We carried out an anti- lisbon campaign involving the distribution of 15,000 copies of a special edition of Workers Solidarity and putting up posters advocating a no-vote. Our activity was designed to begin a discussion about the sort of Ireland and Europe people would like to live in, and was centred on the needs of working people. The vote may have been lost but several thousand people got to hear about the anarchist alternative. read full story / add a comment

With the EU guarantee to the Czech president, that the Czech State should not be exposed to property claims of expelled Germans after World War II, the EU not only implicitly consents with ethnical cleansings, it is also highly hypocritical, since the EU regularly points a finger to human rights violating countries like Sudan, Myanmar and Iran
It is high time the EU should look in its own mirror, among else with regard to police abuse, racism and violation of the rights of migrants and real or alleged terrorsuspects read full story / add a comment

Journalist Harry Browne of Village to speak at launch of new ISN pamphlet on the European Union. read full story / add a comment

The Czech Republic’s ratification of the lisbon Treaty on November 3, paving the way for its adoption as EU law does not mark the end of history. The principles of upon which the campaign against the lisbon Treaty was fought are timeless and will hold true as long as the human race exists. read full story / add a comment

Statement from Irish Socialist Network on lisbon treaty result. read full story / add a comment

Rally in support of Czech president Václav Klaus on Sunday Oct 25 at 1pm.
Outside the Dáil.
Speakers included Patricia McKenna and Dr Anthony Coughlan.

Invite to all groups and individuals on the No to lisbon side to come along. read full story / add a comment

Fiachra Ó Luain has been seeking answers about how it was possible that 3,000 of his first preference votes could have allocated to Mr. Declan Ganley. On 0.000175% of Ganley's budget he received 6,510 first preferences in the June European Elections. As a resident of Donegal he offers his perspectives on the recent RTE radio show investigating why Donegal voted No. read full story / add a comment

The Green Party which consists mostly of a parliamentary section and a grassroot will continue
to support FF through whatever budget cuts FF deem necessary to the Irish economy without
question until 2012. it really turns the spotlight onto FG's failure to capture anybody's imagination
save the uber-blonde professional politician types that hang out round Mr Kenny.
Yesterday 09/10/09 Minister Gormley believed that he had the media in thrall from 9am-9pm
with his crack negotiating team comprised of Boyle, White and Ryan. White is notable in that
in her first joint budget with FF she stood and applauded cuts to old people, she is thus
not very bright (low wattage).
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European politics are no doubt scintilating for the average Irish citizen now lisbon2 is behind us & our continuing place at the heart of Europe is assured. We expect the Dáil expense scandal which hints at as much outragous sociopathic graft & cheek as our rivals in the British parliament will keep us in the top rankings. We can read about Berlusconi unknowingly frolicking with prostitutes and cocaine traffickers and think it slightly pathetic that he imagined his pretty guests were up & gaggin for it. Now new scandal at the heart of Europe which alas, is in the process of being hijacked by the far right! Sarkozy's minister of Culture, Frédéric Mitterrand, who though son of the socialist president chose a rightwing career path, is at the heart of the EU. In the lead-up to a new set of agreements between France and Thailand to stem sex tourism, passages from the minister's 2005 biography describing the thrill of sex with young Thai boys are raising interest of both prurient and legitimate nature. read full story / add a comment

Article analysing the results of the referendum and the current crisis in Irish society. Points to the lessons for the left, the dangers of just calling for a no vote and the prospects for struggle.

It seems to have become the norm here in Ireland for the government to repeat a referendum when it does not like the result of the first ballot. While farcical, these bullying tactics have a proven record of success. For an establishment intent on getting its own way, ‘no’ never really means ‘no’. read full story / add a comment

On Sunday evening Gardai in Irishtown confirmed that they had the previous day removed an IFPAL referendum sign from a pole close to the Israeli Embassy on Pembroke Road Dublin. The sign read:

Israel killed 300 Palestinian children in January
Yet the EU will not impose sanctions
EU policy facilitates Israeli genocide.
Vote No to lisbon
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In the past, I have written about a treasure trove of information much under utilised for parents, for individuals, for children, for the elderly concerned about the future, and for students. It is the EU office in Dawson Street. This is adjacent to the Royal Irish Academy, and St. Anne's Church which is also a haven for people with time on their hands and a curious mind. They have a coffee centre and for over 50's they assist people in learning how to use the computer read full story / add a comment

The parents of girls who attend St John's Girls' national school, in Carrigaline, County Cork, have been instructed by the school's principal, Catherine O'Neill to provide toilet paper for their daughters. It's one those stories which appeals to an international audience and especially the lurking anti-Irish sentiment still present in AngloSaxon media or perhaps if not anti-Irish, a sour sense of resentment that other English speaking peoples never got to enjoy 2 lisbon Referenda or a jaunt on the pig's back of the Celtic Tiger.

Whatever the true classification of the story doing international commerical & state rounds today, msot readers will admit it illustrates a wee home truth. read full story / add a comment

The Socialist Party's analysis of the lisbon referendum result, titled: " lisbon victory not endorsement for hated government" is now online.

A significant 2/1 majority, on a higher turnout, passed the lisbon Treaty overturning the decision of June 2008. It is clear that the economic crisis served to shift opinion across the board to a yes vote because people felt that passing the Treaty might boost Ireland’s prospects for economic recovery.

Last year lisbon was rejected because people feared the consequences of the changes it brings to the EU and because of a distrust of the political establishment. For a majority this time around the actual Treaty and its contents were secondary to the economic crisis.

Read it all at link below. read full story / add a comment

A crowd of about 100 people gathered to march down towards the gate of Marine Terminals Ltd. In anticipation of the march by the strikers and their supporters, the company had closed the gates. The march happened on the same day that polls were open for the lisbon treaty, and a number of speakers at the gate made the point that this was the type of Europe we were getting thanks to lisbon. read full story / add a comment

When Michael O’Leary joined the yes campaign I thought to myself that this would actually be beneficial for the No side. For most Irish people, O’Leary’s arrogance and clown antics are irritating the best of times. He did not appear to be as knowledgeable as Declan Ganley on the overall text of the lisbon treaty. O’Leary just kept repeating the same two points over and over again, the Commissioner and taxation. I thought that O’Leary’s support for the Yes side was a blessing in disguise. I believed that his personality alone would drive some people to vote No.
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An ignored outcome of the lisbon II referendum; a new role for Tony Blair, our next über-President. Move over Mary Mac, and be glad that he is a convert. read full story / add a comment

Eamon O'Cuiv's plans to shake babies and kiss hands the day before the lisbon poll came undone following spirited debate with members of the public and anti- lisbon campaigners. read full story / add a comment

All good children are now washed and asleep in their cots and ought have little idea how their parents & elders intend to vote tomorrow in Ireland's 2nd referendum to ratify the lisbon Treaty. Theirs is not the duty nor the concern to weigh local political and national debate with the long term consequences of a potential post- lisbon European Union. For the most part they will have noticed the plethora of posters and the volume of bilge wash which the Irish voters have seen and been brought through since immediately after they voted No! in the first lisbon referendum and which has continued unrelentlessly as a tsunami until this last evening of reflection.
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A message from Brussels to the Irish people! PLease VOTE NO for us! read full story / add a comment