"The unelected European commission and the national governments that cannot stand up to business pressure should have no role in forming EU directives. Instead, every directive should start in the European parliament. If approved there, it should go for ratification by an "upper house" representing the people of Europe by means of referendums. These might be arranged in many ways; one would be for each directive to require the approval of a majority of the electorate in countries whose combined populations add up to two-thirds of the EU. Referendums would discourage the EU from adopting directives over things that could well be left to individual countries to decide."(from Stallman article mentioned)

i am against software patents, but i am also against people like Stallman, who having a gripe with a government or institution, decides to offer their advice on changing that government or institution to a more agreeable (for them) format. rubbing the people up the wrong way, who you want to support your views, by telling them they should have no role in forming directives, probably isn't the best way to lobby their support. perhaps, instead of griping about the EU, Stallman and his Foundation, should approach individual MEP's and lobby them to raise objections from within to what he sees as fundamentally undemocratic. i am sure this would be a preferable way to gain support and alienate less.