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FINIAN MCGRATH T.D. TELLS SARKOZY TO RESPECT THE LISBON TREATY |
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Tuesday, 22 July 2008 12:53 |
Bonjour Monsieur Le President Et bienvenue en Irlande. Je voudrais vous remercier de votre visite pour discuter. Avec Nous.
Deputy Finian McGrath T.D. (Ind) has told the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy today, Monday 21st July at 3pm that he has got to respect the result of the Lisbon Treaty. The Northside Deputy said, “You believe in democracy or you don’t”.
The main reasons the Irish people voted ‘NO’ were as follows:
- Educated, intelligent people could not read or understand it.
- They felt Europe was talking down to them. Arrogances and threats did not work.
- Major concerns about a loss of power, taxation, agriculture and our fishing industry.
- The militarization of the E.U.
a) “Member states shall undertake progressively to improve their military capabilities” as state in the Treaty. Why not improve Health and Education?
b) The incorporation of the European Defence Agency (E.D.A) into the European Treaties. The purpose of the E.D.A. is to promote the European Arms Industry. At present 29% of global arms sales assist in the development of the E.U.’s defence capabilities.
- The Treaty further erodes Irish Authority.
a) Article 16: Dealing with population size, could be a power-grab by the Big States for control of this new Union. By basing EU law-making primarily on population size, the Lisbon Treaty would double Germany’s say on the EU Council of Ministers from 8 % to 17%. France’s say would go from 8% to 13%, Britain’s and Italy’s from their current 8% to 12 % each. Ireland’s voting weight on a population basis would be more than halved to 1%.
- Remove any Irish voice from the EU Commission, the body which has the monopoly of proposing all EU laws, for five years out of very 12 (Article 17.5)
- Loss of the Irish Identity and Sovereignty.
- In recent days Irish Tourists returning home from holiday in France who had been talking to French Citizens thanked them for voting NO.
Finally, I am reminded of the words of Mahatma Ghandhi when he said, “Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the Freedom to make mistakes”. I feel that the Lisbon Treaty was a huge mistake and the vast majority of the Irish people support that view. These are among the key reasons why the Irish people voted NO.
Mr President, I stand for a democratic and peaceful Europe. I urge you to listen and respect the Irish voted.
For more details contact: 087 673 8041
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