Leaked Memo exposes Government Agenda on Lisbon

national | eu | press release Tuesday April 15, 2008 19:57 by PBPA - People Before Profit Alliance pbp_dse at yahoo dot ie

The People Before Profit Alliance believes that revelations today regarding a leaked memo from the Department of Foreign Affairs exposes the agenda of the government and the Yes Campaign in trying to ram through the Lisbon Treaty.

Today, while those in favour of the treaty conveniently continue to avoid addressing the actual merits of the Treaty, talk in generalities about the EU itself and invite neo-liberal politicians like Angela Merkel to Ireland to drum up support, the real face of the government’s strategy has been truly exposed.

A leaked memo involving the Department of Foreign Affairs demonstrates that the people of Ireland are not being told the truth about the implications of a yes vote and ratification of the Lisbon Treaty. The memo states that European Commission vice-president Margot Wallström told Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern "that the commission was willing to tone down or delay messages that might be unhelpful" in advance of the referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

Speaking today Rory Hearne of the People Before Profit Alliance said
“The No campaign has argued that the full impact of a yes vote was not being explained truthfully by the government and yes side. This leak supports this contention. The reality is the European Commission and EU Governments are doing alot more in areas such as increasing militarisation, reducing workers rights and public services standards, creating free markets and competition, and strengthening EU law than the people of the EU would allow them to do if they realised what was going on. This leaked memo, in my view, reflects the contempt that EU governments hold for ordinary citizens. This memo itself is reason enough to vote No.”

For further comment:
Rory Hearne 086 152 3542
Ailbhe Smith 087 205 5433