Lisbon Treaty would turn EU into 'rival' of US, says Higgins

LISBON TREATY supporters want to turn the European Union into "an ally, and sometimes rival" of the United States, Socialist Party leader Joe Higgins has said.

"The EU establishment wish to have this massive economic unit on the same level as the US," said Mr Higgins, speaking at the launch of the party's No campaign.

He dismissed the EU's declarations of support for freedom and democracy. "Every foreign policy that people in Ireland find deplorable has been done in the name of democracy, and the vital interests of the US. Just because words say nice things doesn't mean anything. There is sufficient in this [treaty] to allow the EU to intervene abroad," he said.

The passage of the treaty by referendum in Ireland would "extinguish" Ireland's right ever again to "articulate or follow a foreign policy that differs from the EU majority".

Quoting from the treaty, Mr Higgins said: "The member states shall support the union's external and security policy actively and unreservedly in a spirit of loyalty and mutual solidarity and shall comply with the union's actions in this area."

He said: "It is not difficult to see how a situation could arise where a big majority of the Irish people would oppose a policy or military action undertaken by bigger states.

"According to Lisbon, their views could not be articulated by the Irish Government. The significance and seriousness of this does not seem to have registered up to now."

Calling for a detailed debate of the text of the treaty, Mr Higgins said public gatherings so far had broken down simply into Yes and No camps.

Cllr Clare Daly said the treaty would accelerate privatisation throughout the EU. "If ratified, it would give a huge impulse to mandatorily opening up services such as health and education."