The 110 workers losing their jobs at Thermo King in Galway and the sheep farmers picketing outside the Department of Agriculture would be much more concerned with their future economic circumstances than with a possible second Lisbon Referendum.
This was stated by Marian Harkin MEP when she described Declan Ganley’s declaration that he would make next June’s European Parliament election into a second Lisbon referendum as indicative of his being out of touch with the economic realities for ordinary people.
“Mr Ganley, by wealth and association, is divorced from the reality of those losing jobs and incomes due to the current economic downturn,” she said. “What people need now and for the future is a total focus on measures to protect and create jobs because there will be another day to test the people’s attitude towards the political development of the European Union,” she said.
Any politician, or anyone with the ambition to serve the people, should be capable of identifying problems and engaging in their resolution, Harkin added.
She accused Mr Ganley of having a single agenda which does not prioritise the welfare and future economic wellbeing of EU citizens and said he would do well to think deeply before he attempts to sabotage next June’s election by attempting to make it into a referendum.
“Mr Ganley and his associates would be given their chance if a second referendum was held to convince the Irish people that their vision of a future Europe was the correct one. Meanwhile Irish workers and their families would require all national and European politicians to focus all their energies on reviving the European economy,” she said.
“If Mr Ganley sees the European Parliament election as a de facto referendum, and acts accordingly, he will be indicating that his personal ambitions and questionable agenda are of greater importance than the election of public representatives who will act first to restore order to public finances and secure the future for the people of the EU.”
