Anti-Nice treaty alliance unveiled in Dublin

Thursday September 19, 2002 15:24

by From Ireland.com

A campaigning group comprised of Dáil parties, Independents and other groups opposed to the Treaty of Nice was unveiled in Dublin today.

The Alliance against Nice accused the pro-Nice lobby of obscuring the issues relating to the Treaty and rejected the assertion that a vote against Nice equates a vote against enlargement.

Mr Joe Higgins of the Socialist Party accused the Government and the European Union of failing to illustrate in the implications of the Treaty.

He said if the Treaty was passed it would spell the introduction of "wholesale privatisation" and would mark a move "towards a European armaments industry".

Independent TD Mr Séamus Healy warned the Government would be punished for deceiving the public in order to be elected. Accusing the Government of using "bully-boy" tactics over enlargement, he referred to EU president Mr Romano Prodi’s assertion that the Irish rejection of the Nice Treaty would not affect the accession of new members to the EU.

Green Mr TD Paul Gogarty said the Government was "spinning stories" that rejection of the Treaty would mean withdrawal from the EU and said it was time to put the enlargement argument "to bed". Sinn Féin’s Mr Aengus Ó Snodaigh said the Government was spending millions of euro on a campaign deception.

The campaign is focusing on four central themes - it opposes the privatisation of the public sector, the creation of a European army, calls for the protection of workers rights and moves toward further integration and federalism.

Former ATGWU national secretary Mr Mick O’Reilly called on the Government to state whether it would accept the result of the second referendum if it was a No vote.

The Alliance is made up of the Green Party, Sinn Féin, the Socialist Party, the Tipperary Workers and Unemployed Action Group and Mr Seamus Healy TD, Mr Tony Gregory TD, Mr Finian McGrath TD, the Workers Party, the Socialist Workers Party, the Irish Socialist Network, the Independent Socialist Forum Against Nice and Mr Mick O’Reilly.