The following comments show the thinking behind the original EU Constitution and it’s re-drafting as the Lisbon Treaty – after it became clear that it wouldn’t be supported by the peoples of Europe …
This article first appeared on a printed A4 flyer, a .PDF copy is available for download here… lisbon_treaty.pdf
- ”Are we all clear that we want to build something that can aspire to be a world power? In other words, not just a trading bloc but a political entity” Commission President Romano Prodi, February 2001
- ”The Constitution lays the legal basis for a future European Army. It fixes a ‘common defence’ as an objective.” former French Finance Minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Oct. 2004
- 2005 – French & Dutch voters reject Constitution
- Planning for the new Treaty: “The good thing about not calling it a Constitution is that no one can ask for a referendum on it.” Giuliano Amato, Italian PM, Feb. ‘07
- ”I am sure that in medium-term we will have a European army financed by the EU budget.” German ambassador to the EU Wilhelm Schönfelder, April 2007
- In planning for the Lisbon Treaty: “Public opinion will be led to adopt, without knowing it, the proposals that we dare not present to them directly … All the earlier proposals will be in the new text, but will be hidden and disguised in some way.” Giscard d’Estaing June 2007
- ”The substance of what was agreed in 2004 has been retained. What is gone is the term ‘constitution’”. Dermot Ahern, our own Foreign Minister, June 2007
- Said following the writing of the Lisbon Treaty: “The substance of the constitution is preserved. That is a fact.” German Chancellor Angela Merkel June 2007
- ”Sometimes I like to compare the EU as a creation to the organisation of empire” European Commission President José Manuel Barroso June 2007
- ”The aim of the Constitutional Treaty was to be more readable; the aim of this treaty is to be unreadable … The Constitution aimed to be clear, whereas this treaty had to be unclear. It is a success.” Karel de Gucht, Belgian Foreign Minister, June 2007
- In regards to Iran’s nuclear programme: “We have to prepare for the worst, and the worst is war,” French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, September 2007
- ”There is a cleavage between people and governments. A referendum now would bring Europe into danger. There will be no treaty if we have a referendum in France.” admints Nicolas Sarkozy, Nov. 2007
- Commenting on the Lisbon Treaty: “There is no longer a question of saying there are certain things that the union can’t touch. Actually the union can touch everything.” Gisela Stuart, UK Labour MP, January 2008.
- June 2008 – Irish people reject Lisbon Treaty
- “if a similar question had been put to their electorate in a referendum the answer in 95% of countries would have been ‘No’ as well,” admits Commissioner Charlie McCreevy, June 2009