process of the European Union constitution, which has been turned down by both the French and Dutch and looks likely to be shelved by the British.
The website is designed to allow people to express their opinions on the controversial constitutional debate, which Portugal will vote on in a referendum in the autumn. It is also designed to counter a similar site, called “Sítio do Não” (www.sitiodonao.weblog.com.pt/), launched by former Euro Deputy and Social Democrats (PSD) Euro constitution sceptic, Pacheco Pereira.
In the site’s opening presentation text, Rebelo de Sousa proposes to present the latest news on what’s happening both within Portugal and outside it on the issue that he strongly supports. He says that a ‘Yes’ vote is essential for Europe and for Portugal, and that both shouldn’t end in October 2005.
Last month at a keynote speech to members of the British-Portuguese Chamber of Commerce, Rebelo de Sousa argued for greater economic and political union with the EU, and added that “to stop or get off the EU train now would be disastrous and undo 50 years of vision and hard work”.
