Ganley launches Libertas as European political movement

LIBERTAS founder Declan Ganley is to launch his European political movement in Brussels tomorrow.

The launch coincides with the start of the two-day summit of leaders from the 27 EU member states.

The press invitation describes Libertas as a new European political movement dedicated to campaigning for greater democracy, accountability and transparency within the EU.

“Combined with this, Libertas will also develop innovative and enterprising policies to benefit Europe and foster a more positive relationship between the institutions of the European Union and the citizens for whom they legislate,” the invitation says.

Mr Ganley will launch the movement and outline Libertas’s future plans, understood to include running candidates in next June’s European elections.

The Galway-based businessman does not believe the Government should try to ratify the Lisbon treaty and says it should be declared dead.

Instead, he believes the EU should become a United States of Europe, with a 25-page constitution similar to that of the US and become more federal with a president elected by the entire EU population.

He also wants the common agriculture policy scrapped, having described it as one of the biggest weapons of mass destruction prior to last summer’s referendum.

Mr Ganley is in dispute with the Standards in Public Office (SIPO), which wants to know how he funded the Libertas no campaign in Ireland, which is estimated to have cost more than €1 million.

Mr Ganley has also threatened libel actions against a number of elected representatives and RTÉ who questioned his motives and the source of his wealth.

Libertas has employed Anita Kelly as communications director in Brussels, who has just resigned from a similar position with the American Chamber of Commerce to the EU. She is a former school companion of Mr Ganley’s from Galway.

The organisation has taken offices in the EU district and has applied to the European Parliament for funding. They must have candidates in a number of EU countries to qualify and a decision is expected to be made in the new year.

To date, Mr Ganley has given mixed messages as to whether he intends to be a candidate in June’s elections.