Lisbon- After we win ...

national | rights, freedoms and repression | news report

Thursday June 12, 2008 00:24

by liz c - caeuc-personal capacity

on the streets of dublin

in Dublin city centre particularly in the last few days. people aren't just saying they're voting No they're vehemently No and they're saying we could win this ...A lot of people have stopped by the CAEUC stall at the GPO to chat and debate, farmers, fishermen, taxi drivers, disgruntled fiannna failers etc. etc. really varied. it's amazing to hear people talking about politics like this, not just the treaty but the EU and where it's going. it feels like people are really getting into this.

a lot of people from other EU countries have said win it for us cos we didn't get to vote.there has also been a lot of press from other EU countries suddenly taking an interest because it's too close to call .there has been very little yes activity & no concept from their leafleters of what the treaty is about. it'll be close but either way all this interest is a really good sign. this is touching a nerve and it's completely crossing party lines. it's great to see a bit of democracy getting messy and boundaryless as it should be.

if they lose the yes side will scramble to blame the no vote on random factors and will offer a quick fix. even if other countries get referendums on the back of a No here their governments will most likely try to simplify the many reasons for their NO votes just as ours will here. when we win the next step will be to keep the initiative, organise quickly and help people across the EU to negotiate what they want. possible suggestions for how are online discussions, and regional assemblies and forums. We have to put forward our alternatives to free trade, over-consumption and militarization. at a bare minimum we have to make specific demands. a lot of work has already been done on such demands, including costings, by French Socialists whose provisions were all dropped from the treaty and there's also a report I'll post a link to on the necessity of increasing spending on healthcare and education and research and development.

just a few suggestions are:
protection of workers' rights, including the right to collective bargaining and the same rate of pay for migrant and local workers, specific concrete enforceable action on climate change, a continued veto on trade in health and education as well as a commitment to subsidised public transport and no further expansion of airports and the provision for peacekeepers combatting terrorism in third states and structured military co-operation has to go. no matter what happens this treaty is not just going to go away and we all need to be the ones dictating terms, not the heads of state.

Sinn Fein has come up with these demands-from their June 6th press release

"In any re-negotiation the government must secure a permanent Irish commissioner. The government also needs to secure the absolute right of Irish citizens to have the final say in any significant changes to EU treaties.

"The government also needs to ensure that key strategic vetoes on issues such as tax, public services and international trade are strengthened. They need to secure measures to prevent workers pay and conditions from being undermined. They need to secure a protocol protecting our neutrality and opt outs from military spending.

"Brian Lenihan this morning raised the issue of nuclear power and queried what the government could do about the fact that millions of Euro of Irish tax payers money is used to fund this industry. The solution is simple. The Irish government should secure an opt-out from EURATOM as advocated by environmentalists.