Green MEPs urge Irish voters not to be swayed by outside pressure

TWO PROMINENT European Green MEPs, Caroline Lucas (UK) and Carl Schlyter (Sweden) have sent messages of support to those campaigning for a No vote in the Lisbon Treaty referendum.

Writing to No campaigners on the eve of the Lisbon Treaty referendum, Swedish Green MEP Carl Schlyter urged Irish voters not to be swayed by outside political pressure:

"Originally I intended not to comment the Irish referendum, but so many MEP:s and Greens have spoken out and made claims on behalf of all Europeans, that I think it is important for the Irish to know that there are also MEP:s, Greens and citizens with a different view, and we fully respect your democracy and will continue to co-operate with our Irish friends whatever way you vote on Thursday."

"Only one percent of the EU-citizens are permitted to vote on the treaty, so the Irish are the lucky ones. For the remaining 99% only the supporters of the Lisbon Treaty have a voice in the Parliaments that approve it. All of us critics have been silenced with no chance to have an impact on the future of Europe. "

So I urge every Irish person not supporting the treaty to really use your vote, it counts for 100 of your fellow Europeans. The power elites will be angry but ordinary citizens will be grateful. Let us reform Europe with a citizens perspective, not a centralist elitist one, only the Irish people can make that happen.

If citizens took control over Europe I am sure we would not transfer power from municipalities and national parliaments to the EU on more than 60 new areas, we would not grant the EU status as a legal person, we would balance growth and trade with other economic, social and environmental goals. We would also remain a union of peace as was originally planned 50 years ago and not transform the EU member states to be the only countries in the world which have written a constant arms race into their constitution! "Member States shall undertake progressively to improve their military capabilities"

British Green MEP, Caroline Lucas added:

"Some people say because there is now a new reference to climate change in the treaty, somehow this makes it a great environmental document. I am very worried that this is not in fact the case. It is equally possible that some of the references to climate change in the treaty are rather cynically put there in order to give a green light to nuclear because there is a very strong nuclear industry trying to get more of a foothold in Europe."

"The Euratom Treaty is still there as part of this whole process. So a couple of references to climate chance in this treaty do not mean that environment is at the heart of it."

Secondly it could be just a way to bring in the nuclear aspects and thirdly you have to look at the whole calculation of what's in this treaty and it is such a missed opportunity - to my mind the biggest tragedy of this treaty is the missed opportunity to genuinely put sustainable development at the heart of the European Union. And if you were to do that it would mean challenging the liberalisation, the privatisation, the deregulation, which is at heart in the moment of the way the EU is organised.

This could have been really an opportunity to make the EU a world leader if it comes to sustainable development but I am afraid with this treaty they have completely failed to do that."