Pro-Europe but anti-Lisbon

IF I HAVE one worry, it is that European leaders and, more importantly, our fellow European citizens may misread our no vote.

I cast a pro-European vote against adopting an EU constitution as outlined in the Lisbon Treaty. Large photos of politicians above the words ‘Lisbon is Good for You’ did not cut it with me. Guinness used to have a similar slogan.

The Lisbon Treaty was primarily lost in Dublin. Our politicians never properly explained it; they brazenly admitted to not having read it and they asked us to trust them. Trust them!

Our former Taoiseach is tied up in a corruption tribunal where he is busy explaining away funny money by saying he won it on horses.

We are neutral, yet the US is allowed use our airports to transfer troops to Iraq and kidnap (‘rendition’) victims to Guantanamo. Our Celtic Tiger saw the rich-poor gap widen as never before. Despite huge opposition, the Government is trying to privatise our health system.

Lisbon — for all the good it promised — looked like it would further erode our neutrality, bringing in immigrant workers for lower wages, thereby fuelling racism, and leading to privatisation of everything from education to water. We Irish are very keen on Europe, but on this occasion voting yes seemed to reduce rather than increase our involvement.

Had we voted for the treaty, it would probably have been the last time we could vote in a referendum on a major EU issue (notwithstanding certain military and taxation matters).

In the long-term — whenever real necessity demands it — the Irish people will adopt some sort of EU constitution. However, it had better be a more democratic proposal, more citizen-focused, more environment-focused and less military-minded. And it had better be easy to understand.

Meanwhile, all the main parties should consider changing their policies on neutrality, reconsider their views on privatisation and rebuild their relationship with the electorate.

They could also look to their ranks for new, more in-touch leaders.

Allen Meagher

Cloughadoolarty

Fedamore

Co Limerick