Voting No for a reason: Lisbon Treaty OR a Europe of democracy

Monday April 28, 2008 15:41

by Howard Holby

Further details of the Lisbon Treaty research

The purpose of the Lisbon Treaty research is to offer the voters of Ireland objective arguments on the Lisbon Treaty, with facts and evidence with substance, and an objective discussion of the legal, political, economical and social considerations of the Treaty.

So far it has been only the No groups who presented quotes of the Lisbon Treaty, and only their arguments stand valid on the basis of the text itself and on the grounds of scientific facts.

In addition to presenting more details of the purpose and findings of the Lisbon Treaty research, we wish to clarify several myths regarding the very basis of taking a stand against the ratification of Lisbon Treaty.

One of the number one myths is that the "only choice" or "the best deal" for Ireland is to go with the Lisbon Treaty, otherwise Ireland would terminate its relationship with the Union. To eliminate this false belief we need to emphasise that rejecting the Lisbon Treaty does not mean rejecting the EU.

The majority of the "Vote No to Lisbon" groups do NOT propose isolation from the EU, and especially not from Europe, but to put an end to the current antidemocratic trend of the EU and its unlawful enforcement of the Lisbon Treaty.

The National Platform's views on this:

If we reject the Lisbon Treaty Ireland would remain a fully committed member of the EU. We cannot be ostracised or expelled from the EU - anymore than that happened to the French and Dutch when they rejected the EU Constitution, of which Lisbon is a revamped version.

We need to send Lisbon back to the EU Prime Ministers and Presidents and tell them that we want a better deal - for Ireland’s sake and Europe’s sake. We want a more democratic, not a less democratic, EU.

This EU Constitution is being foisted on the peoples of Europe without referendums. Yet the French and Dutch have already rejected it. People everywhere have sought referendums on it. By voting No Ireland can open a way to that happening, to prevent this outrage against European democracy. Ireland can do it, on our own behalf and on behalf of all the peoples of Europe, if we have confidence in ourselves and resist the misrepresentations of what this Lisbon Constitution Treaty is really about, and all the personal attacks, threats and distortions which Lisbon’s opponents are subjected to.

The National Platform is represented by outstanding academic and legal professionals,e.g. professor Anthony Coughlan. They have recently opened a new blog presenting all details - with actual quotes from the text - and the legal implications of the Lisbon Treaty:
"Lisbon Treaty Irish Referendum Blog - National Platform"
http://nationalplatform.wordpress.com/

In agreement with the National Platform and other relevant No campaigns, we also believe in a united Europe, which would be a Europe of free and democratic countries rather than an "empire" as projected by Commission president Barroso. We prefer a Europe of democracies in strong, democratic and voluntary alliance, rather than a federal state - as founded by the Lisbon Treaty- with one centralised, non-transparent, non-elected and unaccountable government in Brussels. To remain in a status of cooperation with Europe does NOT mean accepting the terms of a political oligarchy that unlawfully appointed itself to be the constitutional assembly for 500 million citizens without the authorisation of the citizens themselves.

It is a contradiction in terms to project the foundation of a region of security, freedom and democracy, as promised by the Lisbon Treaty, and founding a new country, a federal state on that region without the electorate, merely by the crude command of a central political core of Europe. Referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, i.e. on the old-new EU Constitution would be the absolute objective requirement in each EU-state to fulfill the objective principles of democratic constitutionalisation.
(http://howardh.wordpress.com/2008/04/25/the-main-consti...tion/)

The referendum should be made a requirement by the EU itself in each EU-state, otherwise the EU eliminates its own founding principles. The referendum is an absolute requirement in the process of democratic constitutionalisation of any new state - in this case the federal EU-state - which declares itself a political unit founded on the principles of democracy and rule of law. Therefore, by implementing the Lisbon Treaty without referendums in the member states, the EU is actually breaching the Lisbon Treaty itself.

By abolishing our democratic voting rights in the very act of constitutionalisation, the EU sharply contradicts its own promise to create a region of freedom, democracy, rule of law and security. Without referendums on the Lisbon Treaty everywhere within the EU, the new EU federal state to be founded by this treaty would not only undermine its own founding principles, but by its very creation it would abolish its own legitimacy.

Furthermore, we need to eliminate another myth, which is the lack of an alternative to the Lisbon Treaty and the EU, as we know it.
Yes, there is an alternative to the Lisbon Treaty, the Eudemocrats (EUD): an alliance for a Europe of democracies.(http://www.eudemocrats.org/)
The EUD is represented by outstanding and credible politicians with the mission to offer an alternative to the Lisbon Treaty, by drafting a new constitution with a truly democratic content and form, as well as by proposing reforms to achieve a democratic institutional mechanism of the EU. Their president is Jens-Peter Bonde, a Danish member of the European Parliament, who has consistently represented the voters' rights in Europe and who first revealed the fact that the Lisbon Treaty is a product of conspiracy among the political leaders of Europe.

One of the most relevant conclusions we have recently arrived at is that the Lisbon Treaty itself admits that the EU has been committing the act of breaching international laws, because it declares that the EU has been following the practice of placing the Union law above national laws without existing contractual basis. It also claims that this practice will remain in place, despite the fact that the lack of contractual basis is still the case.

“ At the time of the first judgment of this established case law … there was no mention of primacy in the treaty. It is still the case today. The fact that the principle of primacy will not be included in the future treaty shall not in any way change the existence of the principle and the existing case-law of the Court of Justice.” (FINAL ACT (2007/C 306/02): 17. Declaration concerning primacy)

Violation of international laws on constitutional and sovereignty-related terms such as arbitrarily overriding the laws and citizens' rights of sovereign countries, entails a serious international conflict and should be treated as such.

One of the numerous reasons for voting NO to Lisbon is to revoke the permission the Union granted itself to freely violate international laws, i.e. to terminate the EU's Court practice violating our national sovereignty without the requirement of written international treaties.

Following our research findings our general conclusion is - in agreement with the other NO campaigns (e.g. http://www.libertas.org) - that voting NO to Lisbon Treaty means sending back a flawed, unreadable and undemocratic constitution and asking for another, readable treaty that would satisfy the requirements of implementing a democratic system in Europe. Voting NO means rejecting the EU's undemocratic methods of implementing the Lisbon Treaty and means calling for another, trustworthy and democratic EU-leadership. It means to express our request for restoring democracy in Europe and saying yes to the most honorable and truly democratic efforts of the Eudemocrats. Rejecting the Lisbon Treaty means asking for the chance for a meaningful debate among the voters and the leaders of Europe.

By voting NO our purpose is to defend our land, our political and economical freedom, democracy, neutrality and peace. We refuse any false accusations and labels like "nationalism" for our lawful mission to preserve democracy and freedom in Europe. We rightfully and lawfully protect our national sovereignty, our own culture, our welfare state, our own social system, educational and healthcare system, our free competition, our own control of economy and protection against globalisation, our own control over the monetary (central bank) and budgetary (tax) regulations.
We rightfully and lawfully protect our own nation’s intellectual achievements and natural resources from global privatisation and wish to preserve these as well as our own democratic voting rights and current citizens' rights.

Our new blog with a summary and all articles of the Lisbon Treaty research:
“ The Lisbon Treaty Blog - Facts about the Lisbon Treaty - what political science tells us”
http://howardh.wordpress.com/

A message to the voters of Ireland
http://howardh.wordpress.com/about/