Today saw the launch of The Campaign Against the EU Constitution (CAEUC) at a press conference today at 11am in the Earl of Kildare Hotel to launch it's campaign for a No vote in the upcoming referendum on the Lisbon Treaty (the renamed EU Constitution, rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005).
We in Ireland have the right that is denied to the rest of the EU citizenry- the right to accept or reject the re-vamped (well not really) EU constitution. Hundreds protested outside the French parliament today in opposition to the rubberstamping of a touched up document which was deeply debated in France and rejected just a couple of years ago. The punishment for getting the vote wrong in France is not to get the right to vote. The message the media attempted to present today was that French people weren't too bothered about it and well it was just a few lefty types with RTE interviewing a student type, young earnest, not a serious contender, in media terms. However, a poll taken in France over the last week showed that indeed the french did wish to have a referendum, in fact 59%.
This begins a series of meetings of the campaign right throughout the country. Get informed and pass on the word.
Read the Joe Higgins Column - Opposing the Lisbon Treaty-http://www.caeuc.org/index.php?q=node/20
Also have a look at http://www.voteno.ie/
For a list of affiliated groups to CAEUC
http://www.caeuc.org/index.php?q=node/6
Images (c) Paula Geraghty