EU leaders renege on treaty vote promise

THERE is a lack of integrity in the way the Lisbon Treaty is being imposed on all individual Europeans.

It has been admitted by many treaty supporters — for example, former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern — that the treaty is 90% the same as the proposed constitution which was rejected by France and the Netherlands.

However, the leaders of the European project, to a man, have decided to renege on their promise to hold referenda in the other member states and are therefore ignoring the wishes of their people.

The only reason referenda are not now taking place in all EU member countries is that, in the words of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, “there is a disconnect between (the) people (of Europe) and (their) governments”.

And he added: “France was just ahead of all the other countries in voting no. It would happen in all member states if they have a referendum (EU Observer, November 14, 2007). In a bizarre twist of commonsense, it is claimed the treaty will make Europe more democratic. But how can Europe be made more democratic by a process based on rejection of the will of its peoples?

Dónal O’Sullivan-Latchford

Chairman

EUReform

19 Alma Road

Monkstown

Co Dublin