Irish people say no to EU power grab

national | eu | press release

Friday June 13, 2008 19:54

by Des Dalton - Republican Sinn Fein

saoirse at iol dot ie

223 Parnell St Dublin 1

01 8729747

Republican Sinn Fein Vice President Des Dalton says the no vote is a rejection of an EU superstate.

The Irish people have clearly and unequivocally said no to a power grab by the EU political elite by their rejection of the Lisbon Treaty/EU Constitution. The clear message given by the Irish people is that they reject the construction of an undemocratic EU superstate. The people have spoken and must not be ignored unlike the first Nice referendum in the 26 Counties or the French and Dutch referenda in 2005 which rejected the EU Constitution – the Lisbon Treaty and the EU Constitution are 96% the same document.

A clear marker has been laid down to the Dublin and Brussels political establishments. The Irish people are not prepared to give over more power to an institution which they do not elect and which is not accountable to them. Three times in three years the people of three states have now said no to a militarised and unaccountable EU superstate.

What also emerges from the referendum result is that a gulf has grown between the Dublin political establishment and the mass of the people. The line taken by the main 26-County political parties throughout the referendum campaign was that people need not understand the Lisbon Treaty or its implications but merely trust them in recommending its acceptance. The resounding rejection of Lisbon shows the people do not trust them.

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Comments (7 of 7)

hmm...

by dan

Sat Jun 21, 2008 18:35

Well it defo wont be a split.
Just an silly mistake.
From RSF's view it should say: The people of the 26 counties

"three quarters and a bit" ?

by Mike - Judean Popular Peoples Font

Sat Jun 14, 2008 13:47

Odd headline from RSF ?

"Irish people" reject lisbon treaty you say ? Is this a seismic U-turn from RSF and if so will it give rise to yet another split ?

Whatever happened to the good old "it cannot be interpreted as the true will of the Irish people because of partition" line?

Since when did RSF pay any heed of votes that took place less than 90 years ago ?

Have RSF finally come clean and admitted that "the only votes we regard as legitimate are the ones which produce a result that we approve of" ?

patronising

by Shamie

Sat Jun 14, 2008 07:56

Here is a patronising summary of the opposition to the Lisbon Treaty. It is by a journalist in Saturday's Guardian newspaper. So we're all a bunch of mad eejits who can't think an issue straight, are we?

< It mattered not that the Lisbon treaty leaves the position on tax harmonisation, neutrality or abortion unchanged. All that mattered was those businessmen wary of losing their low corporation tax, or those worried that Ireland was sleepwalking into a superstate with its own army, had a platform wide enough to accommodate ultra-rightwing Catholics, neoliberals, pragmatic Eurosceptics, traditional nationalists, and Trotskyists. Not so much a rainbow alliance as a horde of Goths at the gates of Rome. >

Most reader blog comments on the Daily Telegraph and The Times are favourable and grateful to the Irish voters, however.

Guardian opinion link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jun/14/ire...d.eu1

WELL DONE!

by a berliner

Sat Jun 14, 2008 00:57

T H A N K Y O U, I R E L A N D !!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you all

by Guy from Germany

Sat Jun 14, 2008 00:13

Thank you for scrapping the Lisbon treaty und upholding some democracy and human rights.
But beware, the European politicians will press ahead all the same:

JOSE MANUEL BARROSO, EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT:
"The treaty is not dead. I believe the treaty is alive."

BRIAN COWEN, IRISH PRIME MINISTER:
"The (European) Union has been in this situation before and each time has found an agreed way forward. I hope that we can do so again on this occasion..."

FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER, GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER
"Nevertheless, I am convinced that we need this treaty. Therefore we are sticking with our goal for it to come into force."

MIGUEL ANGEL MORATINOS, SPANISH FOREIGN MINISTER:
"I am convinced that, as has occurred at other times in the past in the EU, we will find a solution among ourselves."

JANEZ JANSA, SLOVENIAN PRIME MINISTER.
"I will invite the Irish Prime Minister to explain the reasons for the rejection of the treaty by the Irish people. We will discuss the situation and look for ways to move forward."

Well done, the Irish people

by Edward Horgan

Fri Jun 13, 2008 23:35

Democracy has been defended for a while at least.
Neutrality and the militarization of Europe were significant reasons for the Lisbon Treaty defeat. The YES side repeatedly said the threat to Irish neutrality and US military use of Shannon airport for the Iraq and Afghan wars had nothing to do with the Lisbon Treaty. The Irish people said otherwise on Thursday.
The Lisbon Treaty also says otherwise for those who choose to read it. The interconnections between the EU, EU Army, NATO are all carefully crafted and partly hidden within the Lisbon Treaty.
The European Union and NATO, like Siamese Twins are rapidly usurping the lawful roles of the UN, and continually underming the UN, in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq, and most recently in Chad.
Self-defence was the most common lie used to justify wars during the Cold War. Now, so-called humanitarian intervention, and a bogus war on terror are the tricks used to hide the real purpose of wars of resources by the powerful against the impoverished, but resource-rich, regions of the world.

Thanks guys and gals!

by Downtown Brussels

Fri Jun 13, 2008 22:22

Ireland saved the day! European elites and their policies don't have the support of the people.

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Irish people say no to EU power grab

Comments (7 of 7)