The Great EU Deception
A leaked memo from a senior British diplomat has further exposed the Pan-EU campaign to deceive the Irish people over the forthcoming Twenty-Six County referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.
Recent media reports revealed a leaked British memo (full text below), sent after senior British diplomat, Elizabeth Green, received a briefing from Dan Mulhall, director-general on the EU at the Twenty-Six County Department of Foreign Affairs.
The contents exposed:
Deliberate attempts to create confusion and remove focus from the Treaty’s content
Consultations to make the referendum bill incomprehensible to readers by the government, lawyers and political parties
British officials being briefed on the referendum timetable ahead of the Irish electorate
British officials seeing copies of the White Paper on the referendum ahead of the Irish electorate
The delaying of key proposals to reduce concerns over the direction of the EU
The possibility of moves towards the further militarisation of Europe during the French presidency (July – December 2008)
Éirígí spokesperson on the imminent referendum, Dáithi Mac an Mháistír said the leak was the clearest indication yet of the negative consequences for accountability if the Lisbon Treaty is ratified.
“It is becoming increasingly clear that the Twenty-Six County government is seeking to ensure ratification of the Lisbon Treaty by a complex mixture of creating confusion, deception and political manoeuvres with Britain, other EU states and the European Commission.
“It is bad enough that the British government are denying the people of the Six Counties a say on this Treaty. However, this latest revelation adds insult to injury.
“The truth is that the Dublin government, British Government and the rest of the EU elite do not want people to read the Treaty nor have informed debate on the contents and are seeking to ensure minimum press coverage and public discussion. This attempt to create a fait accompli by deceit indicates where the new Europe would lead us; a superstate detached from the people, with all sovereignty removed to a world of self-serving bureaucrats and unelected officials.
“It demonstrates the future for Ireland if the Treaty is implemented; the last people who will be taken into account are Irish citizens. Faceless megalomaniacs across Europe will sit in closed rooms deciding on our future and the last thing they will consider are informed views from the people whose lives they will be effecting.”
“All of this is clearly demonstrated in the contents of the leaked memo.”
The British dimension demonstrates a future devoid of sovereignty.
“The fact that foreign powers are being made aware of the content of a White Paper and the timetable of the referendum before the Irish People demonstrates the contempt proponents of the Lisbon Treaty have for accountable democracy and national sovereignty. We can be sure that the British government were not the only party to be consulted in advance of the electorate in Ireland. And we can be absolutely sure that this is not and isolated or one off occurrence.
Government contempt for the Irish people
Dáithi continued: “The admission that the government, their lawyers and political parties held lengthy consultations before agreeing a ‘largely incomprehensible’ white paper and their aim to keep focus away from the Treaty’s content shows a blatant disregard for transparency, informed debate and democracy.
“If this Treaty is a positive for Ireland then why are those promoting it so frightened of open debate on the issue? The simple reason is, that an informed electorate, discussing the actual issues, would see it as a treaty of no value or benefit, and reject it outright.
“Have they learned from the views of former French President, Valéry Giscard D’Estaing who chided Jacques Chirac after his failed attempt to gain French support for the EU constitution, by encouraging people to read the document. He said: ‘The discovery of this document was felt by many voters to be an aggression and a threat’?
“If the government is seeking to hide the true nature of the debate and disguise the issues, it reveals their fear of people’s reaction when they are informed and the lengths they will go to in order to dupe the Irish public.
A deception across Europe
The Twenty-Six County government and the British are not the only parties to this deception. As revealed in the document the European Commission is willing to ‘tone down or delay’ decisions which may damage the pro-Treaty campaign. This transparent attempt to hide the true direction and focus of the EU ahead of the referendum demonstrates the deceptive nature of the ‘Yes’ lobby; WTO talks delayed, pan-European tax measures delayed, the European budget discussions delayed, plans for a health services directive delayed, the EU’s COSI interior security committee delayed, a job description for the new president delayed, along with many additional measures – all to ensure any potentially unpalatable aspects of EU policy are hidden until after a ‘yes’ in the referendum is secured.
Timetabled to disguise the militarisation of Europe
Another aspect of the timetable exposes the lie that the Treaty will not lead to a militarisation of the EU. The referendum is being rushed through to ensure it does not fall during the French presidency, which will entail a massive push towards a militarised Europe.
The French Government will, this autumn, bring forward Treaty plans for increased EU defence cooperation and the new structured “European army”, to be organised around Euro-style convergence criteria such as defence spending.
Though supporters deny the Treaty will affect the neutrality of the Twenty-Six Counties, the scramble to have it ratified before a drive for militarisation indicates they don’t really think that a sustainable position.
Daithí concluded by appealing for the electorate to give an appropriate response to the Twenty-Six County administration and the EU bureaucrats.
“This leak has exposed many of the lies and much of the misinformation at the heart of the pro-Treaty campaign. While we can be sure this is only the tip of the iceberg, hopefully the Twenty-Six County electorate will realise the political class is trying to play them like a cheap fiddle and give the response they so richly deserve; Vote ‘No’ to Lisbon.”
Text of memo
“Irish have picked May 29 for voting but will delay an announcement to keep the no camp guessing (please protect). DFA's EU director gives us referendum timetable and details of the bill, to be published next week. Aim is to focus the campaign on overall benefits of EU rather than the treaty itself. Concern about the potential impact of a WTO deal and of Sarkozy.
“The draft, largely incomprehensible to the lay reader, had been agreed following lengthy consultation with government lawyers and with the political parties.
“The bill would enter parliament in the second week of April and it would probably take two weeks to go through and be passed around 22 April. The minister for the environment would thus be entitled to set an order naming the date for the referendum between 30 to 90 days of the order being made. Technically, the Taoiseach (Bertie Ahern) and (Dermot) Ahern saw a slight advantage in keeping the no campaign guessing. 29 May was the assumed date in working plans.
“Mulhall said a date in October would have been easier from a procedural point of view. But the risk of unhelpful developments during the French presidency - particularly related to EU defence - were just too great. Sarkozy was completely unpredictable. The only other unhelpful event the Irish thought might impact on the May vote would be a WTO deal based on agricultural concessions that could lead the powerful farming association to withdraw its support.
“I ran through the UK parliamentary ratification timetable and noted that the referendum vote (in the House of Commons) on 5 March would be a particularly sensitive moment. Mulhall remarked that the media had been relatively quiet on the ratification process so far. We would need to remain in close touch given the media crossover.
“Mulhall said other partners - including the Commission - were playing a helpful, low-profile role. Vice-president Margot Wallström, who had been in Dublin yesterday and today, had told Dermot Ahern that the Commission was willing to tone down or delay messages that might be unhelpful.
“??? ??? ???... (unclear text or deletion) so Irish thought treaty was taken for granted...... David Miliband (Foreign Secretary) not going
“Most people would not have time to study the text and would go with the politicians they trusted.”