Deutschland says Libertas Nein Danke. Libertas fail to reach the minimum 4000 signitures and can not stand in EU election in Germany

Libertas have failed in their bid to get 4000 signatures required under German law to run in the EU elections in Germany. This just in to peoplekorps@gmail.com from a Dutch citizen who lives near the German border. This effectively flattens any chance that Libertas have of posing a series challenge pan European campaign.
http://www.jungefreiheit.de/Single-News-Display.154+M51e3a7c5f6c.0.html

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rough translation:

LIBERTAS MISSES TAKING PART IN ELECTIONS IN GERMANY

Eurosceptic party Libertas did not manage to collect the 4000 certified signatures required to take part in the European Elections before the deadline, 31st March 2009.

"Since the founding of the party, we had very little time for the organization of the campaign", said Carlos A. Gebauer, top candidate of Libertas Deutschland, the party founded by Irish multi-millionaire Declan Ganley.

"Although our candidates and supporters have collected far more than 4000 signatures throughout Germany this weekend, we have fallen at the bureaucratic hurdle of having to get them certified in time at the various electoral offices."
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here is the rest of the email from XXX in Holland
Hi Peoplekorps!

Was just looking at your blog - excellent, comprehensive overview of the whole Libertas fiasco! BUT, so far you seem to have missed the best, the most hilarious news that came out late last night.

Libertas cannot take part in the elections in Germany! They did not manage to get the required number of signatures before the deadline (yesterday, 6pm).

(BTW As always with Libertas-related stuff, I was a bit suspicious about it - who knows this is their idea of an April fools' joke - but I don't think it is, as this came out last night and is confirmed by various sources.)
Sure enough, already they are blaming it all on a "bureaucratic hurdle", forgetting to mention that various other tiny and completely unknown parties DID manage to pass that hurdle. Expect Declan himself to join in soon with more conspiracy theories: "They were out to get us. Merkel personally stopped us. This is just another example of the undemocratic elites who will do anything to stop a movement of the people." etc. etc...

Anyway, this is a major kick in the balls for them; Germany is the largest member state, using a party list system with one massive national constituency (arguably the electoral system that is most open to allowing small new parties to gain a couple of seats), so now Declan and his henchmen will have to drop the 'pan-European' phrase from their propaganda.

Also, it's quite telling that, in a country of a whopping 82 million people, they cannot even find the modest number of 4000 europhobes that are willing to support them. Said Declan a few weeks ago: "Germany has enormous potential for Libertas". Yep, but as they say: 'past performance (like, say, in the 1930's) is no guarantee for future results'.

The Germans have just given fascism a good hard kick in the nuts. I live in the Netherlands, only a few meters form the German border, and when I read this news, I felt like stepping outside my door and kissing the 'Bundesrepublik Deutschland' sign. And now I raise my glass to my neighbours and friends in Germany and say: Danke Deutschland, ich liebe dich!

Cheers!
xxx from Holland (Name redacted by Libertas Nein Danke)