European Parliament insult to Ireland

international | eu | press release

Wednesday February 20, 2008 16:29

by indyjourno

Sinn Féin Dublin MEP Mary Lou Mc Donald has this afternoon expressed her
"anger and incredulity" over the European Parliaments vote today NOT to
respect the result of the Lisbon Treaty referendum.

By a huge majority (499 to 129) European MEPs, including Labour's Proinsias
De Rossa voted against the motion ‘The European Parliament undertakes to
respect the outcome of the referendum in Ireland’.

Mary Lou McDonald said: "Sinn Féin have been consistently saying that
there is a real danger of Ireland becoming marginalised and irrelevant if
the Lisbon Treaty is passed. The Treaty reduces our voting strength and our
automatic right to a Commissioner. This vote today provides an instant
snapshot of the attitude of dominance that infects all the European
Intuitions, an attitude that the wishes of the citizens of the EU are
irrelevant."

“Bizarrely, Labour MEP Proinsias De Rossa who is actively campaigning for a
Yes vote in the forthcoming referendum, voted against the motion. Mr. De
Rossa has some explaining to do. When in Ireland he is busy campaigning for
a Yes vote primarily on the basis that it will 'strengthen European
democracy', yet today he has voted to dismiss the future democratic wishes
for the very people he is elected to represent.

“Today's vote goes to the very heart of all that is wrong with the Lisbon
Treaty. When the EU Constitution failed to win popular EU leaders returned
in June 2007 with the Lisbon Treaty. All but 10 of the 250 or so Articles
of the new treaty are the same as its predecessor, a 96% match.

"Those political leaders across the EU, including Ireland, believe that it
is acceptable to ignore the outcome of the French and Dutch referenda and
return with the same proposals is an indication of their disregard for
basic democratic principles. No doubt these very same EU parliamentarians
make up the 499 MEPs who voted against respecting the Irish people's
position on the Treaty.”