Tory leader Cameron urged to stop 'plotting' on Lisbon
British Conservative Party leader David Cameron was urged today to stop “plotting” with the Czech Republic to block the Lisbon treaty in the wake of the apparent Irish 'Yes' referendum vote.
The Tory leader has assured Czech president Vaclav Klaus, a staunch treaty opponent, that a Conservative government in Britain would call a UK referendum if the treaty is still not in force after the General Election next year.
After today’s Irish vote, Mr Klaus’s refusal to sign the treaty on behalf of his country is the last major obstacle to the treaty coming into force, as planned, at the start of next year.
British Liberal Democrat MEP and staunch federalist Andrew Duff said that, after a “decisive” Irish result, no further delay could be tolerated – including any attempt by Mr Cameron to encourage Mr Klaus to keep delaying Czech approval.
“Today Ireland has clearly and decisively added its weight to the building of a stronger, more effective and more democratic European Union,” said Mr Duff.
“A Tory Britain going in the opposite direction would divide the UK and Ireland at a time when reconciliation and integration has never been more needed.”
He said the apparent Irish Yes vote did credit to those who fought to combat “the lies and distortions about the European project peddled by nationalists and europhobes – many of them British.”
Mr Duff went on: “No further delay can be tolerated in bringing the treaty into force as quickly and efficiently as possible.
“David Cameron should stop plotting with Vaclav Klaus to block the entry into force of the treaty. The Tories will not be a credible governing party unless and until they drop their opposition to deeper European integration.
“It is impossible to take seriously a Conservative policy which prefers the weak and rather clumsy EU we have now, to a reformed, more efficient EU which can play a credible role in world affairs.”
Czech senators who oppose the treaty have just filed a new complaint about its constitutional validity, and Mr Klaus says he will not put his signature to the document until the Czech constitutional court decides the case – even though the Czech parliament has already approved the treaty.
Despite the continuing treaty problems, European Parliament president Jerzy Buzek declared that Europe was “back on track” after the Irish vote: “I strongly welcome the result of the Irish referendum. The Irish people have demonstrated true commitment to the European project.
“They reconfirmed their desire to be in the heart of Europe. This is good news for Ireland and good news for Europe.”
European co-operation would become more effective and fruitful, he said.
Now the EU had to work to tackle people’s concerns about jobs, immigration and energy – while remembering that some people said No to Europe: “We should not forget about those who chose to vote no. It is our habit and it is our custom to think about all Europeans. I can assure you that I will work very hard to make you feel that this is our common Europe. Let us write our common European history together.”
German MEP Elmar Brok, who represented the European Parliament during the Lisbon Treaty negotiations, commented: “It is very pleasing that after the failure of the referendum last year now a clear majority of the Irish has voted in favour of the Treaty.
“This proves from my point of view that the advantages of the Treaty have been become even more obvious in view of the current economic crisis.”
Green MEPs today urged Vaclav Klaus to make way for the treaty to come into force.
The joint leaders of the Green group in the European Parliament, Rebecca Harms and Daniel Cohn-Bendit, said the apparently convincing Irish Yes vote paved the way for securing a treaty an EU of 27 countries needed to face up to the global crisis:
“We must now close the final remaining stages of the ratification process as quickly as possible,” a statement said.
“Only the Czech president Vaclav Klaus is persisting in blocking this process. Europe must now exert pressure on him to give up his twisted policy of obstruction.
“The Lisbon Treaty strengthens democracy in Europe. The European Parliament must however exercise its new co-decision powers confidently and not content itself with playing second fiddle to the Council (of EU ministers), as it has on occasion in recent times.”
But the statement warned: “Pro-Europeans cannot afford to be complacent after this Irish Yes vote. Now is time to write a new chapter and truly create a Europe of citizens.”
