Lisbon is not a remedy for Ireland’s economic ills or the way towards a more social Europe. It will simply take the EU further down the road of militarisation and “give away almost all of Ireland’s sovereign power”.
This is the view of Independent councillor Catherine Connolly, who is urging a No vote in tomorrow’s Lisbon Treaty referendum.
She said she respects the public’s right to vote whatever way they choose but is urging people to “vote on the contents of the treaty itself”.
According to Cllr Connolly, the Lisbon Treaty is 345 pages long but only two of those deal with the environment, including six words on climate change and a half page on energy. In contrast, there are more than 20 pages on EU militarisation “with binding obligations” and “only the most minimal protection for our neutrality”.
She argues that Lisbon “enshrines pre-emptive action by the EU” on the basis of its definition of terrorism, in particular allowing military action to prevent the “threat of a terrorist attack”. Lisbon also includes for the first time Mutual Defence and Mutual Solidarity Clauses. The latter allows member states to abstain from any actions but with a binding obligation not to voice any criticism of the EU military action in question.
Cllr Connolly also points out that Lisbon will create “a two tier EU” by allowing a number of countries to forge ahead on common foreign and security matters for the first time.
Lisbon also “enshrines the European Defence Agency” with its mandate “to promote the armaments industry” and obliges member states to progressively increase our military capabilities.
Cllr Connolly notes the irony of this “at a time when the Government tells us it has no money for our health services”.
Lisbon obliges the European Parliament to hold a debate twice yearly to monitor the progress of, but not question or criticise, the Common Foreign and Security Policy.
Cllr Connolly also argues that Lisbon will open up our public services, including health, to “naked market forces”.
While she concedes that the Charter of Fundamental Rights “offers protection of workers’ rights” she points out that these rights “have repeatedly been found by the European Court to be of lesser value than the rights of the market”.
The Yes campaign has warned the if Lisbon is rejected Ireland will lose its automatic right to a commissioner. However Cllr Connolly says that if Lisbon is rejected, the EU will continue to function under the Nice Treaty where commissioners can only be reduced unanimously. Therefore the EU could operate with 26, while the 27th country would gain the position of High Representative.
She also believes that operating under Nice would “place a serious impediment” to further militarisation of the EU and would prevent other countries forging ahead on military and defence issues.
