Time Magazine: How One Man Plans to Sink the European Union - by Leo Cendrowicz

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How One Man Plans to Sink the European Union - by Leo Cendrowicz

A self-made millionaire, Ganley plans to field Libertas candidates from all 27 E.U. member states in this June's European parliamentary elections. His party, he says, will bring change to Brussels. "We can really shake things up," he says. "We can send a message to Brussels for democracy, accountability and transparency in European governance."

That kind of attitude has long characterized so-called Euro-skepticism. But Ganley's money and political ambition has some rattled. Like other Euro MPs, British Liberal Democrat member of the European Parliament Andrew Duff dismisses Ganley as a rabble-rouser out for publicity. "It's utter balls to say he represents democracy," Duff says. "Scratch the surface and you'll discover he's a demagogue and a Europhobe." But Duff is also worried that Ganley could appeal to disgruntled European voters. "There is a real danger that this simplistic populism will strike a chord with voters that are profoundly uninformed about the E.U.," Duff says.

With a personal fortune estimated at $300 million, Ganley has plenty of money to bankroll his new party. To hone his message, he has hired American Democratic campaign consultant Joe Trippi. Ganley talks of Libertas winning 70 seats in the 736-member European Parliament, more than enough to become a powerbroker between the other political groups. The only E.U.-wide poll, predict09.eu, suggests that Libertas could win a few seats but will fall well short of its stated goal.

Note EU-Digest: Even though it seems Libertas will not have much of an impact on the EU elections it shows the weakness of the European Union democratic structure and lack of public participation in its development process. Consequently "radical populists" like Declan Ganley, Geert Wilders and others are popping up all over the European political spectrum. Therefore the European political establishment, mainly dominated by fake socialists, fake conservatives and fake greens better watch out. Populist politicians could very well become the newest and best-selling European "fakes".