Opposition to the Amsterdam Treaty is coming from a strange alliance, ranging from extreme nationalism to wealthy businessmen, the leader of Democratic Left, Mr Proinsias De Rossa, said.
He told a press conference yesterday to launch the party's campaign for a double Yes vote on May 22nd that these people's claim to defend Irish neutrality and sovereignty was a "cynical smoke screen for a more selfish agenda".
This "strange alliance" was reflected in the editorials of at least one Irish Sunday newspaper and in some of the economic commentary in daily papers who "pretend" to address the issue in the national interest but are in reality representing the interests of those sections of business who believe they would fare better in a more protected economy, he said.
Insisting that the "militarisation" of the EU, as envisaged at Maastricht, had been abandoned, Mr De Rossa added that Ireland had been left to reach its own decision. The commitment to framing a European defence policy eventually was constrained by "veto, opt-out, emergency brake and constructive abstention".
Many opponents of Amsterdam in this State came from groups claiming that the treaty undermined Irish neutrality. However, the contrary was the case, he said. Common foreign policy could be framed and implemented only with the full agreement of all member-states at all stages of its adoption.
According to Mr De Rossa, Irish neutrality has been secured and the only "security tasks" included in the treaty were those of rescue, peace and humanitarian missions. All decision-making rested with the member-states and any request for WEU assistance must be made unanimously by all of the member-states.
Democratic Left opposed the Maastricht Treaty in 1992 primarily because the party saw it as reflecting "purely market-driven concerns". The party had decided to support the Amsterdam Treaty on the basis that many of its provisions related to reforms long sought by the Left across Europe.
Specific EU objectives would now include, for the first time, the promotion of a high level of employment and social protection, Mr De Rossa said. The Social Protocol, specifying the rights of workers in employment, was included in the Amsterdam Treaty and new articles provided a legal basis for combating social exclusion as well as discrimination based on sex, race, religion, disability, age and sexual orientation.
Democratic Left is to disseminate 250,000 leaflets, and will provide a more detailed document to the public "on request".