Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-10-07-Speech-3-061"
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"en.20091007.17.3-061"2
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"Mr President, I spent most of my early political years fighting against dangerous individuals like Mr Cohn-Bendit. I really was quite alarmed a moment ago that I was actually agreeing with one or two bits of his speech, and I was only saved by the fact that in his final remarks I was able to be totally opposed to him again. I want to be quite consistent about my position, speaking as leader of the British Conservatives in the European Parliament. For those of us who support the principle of the nation states coming together to cooperate freely in Europe, the progress of the Lisbon Treaty perhaps should not be such a cause for celebration today.
The tragedy of our Union is that, through too many people’s eyes, it has become an elitist project, pushing its ideology onto an increasingly sceptical public, according to Eurostat information. You lose one referendum so you call another to get the result you want. If the term ‘constitution’ proves unpopular and unacceptable, it is given a fresh wrapping so that past rejections can be ignored. If the promised referendum looks unwinnable it is cancelled without apparent shame or embarrassment. In the UK, all political parties, including a government in office, pledged the British people that they would be consulted on the future of Europe. The Socialists and the Liberals reneged on their promise. Such political tricks may secure short-term advantages but we should regret the fact that the peoples of Europe have hardly had their faith in their politicians enhanced by such cynical manoeuvres.
We in the ECR want a Europe built on the secure foundations of popular support and the democratic legitimacy offered by the institutions of its nation states. But the Lisbon Treaty is, in our view, still a step in the wrong direction. By opening the door to a supranational foreign and security policy, by giving more power to European institutions and abolishing national vetoes in policy areas crucial to our states, the Treaty takes a dramatic step towards the superstate feared by many. The peoples of Europe do not want a Union of ever closer centralisation, a Union that increases its powers at the expense of its Member States, a Union which is remote from their daily concerns. However, they do want a Europe of diversity, a Europe where the different cultures and ways of life combine, where added value can be achieved. They want a reformed Union, a more accountable, transparent, democratic Union which delivers value for money in those areas in which it has delegated responsibility, a Europe closer and more relevant to the people.
The Lisbon Treaty has therefore been a missed opportunity. I served in the Convention following the Laeken Declaration, which I much supported, a Convention which drafted the original constitutional text. I know the details well, the good points as well as the bad. The UK Conservatives have been consistent. We believe that the Treaty as it has turned out will not take things forward in the interests of the people. And we in the ECR will continue to fight for our vision of the European Union, a vision in tune with the hopes and aspirations of the peoples of Europe. We will continue to argue for a European Union fit for the purposes of the future, not the past, and for a European Union which rests securely on the support of its peoples and not only the priorities of any elite. We should all reflect on that."@en1
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