The Green Party spokesperson on European Affairs, Senator Déirdre de Búrca, has told a public meeting in Portlaoise that the Lisbon Treaty would help the European Union to play a more effective role at global level. The meeting in the Heritage Hotel is one of a series being organised by the National Forum On Europe in the run up to the referendum on the Treaty.

From left to right:Senator Déirdre de Búrca, Socialist Party Leader Joe Higgins, Chairman of the National Forum on Europe Maurice Hayes

Explaining why she supported the Treaty, Senator De Búrca said that in an age of accelerating globalization, the European Union had an important role to play in terms of providing leadership in areas such as tackling climate change, promoting human rights and encouraging international Fair Trade.

Arguing for a No vote, Joe Higgins of the Socialist Party said that the purpose of the Treaty was “to enable the powerful EU economic bloc to stride onto the world stage with a military wing”. “The Lisbon Treaty mandates increased military spending”, he said. “It formalizes and consolidates the EU arms industry to create even more Weapons of Mass Destruction”.

Mr Higgins also said the Treaty was driven by a neo-liberal agenda. “Lisbon would make it easier for multi-national corporations to invest in public services on a for-profit basis”. Declaring that he was also speaking for the umbrella group The Campaign Against the European Constitution, the Socialist Party leader said that under the Treaty, the European Commission could go into World Trade Talks and negotiate a deal which could lead to the privatisation of services like health and education. Mr Higgins believed the Treaty would have the effect of undermining workers’ rights and would lead to a race-to-the-bottom in terms of pay and conditions.

LINK TO PODCAST OF DEBATE
http://www.forumoneuropepodcast.org/podcasts/index.php?id=3

 

Filed under:
European Affairs, National Forum on Europe by Deirdre