The Workers’ Party has accused the Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny of being afraid of a debate on what type of Europe people want and that Mr. Kenny is happier calling opponents of the Lisbon Treaty “anti-European” than acknowledging that they have a right to hold an alternative view of the direction of the European Union.

Workers’ Party spokesman on the Lisbon Treaty, Padraig Mannion was responding to a statement made by Enda Kenny in Brussels on Thursday (24/1/07) in which the Fine Gael leader branded opponents of the Treaty as anti-European.  Mr. Kenny had earlier said that lack of information on the treaty was creating a vacuum which was helping the “No” campaign while over the weekend Mr. Kenny had said that voting “No” would sabotage the referendum.

“The truth is that if a lack of information exists it is the fault of the proponents of the treaty and the vacuum exists because the more that ordinary people find out about the treaty the less likely they are to vote for it.   The supporters of the Lisbon Treaty are terrified of having a real debate on its contents so instead they have resorted to rhetoric and name-calling.   The Workers’ Party calls on Enda Kenny to withdraw his statement that voting “no” would sabotage the referendum.    If Fine Gael think that casting one’s democratic vote amounts to sabotage it is a very poor reflection on that party’s view of democracy”, said Mr. Mannion.

“The Workers’ Party has a different vision of the Europe from that of Fine Gael.  We want an EU where the rights of individuals and communities are to the forefront rather than a Europe, as enshrined in the Lisbon Treaty, where the rights of the bureaucrats and big business are protected and strengthened to the detriment of ordinary people’s rights”.