Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-12-18-Speech-2-039"
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"en.20071218.5.2-039"2
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"Mr President, 2008 is set to be a decisive year for us in the European Union and, indeed, the Lisbon Treaty will potentially shape the Union’s future irrevocably. Proponents of the Treaty here today state that its primary purpose is to streamline decision-making powers. That is not true. This in fact is again an ambitious political strategy to move decision-making in critical areas away from Member States to the institutions of the EU, institutions that remain beyond the democratic reach of citizens. Provisions relating to national parliaments, citizens’ petitions and subsidiarity are merely tokenistic.
In Ireland, we will have an opportunity to vote on this Treaty, and I am sure our Taoiseach must envy French and Dutch leaders who can ignore the views of their citizens or other leaders who are not obliged to put the Treaty to their people. In Ireland our government pretends that our reputation as good Europeans requires acceptance of this Treaty. In fact the values of democracy, of social inclusion, of building peace, to which the EU is rhetorically committed, are best protected by good Europeans rejecting this bad Treaty. Irish people do not need the great and good of Europe telling us there is no alternative to Lisbon.
I should like to say to those EU leaders who have taken an interest in our country: if you are so keen to be involved in a referendum campaign, organise one in your own country. If not, then let us get on with our debate and take our democratic decision."@en1
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