I agree.
I have not an up to date vision but The Netherlands have been under heavy international pressure to impose a ban on smoking in public places (which is of course going to hurt coffe shops business badly) and more importantly a pregressive ban on hemp production and sale. While the Dutch are heroically resisting the former like their ancestors resisted the Duke of Alva I doubt they’ll be equally successful: the EU managed to get smoking bans in France and Germany without too much hassle despite widespread popular discontent; talk about human cattle. The second point is even bleaker. The Netherlands have been under very heavy pressure from the US and a few EU countries (notably Italy) to completly outlaw recreational drugs production and sale. As you may well know Amsterdam, a lively and industrious city, has long been a Mecca for hemp lovers, be them “potheads” or occasional consumers since you can consume your favorite product with absolute impunity: just enter a coffe shop, place your order, pay the bill and nobody will bother you. Everything is 100% legal. Yet international pressure is making things worse: opening a new coffee shop is very, very difficult and renewing permits for existing ones is getting increasingly harder, as is obtaining licenses to grow hemp. Amsterdam is set on all out crusade to stamp out sin which is also making life increasingly harder for the world famous red light district: this is not the result of popular opinion but of international pressure. No wonder the anti-EU movement is gaining ground: today potheads and sex workers, tomorrow normal citizens.
Talking about the recent EU parliament election it seems our “dear leaders” are failing to get the message. At the Evil Union headquarters is business as usual and Mr Barroso is already sure of his relection as head of the Supreme Soviet. Not only that but implementation of the Lisbon Treaty (ie the EU Constitution) is going ahead despite popular opposition, which is of course being completely ignored since it’s a zero risk operation. They do not care that abstentionists were the real winners (in some countries less than 30% of voters turned up) and that EU sceptics have made enormous gains. The EU is very much like a child spoiled rotten by uncaring parents (the “citizens”) who is now running amok in the candy shop. Let’s just hope the shopkeeper will grab a broom and break it on the brat’s little evil head.