| Campaign against the Lisbon Treaty |
Messages of support and solidarityPartido Comunista de los Pueblos de España
Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain Central Committee On the referendum that will take place on June 12 in the Republic of Ireland in order to decide about the ratification of the Reform Treaty of the European Union, known as Lisbon Treaty, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain makes the following STATEMENT: 1) The Lisbon Treaty was approved by the governments of the 27 member states of the European Union two years after having failed to instil a Constitution Treaty of the European Union that put at an institutional level the capitalist principles of free market and competitiveness. 2) The popular victory in the referendums in France and the Netherlands was a setback in the bourgeois construction of the Europe of capital and war, whose expression is a European Union with a clear imperialist character and strange to the interests of the peoples and the working class. The referendums in France and the Netherlands showed that the will of the peoples can pull apart the efforts of the capitalist powers and its political organizations. 3) The Lisbon Treaty will only be submitted to the people’s approval in Ireland. That is why Ireland will be in June the hope of all the progressive forces, of all the Spanish communists who have always struggled against a European Union that only serves the interests of the monopolist capital. 4) This referendum is very important, because the rest of the peoples of the European Union have been denied to use our basic democratic right to express our opinion via popular consult. 5) The Irish people and working class have proven many times their organizational and struggle capacity over the years. The interests of the Europe of capital and war are not the interests of the workers and the people, and that is why we warmly salute all the activities, campaigns and actions that will be developed by the popular forces, where the communists play an essential role. 6) The victory of the NO will come with the unity of the popular forces, so that is why we salute the activities of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance (PANA). 7) The Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain (PCPE) will make all the possible efforts to spread the struggle of the Irish people against the Lisbon Treaty and we offer our collaboration in anything possible. Against the Europe of capital and war! For the victory of the “No” in the Irish referendum! Long live the struggle of the Irish people! Madrid, April 5–6, 2008 Partit Komunista Malti
Communist Party of Malta Central Committee Dear Comrades, The Communist Party of Malta fully supports the stand that the Irish workers will take in the struggle for halting the new emerging European imperialist block that will result from the full ratification of the Lisbon treaty. The action of the workers of the Republic of Ireland can never be deemed to be narrow minded or nationalistic as they are voicing the protest of the other workers from EU member states who were denied their democratic right to have their voices heard, likewise in Malta, by the refusal of the governments in the majority of the member states to hold a referendum to let the people decide whether to accept or refute the Lisbon Treaty. Whereby, the refuted EU Constitution is being let in by the back door. The Communist Party of Malta shows solidarity, and stands with the Irish working class in this, their moment of trial. Victor Degiovanni Secretary, Central Committee Communist Party of Malta Partido Comunista Português
Portuguese Communist Party Central Committee Dear Comrades, The new European Union Treaty, which was signed by the Heads of State and Government of the EU countries in Lisbon in December 2007, is nothing more than a new version of the so-called “Constitutional Treaty” that was defeated by the peoples. Fearing a similar outcome, this time the ruling classes have decided to impose such fundamental decisions—which subvert the sovereignty of the EU member-countries—without giving the peoples a chance to express their will. This imposition of decisions which have already been rejected by the peoples clearly reflects the anti-democratic and anti-people nature of what they call “European construction.” Your country’s Constitutional requirement that the Treaty be put to the vote places Ireland in a unique position among the European Union countries. Millions of workers and the peoples of the EU look to the Irish referendum with the hope of finding what they have been denied: a chance to state that they do not want a federalist, neo-liberal and militarist supranational European Union; that they do not want a European Union at the service of big business, exploitation, profits, war, and the oppression of other peoples. It is for all this that the June referendum in your country takes on such an enormous importance. The Portuguese Communist Party salutes all the progressive political, trade-union and popular forces of Ireland which are committed to defeating the EU Treaty of the ruling classes. A victory of the “No” vote in the Irish referendum will represent a major victory for all the workers and the peoples of the European Union countries. Κομμουνιστικό Κόμμα Ελλάδας
Communist Party of Greece Central Committee Dear comrades We extend our warmest comradely greetings to the “No” campaign, that mobilises for the rejection of the Lisbon Treaty in the referendum to be held in Ireland. The new EU treaty essentially constitutes a comeback of the “Constitutional Treaty” that was rejected by the votes of peoples of France and Netherlands at referendums; it is an attempt to bypass the referendums, to silence the people’s opposition to the EU and reinforce its powers. The Lisbon Treaty, all the same like the so-called “Constitutional Treaty”: —Makes provisions for the development of new forms of exploitation of workers; the further undermining of the labour and social rights across the lines of Maastricht Treaty, the Lisbon Strategy, the Bolkenstein Directive and “flexicurity” —Promotes closer cooperation with NATO and the US. It gives the EU the right to intervene politically and militarily in member-states and third countries. It escalates the militarist drive. —Undermines further the independence and sovereignty of countries and peoples. It abolishes the veto right in favour of the more powerful states. —It shields capital’s power and delivers a strong blow to democratic and civil rights. Now, the EU “anti-terrorist” policy also targets the “radical” ideologies. The oppression apparatus is reinforced. In our country the government prepares to ratify the new EU Treaty of Lisbon without informing the Greek people about its content and consequences; without asking its approval. At the same time thousands of Greek workers, tens of trade unions and mass organisations demand a referendum for the rejection of the treaty. The tough efforts that the People’s Movement, the trade unions, the progressive parties, the youth give in the struggle for the rejection of the Lisbon Treaty enjoy broad interest and solidarity feelings among the Greek people. They see their own struggle in your fight. The possibility of a victory of No has alarmed the dominant forces that mobilise huge material resources, resort to blackmail and pressures in order to vanquish the Irish people’s resistance and protest. We extend to you our strong solidarity and support. A strong rejection of this reactionary new treaty will be a victory for all people of Europe; will send a message of optimism to all people that struggle all over the world. Kommunistisk Parti i Danmark
