Protest over Sarkozy visit planned

A prominent anti-Lisbon Treaty group plans to stage a series of protests against French President Nicolas Sarkozy when he visits Ireland next month.

The People Before Profit Alliance (PBPA) claims Mr Sarkozy supports the idea of holding a second referendum on Lisbon in Ireland and is “actively conspiring” to subvert the democratic decision of the Irish people.

The alliance cited comments at the weekend by Axel Poniatowski, French Assembly member and spokesman for Mr Sarkozy, in which he said that a second referendum in Ireland appeared to be inevitable.

PBPA spokesman Richard Boyd Barrett said: "Despite all the talk, among Irish, European and media supporters of Lisbon about respecting the Irish No vote, the wheels are clearly in motion to pressure the Irish public into voting in a second referendum”.

Mr Boyd Barrett said: “If Brian Cowen truly respected the Irish No vote, he would have told the European Council that a second referendum on the same treaty was unacceptable and that ratification should stop. He was morally and legally entitled to do so.”

”Instead, he has given a nod and wink to EU leaders to continue ratification and ratchet up the pressure on the Irish public to vote again. This is the context in which we must understand the comments of Nicolas Sarkozy's spokesperson at the weekend,” he said.

At last week's Brussels summit, Mr Sarkozy, who takes on the bloc's rotating presidency from July 1st, said he would visit Ireland for talks on July 11th with the aim of coming up with a way forward at the next EU summit in October.

Asked if Ireland would definitely have to vote again, Mr Sarkozy said that he was not prepared to make such a statement "barely seven days after the vote" but that intelligent observers would be able to draw their own conclusions.