LABOUR STRATEGY:SLOGANS EMBLAZONED on Labour's Lisbon Treaty campaign literature could not be more upbeat for a party that has had a somewhat ambivalent attitude to Europe in the past, its campaign director admits.
“A soul for Europe”, “A Citizens’ Europe”, “Proud to be Irish – Yes to Europe” are some of the messages the party hopes will sway voters in the run-up to the referendum in June.
“This is the first time we have been gung-ho behind a EU treaty,” says the campaign director, Joe Costello TD. “It’s because Lisbon, more than any other treaty, deals very strongly with labour issues.”
Labour came out in support of the treaty even before it was signed by European heads of state in Lisbon last December, voting overwhelmingly to campaign for a Yes vote at their party conference the month before.
At the campaign launch yesterday, party leader Eamon Gilmore said the treaty chimed with Labour’s vision of how the European project should progress.
Outlining how the party would sell the treaty on the doorsteps in the next four weeks, Mr Gilmore said: “We’re putting the emphasis on the Charter on the Fundamental Rights, which is a very significant advance for our approach to Europe. We’re putting an emphasis on the social clause, the protocol on public services and the increase in democratic rights and democratic decision-making.”
While party officials were adamant the biggest challenge they faced was explaining the treaty’s provisions and battling “misinformation”, the decision by the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union to call on its 45,000 members to vote against it had to be of concern. Some other unions have yet to show their hand.
Labour will also have to counter arguments from No campaigners claiming recent judgments by the European Court of Justice show workers’ rights are being undermined in favour of big business.
Mr Gilmore is confident Labour can bring its support base along in favour of the treaty.