The Citizens of Ireland Deserve Our Support

A referendum over the Treaty of Nice is essential in every country

by Dr Eva-Maria Föllmer

On June 7th the citizens of Ireland will decide in a referendum whether they want to become subject to the conditions set out in the Nice treaties or not. It was only at the end of April that the Irish government announced the date for the referendum, just six weeks before the event. Up till now the international media have tried to kill off this referendum by ignoring it. Clearly the European power-cartel wants to underplay the importance of this referendum. If the Irish citizens say No to the treaty, the whole thing will become null and void.

Pro memoria: The aim of the international conference in Nice was to extend the predominance of the Franco-German ‘Avant-garde’ and the particular transatlantic vested interests associated with it. Thus, new instruments for reducing the sovereignty of individual states were created. These were intended to facilitate the realisation of unscrupulous plans of international socialists and ‘global players’ at the expense of a peaceful, socially healthy and democratic Europe. To this purpose, the Nice agreement was to put the seal on the establishment of an EU assault-force which could be used in Europe or indeed be sent anywhere to ‘bring crises under control’. What constitutes a ‘crisis’ is open to interpretation. So wars—possibly even against one’s own people—could be justified on purely arbitrary grounds.

The European Charter for Human Rights has diluted the rights of individual people and started the process of unhinging national constitutions. The abolition of the veto in many EU matters has also increased the power of central apparatus of the anti-democratic EU powers. These instruments have brought about a further reduction of national sovereignty, about which the peoples concerned should be consulted. The new stress on the possibilities for ‘closer co-operation’—which in practice means the creation of a ‘European core’ under the control of Germany and France—represents an unacceptable weakening of the independence of the individual and the smaller states.

What is intended is the formation of a two-class Europe. All of this is to be the foundation stone for the megalomaniac ambitions of Messrs Schröder and Fischer to create a European superstate.

Meanwhile people like Schröder and Fischer have lost touch with the people who live in the countryside. Schroeder showed this in his disparaging remarks about farmers and in his appointment of a townie sociologist to preside over an emasculated Ministry of Agriculture. Fischer showed it in his visit to Ireland on 30 April, when he arrogantly asserted that European union had opened up the possibility for Ireland to escape from the backwardness of a nation of peasants. His visit to Dublin was an improper interference in the coming referendum. The German government will also help finance the destruction of the existing agricultural pattern in England through reforms following the foot-and-mouth disease epidemic.

Just how nervously the European power-cartel reacts to the justified demands for direct democracy, or decision-making by the people, became clear when the EU Commissioner for Eastward Expansion, Veerheugen, dared to demand that the peoples themselves should vote on this matter. He was literally ‘put down’, by a combination of parties from all shades of opinion.

Over a period of years the Irish have succeeded in changing their constitution in such a way that they can now demand a referendum over the Nice treaty. Considering the massive changes envisioned in the treaty and the further diminution of sovereignty of individual states, similar referenda should be taking place in all countries.

The citizens of Ireland now have the possibility with every No vote to show that they do not want to be ruled by an EU power-colossus. Several independent organisations, among them the traditional Christian societies, some trade unions and the Greens, are campaigning for a No vote.

Thereby the Irish are putting into effect their natural and fundamental right of self-determination. The citizens of Ireland deserve support and solidarity from the citizens of all other countries.

The right to self-determination is valid for all peoples. The citizens of all countries have the right to vote on the treaty of Nice. Resistance to the EU is increasing in every country because people are not prepared to have their democratic rights taken away from them.

‘All peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.’ (Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of December 16, 1966).