Irish Referendum: for the first time three European parties together to support the “YES” In accordance with her Constitution, Ireland will hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty on June 12th. We all await your decision with a certain degree of anxiety because much depends on it. If you adopt the treaty, the citizens of the European Union will have more rights in a more democratic Union, better equipped to confront today’s challenges. This is the reason why we, the Party of European Socialists, the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party and the European Green Party, take the liberty to put to you some of the reasons why we support the Lisbon Treaty. Among the objectives of the Union, defined in the new treaty, will be full employment, the fight against social exclusion, the promotion of justice and social protection, and of solidarity between generations. The Treaty talks about a Europe based on equality between men and women, and that works to achieve full employment through sustainable economic and social development.
The Charter of Fundamental Rights improves environmental and consumer protection for all citizens.
The Lisbon Treaty strengthens democracy. On one hand it substantially increases the role of the European Parliament and on the other it provides for a greater say for all national parliaments, both representatives of the people. Draft legislative proposals will be sent directly for consideration to all national parliaments, allowing them to intervene at the beginning of a legislative process and to make their views known in due time.
The Treaty does not give the European Union additional exclusive powers in areas like taxation or civil law. It is simply not true that the new Treaty would force member states to change their tax laws or their laws on matters like divorce or abortion.
On defence matters, a particularly sensitive topic for neutral states like Ireland, Sweden and Finland, the new Treaty strengthens Europe’s role in conflict prevention and disarmament without threatening the neutrality of several EU member states, including Ireland.
It is not true that the Lisbon Treaty would oblige all member states to join NATO. The sovereignty of the member states remains complete in these matters.
Europe faces real challenges, that member states cannot resolve alone, such as climate change, security of energy supplies, immigration, human trafficking, terrorism and organised crime.
The EU will have a full-time President of the European Council and a person responsible for foreign affairs who will be able to facilitate greater coordination between the national ministers and within the EU foreign, security and defence policy, simplifying the decision making procedures in the EU institutions.
The European Union has served us all well. Our common European efforts have brought us sixty years of peace and unprecedented welfare and development. Ireland for instance is today among the most prosperous nations in the world.
You have yourselves and your efforts to thank for it, but the Union to which you belong has provided you with a very favourable environment.
The world, however, does not cease to change and nor does the global environment. New powerful countries are emerging confronting us with strong competition.
We need to equip ourselves with new tools in order to meet new challenges, because none of us is strong enough to do it alone.
That is exactly what the new Treaty does. It equips the Union, our Union, with the instruments and mechanisms to meet the new challenges. At the same time it continues to respect the sovereignty of the member states.
These are the reasons why we have approved the Lisbon Treaty.
These are the reasons why we ask you respectfully to carefully consider your vote on June 12th.
Mr. Poul Nyrup Rasmussen,
President Party of European Socialists (PES)
Mrs. Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck,
President European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR)
Mr. Philippe Lamberts
President of European Green Party (EGP)
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