There is widespread opposition to the Lisbon Treaty among workers and people on the political Left throughout Europe according to the Workers’ Party referendum spokesman Padraig Mannion who addressed a major conference in the Greek capital Athens on the subject last weekend.

Mr. Mannion said that socialists throughout Europe were concerned at the implications of the Lisbon Treaty and were angry that unlike their Irish counterparts, they could not vote on the treaty. 

Speaking at the conference, which was hosted by the Greek Communist Party, Mr. Mannion said that once again the Irish government and EU institutions were trying to portray those concerned about the pace and scope of European integration as being the truculent and ungrateful child of Europe, holding back the rest of the European Union and not appreciating the benefits of European membership.  “The reality is totally different to that portrayed by the Yes side.  The truth is that millions of Europeans in everyone of the 27 member states have great difficulties with the Lisbon Treaty and are hoping that the Irish people will reject the treaty so that the entire people of Europe can be consulted about the future of the European Union”.

The Workers' Party of Ireland  joined with nearly 30 other European communist and workers parties in agreeing a joint platform of opposition to the Lisbon Treaty as follows:-

The Parties that subscribe to this joint statement denounce the real and stated goal of the current reform of the European Union treaties: to recover the essential contents of a previously rejected draft treaty, whilst at the same time seeking to avoid a democratic debate and the expression of the peoples' will, namely through referendums.

This attempt is unacceptable and is a profound disrespect for democracy and for the sovereign will, expressed by the French and Dutch peoples, in the 2005 referendums.

If it were to be ratified in the various countries, this treaty would represent a new qualitative leap in the configuration of the European Union as an economic, political and military block contrary to the interests of the workers and the peoples; a new step towards the institutionalisation of neo-liberalism, the promotion of militarism and a stronger domination by the leading great powers of the European Union already implemented by the cornerstones of the EU building: the Maastricht, Amsterdam and Nice treaties and the Lisbon Strategy.

This treaty is impregnated with neo-liberal policies that will further jeopardise economic and social gains of the workers and the peoples, whether through the liberalisation of markets, the primacy of competition or the monetarist policies that do not take into account growth and employment; or by dismantling and privatising public services, in keeping with the interests of the big economic and financial groups.

This treaty promotes the militarisation of the European Union within the framework of NATO and in coordination with the USA, an increase in military spending, an arms race and the militarisation of international relations.

This treaty counters the interests and aspirations of the workers and peoples of Europe. We say NO both to the new Treaty and to the antidemocratic process that tries to impose it.

The right of each people to have their say on a treaty which has such profound consequences for the present and the future of each of their countries and of Europe must be guaranteed, through a broad and democratic debate and through the expression of the popular will.

With full confidence in the possibility of a different Europe, of cooperation, economic and social progress and peace, the Communist, workers’, progressive and left-wing Parties that undersign this joint position agree to promote a series of actions in their own countries and on a multilateral level, in order to struggle for the rejection of this Treaty and to demand broad and democratic popular debates and the expression of the peoples’ will in the various European Union Countries, namely through referendums.