THE LEGAL guarantees given by EU leaders to Taoiseach Brian Cowen on the Lisbon Treaty amount to nothing more than a “ludicrous charade,” former Green MEP Patricia McKenna has claimed.
The impression had been given that Ireland fought long and hard in a difficult battle and then suddenly achieved something when EU heads of state agreed to a protocol enshrining the guarantees, Ms McKenna said yesterday.
She claimed the public had been given the false impression of legal certainty when this didn’t exist. This was because the treaty had not changed “one iota” and would be interpreted by the European Court of Justice.
It was “ludicrous” to think that a protocol rolling back elements of the treaty would be put in place a few years after the treaty itself. “What we have is an illusion that we have achieved something,” she told RTÉ Radio.
The No side would find the going harder this time around, she predicted.
The People before Profit group called on the electorate to reject the guarantees given to the government.
Cllr Richard Boyd Barrett said the people should not be fooled. “This is exactly the same treaty that was rejected last year. Nothing has changed,” he said.
The likely date for the next Lisbon referendum is October 2nd, but with September 25th not totally ruled out, according to Government sources.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen said the date would be decided this week and he has indicated his intention to play a leading role as leader of Fianna Fáil in the Yes campaign.
Both likely dates are on a Friday.
Mr Cowen told RTÉ’s This Week programme yesterday that, “As Taoiseach and leader of my own party of course I have every entitlement to lead the campaign on behalf of my own party, but I think it’s important that all of us work co-operatively together.”