BLAGAROON

SARKYNOZE: IRISH VISIT

A POLITICAL SHAMBLES

Garrulous French President, Nico Sarkynoze, arrived on his belated visit to Ireland this week, Luan/Monday, Iúil/July 21, 2008, three weeks after he cancelled his original date, with the rather lame excuse of “pressure of business” but, it could be, he had foreknowledge of another media event which occurred those weeks ago and is referred to below.

As the French took over the Presidency of the EU Council on Iúil/July 1, 2008, indications from Paris were that they intended to increase pressure on the Irish Government to circumvent the Irish people’s rejection of the Lisbon Treaty on 12 Meitheamh/June last Referendum vote. Never mind that such attempts are totally illegal and any consideration by the Irish Government of such disgraceful bullying would be a breach of their Constitutional duty to protect the interests of the Irish people. Paris should be told that NO means NO and that the Lisbon Treaty is a dead duck and there will not be a second referendum in Ireland on this discredited and defeated proposal.

Yet, An Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, continues to fail in his constitutional duty to uphold the result of the Irish people’s decision to reject the Lisbon Treaty and inform the other EU leaders that this is the position and that the Treaty cannot now be ratified. The only party leader in Dáil Éireann to do this was Éamonn Gilmore, leader of the Irish Labour Party, An Lucht Oibre, which position he repeated on Irish Radio on the morning that Sarkynoze arrived in Dublin.

There should be no more prevarication from Biffo Cowen, Fine Gael Leader, Enda Kenny or Green Party leaders John Gormley and Éamonn Ryan. The NO vote on Meitheamh/June 16th was a decision by the Irish people exercising their sovereignty and must be respected by action, not glib phrases and evasions or apologies to the Brussels Bureaucrats or the likes of Sarkynoze in an attempt to gain time for some stitch-up plan for legalising Lisbon by the back-door. If they do not categorically accept the decision of the people and cease trying to undermine it, they are not fit for office and should resign and face a General Election. Not a likely event, though, anytime soon, political cowards that they are. Biffo & Co, including his Green Party Partners, should be aware that it is open to any citizen to injunct the lot of them and compel them to carry out their responsibilities.

NON CES’T NON!

The Campaign against the EU Constitution (CAEUC), the leading Left force in the recent Referendum campaign, held a press conference on the Monday morning, Iúil/July 21, 2008, ahead of the French President’s arrival in Dublin where it was stated, quite clearly, that the Referendum result was a legal imperative, a decision by the Irish people in exercise of their sovereignty which our Government must abide by if it is to fulfil its constitutional duty. It was not a recommendation, feeling, suggestion or other indefinite expression which the Government can try to wiggle out of.

CAEUC press conference in Dublin, 21.07.2008.

At the conference, MEP’s, Francois Delapierre (Pour la Republique Social), Tobias Pfluger (Die Linke, Germany, Vice-President, Parliamentary Committee on Defence & Security) and Patricia McKenna (Green Party),Joe Higgins(Socialist Party) Brendan Ogle(Unite;Trade Union), Eddie Sheehan (Fishermen’s Representative) and representatives of ATTAC (Austria) Siegfried Bernhauser, (Europe) (see links column) conveyed greetings from other anti-Lisbon Groups in Europe and pointed to the widespread demand in other EU countries for the Treaty to be put to referendum there also.

PROTEST

Shortly afterwards, a public protest was organised outside Government Buildings in Merrion Square, which was attended by several hundred people in addition to the Fishermen who had travelled to Dublin to highlight the plight of their industry ruined by failed EU fishery policies.

The Fishermen gave out fresh fish on O’Connell Bridge, Dublin, prior to arriving at the demonstration. There were also large numbers of farmers present brought by IFA to show their dissatisfaction with the EU representative at the WTO Trade Talks, Peter Mandleson.

Manhandleson, former British Cabinet Minister, sacked three times by Tony Blairschmuck, has become the hate figure of the IFA for his indifference to the demands of beef producers in the negotiations, especially his weakness in the face of US pressure. The IFA hogged the media presence with their tractors and ballyhoo and RTÉ, true to form, ignored the main political issues of the day in favour of the Farmers circus.

BIG EARS HEARS NOTHING

After his meeting with Biffo Cowen at government buildings, the French President went to his own Embassy for a so-called “listening” session with a selected group of “NO” and “Yes” campaigners with the notable exclusion of Roger Cole of PANA and Joe Higgins of the Socialist Party both leading “NO” campaigners in last month’s referendum. Despite Sarkynoze advertising his big ears for listening, most of those who did participate acknowledge that it was a dialogue of the deaf, and a time-wasting farce.

The overall conclusion from most objective observers was that the whole thing was a chaotic, blundering media show with Sarkynoze at cross purposes with his hosts, the Irish Government, and whose faces and body language showed the teeth-grinding reluctant tolerating of the unwelcome arrival of the obstreperous distant relative bent on causing maximum embarrassment.

FearFeasa Mac Léinn
Áth Cliath/DUBLIN, 24 Iuil/July 2008.