Communist Party in Denmark A great responsibility lies on the people of Ireland. As the only EU member-country Ireland will have a referendum on the Lisbon treaty. In other countries, as in Denmark, the governments and the majority in the parliaments have swindled the peoples in order to avoid referendums by claiming that the Lisbon treaty is quite different from the so-called “Constitutional Treaty,” the implementation of which was stopped by the No in France and the Netherlands. An Irish No at the referendum in June will at least for some time put an end to the desires of the big business and the right-wing forces to change even more the EU into a federalist state constructed to secure profits and militarism. Along with the People’s Movement against the EU and other progressive forces, the Communist Party in Denmark wishes the Communist Party of Ireland and other forces in Ireland struggling against more and more EU all the best. A victory for the Irish people at the referendum will be a victory for us as well! Kommunistisk Parti
Danish Communist Party Dear comrades, Danish Communist Party hereby convey our solidarity with your ongoing struggle to win a “No” at the Irish referendum on the EU Constitution—the so called Lisbon Treaty. As you may know, the majority of the Danish parliament has denied the Danish people its right to decide whether this document should be ratified by Denmark. It was denied under the false pretence that the Lisbon Treaty—contrary to the rejected EU Constitution—does not transfer national sovereignty to the EU institutions. Instead, the parliament has voted in favour of a ratification. The Danish “People’s Movement against the EU” has called attention to the fact that the “treaty” is transferring sovereignty in more than 60 incidents; together with the “June Movement” it has prior to the parliamentary vote presented 40,000 signatures in favour of a referendum, and a trade union network has presented 2,390 stewards’ signatures, demanding a referendum. However, the arrogance of the majority of the political leadership seems in no way shaken. A very important part of our democratic rights, the right of free, collective negotiation on the labour market is already under siege, and has been since the implementation of the EU Stationing Directive (1996). But with the enlargement of the EU in 2004, thousands of workers from the new membership countries are working in the Scandinavian countries. They work under illegal conditions, grossly underpaid, many under slave like conditions. This has called Danish trade unions into action against scores of firms and entrepreneurs for the upholding of Danish labour rights, for equal pay and conditions for the migrant workers. The struggle which is widespread—especially in the field of construction—has meant a new radicalisation in parts of the trade union movement, and it also kindles an awareness of the Lisbon Treaty. The Vaxholm and Rüffert verdicts represent a blow to the above mentioned rights, and new activities and trade union conferences—also on a Nordic level—will take place. We think that the verdicts exactly serve an important goal of the EU: the elimination of the trade union movement as an intolerable obstacle to the “fourth freedom” of all EU-treaties, free movement of labour. The Stationing Directive and the Service Directive are the instruments so far in Corporate Europe’s attack on the working class. Apart from a consolidation of these damaging measures, the Lisbon Treaty means the end of any real national sovereignty, and will also further the lack of democracy within the union itself—not to forget that it will mean the end of any referendum within the EU. Dear comrades, we look to your struggle and to the struggle of all progressive and anti EU forces for an Irish “No.” Your victory will raise a giant wave of hope and new courage in all of the membership countries. 3rd European Seminar on Education
The representatives of communist and workers’ parties, movements and youth and students’ organisations that participate in the 3rd European Seminar on Education, held in Brussels on 27 May 2008, extend their solidarity and support to the campaign against the Lisbon Treaty, to all the progressive political, trade union and people’s forces of Ireland which are committed to defeating the new EU Treaty tailored by the ruling classes. The new European Union Treaty, which was signed by the Heads of State and Government of the EU countries in Lisbon in December 2007, is nothing more than a new version of the so-called “Constitutional Treaty” that was rejected by the people. The ruling classes have put forward its ratification process through summary proceedings without giving the peoples the chance to express their will. Your country’s constitutional requirement that the treaty should be presented to Irish voters in a referendum places Ireland in a unique position among the European Union countries. It is for all this that the June referendum in your country takes on such an enormous importance. Millions of workers, who have been denied a say on the treaty, have their eyes on the Irish referendum and on the battle that you wage. A victory of the No vote in the Irish referendum will represent a major victory for all the workers and the peoples of the European Union countries, will send a message of optimism to all people across the world! Participants in the 3rd European Meeting in Brussels: Workers’ Party of Belgium Socialist Workers Party of Croatia Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia [Czech Republic] Communist Youth Union of the Czech Republic Communist Party in Denmark Communist Party of Finland Communist Party of Greece Communist Youth of Greece Hungarian Workers’ Communist Party Party of Italian Communists Socialist Party of Latvia Socialist Party of Lithuania New Communist Party of the Netherlands Communist Party of Poland Portuguese Communist Party Socialist Alliance Party [Romania] Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain Communist Party of Sweden Communist Party of Turkey Guest: Pole of Communist Rebirth [France] |
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