Published Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 12:11
by
Desmond O'Toole
(692 views and 2 comments)
Three wise men (yes, men, I'm afraid!), step forward, button up their jackets and prepare to argue the case for Lisbon. In this photo are the leaders of the three largest parties in Ireland. From left to right are Eamon Gilmore of the Labour Party (PES/PSE), Taoiseach Brian Cowen of Fianna Fáil (UEN) and Enda Kenny of Fine Gael (EPP-ED). They appeared at a joint press conference yesterday to make a united call for a YES vote and today, the last day before the referendum, I'd like to inform everyone of the YES campaign. When I described the NO campaign yesterday I talked about the lessons that we need to learn about how disconnected a large minority of citizens are to the EU and the need to put the real benefits of EU membership to our citizens rather than spend so much time discussing institutions and processes. However, I noticed in the Irish Times this morning that Daniel Cohn-Bendit (G-EFA) has joined Bernard Kouchner in attacking Irish democracy. He is reported as calling the Irish ungrateful to Europe, our referendum a "folly" and that, "... if one says NO, one leaves Europe." It is precisely this sort of language and these sorts of threats that socialists and social democrats across Europe must avoid when addressing European citizens. It is precisely this sort of language and threats that Labour in Ireland has avoided. Here, instead, are the arguments that we have been making to the Irish people:
(a) Lisbon enables the EU to act more effectively on the world stage in the face of the challenges and opportunities presented by globalisation, security and peace, climate change, energy supply and international solidarity. The tangible benefits for the Irish people are larger markets for our exports protecting jobs and wages, action to preserve our environment and quality of life and a way out from oil dependency.
(b) Lisbon democratises the European Union and brings it closer to the citizens. The tangible benefits for the Irish people are a greater say for our MEP's in the EU's legislative process, a formal right for our parliament to react to Commission proposals and a real opportunity for Irish people to engage in direct democracy through the Citizen's Initiative.
(c) Lisbon creates a stronger framework for a Social Europe. The tangible benefits for the Irish people are further improvements to equality and social protection for every worker and citizen in Ireland through European directives.
These are the positive messages that the Labour Party is providing to the Irish people. This is Labour's challenge to the fear and suspicion of Europe that the NO campaign is trying to build up. These are our answers to their errors and lies. Tomorrow - Referendum Day - will see whether we have been successful.
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Comments
1. Lisbon Referendum in Ireland by gearoidoloinsigh
on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 16:38
Having admired Cohn-Bendit in the 1970s, I now look on him as a figure of fun: he, and indeed most Greens all over Europe behave like headless chickens running around making up policy as they go along, completely bereft of ideology or discipline.
I agree with your measured analysis, Mr O'Toole. Beir bua!!!
2. Edit ... by desmondotoole
on Friday, June 13, 2008 at 01:14
GRMA a Ghearóid.
Another colleague (Ian) pointed out to me that I managed to reverse the names of the party leaders in the photograph. The leader of the Labour Party in Ireland, Eamon Gilmore TD, is of course on the right of the picture :-)
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