Green Party to join European Movement on Europe Day
The Green Party has declared it is to join the European Movement to mark Europe Day. Green Party Chairman and Foreign Affairs spokesperson John Gormley TD said that by doing so, the Party hoped it could bring some influence in the important debate on the future of Europe.
“Europe Day gives us all the opportunity to reflect on the great successes of the European Union and to ask fundamental questions about the future direction of the project,” he said.
“The European Union has been good for Ireland. It has broadened our cultural horizons and ensured better environmental and social standards in this country. But there are also areas which have given rise to legitimate concern; areas that the Green Party has focused on in previous treaty debates.
“In particular we have concentrated on the continuing militarisation of the European Union and the fact that the European Union has become a vehicle for neo-liberal policies and not a bulwark against globalisation, as many of its citizens would like it to be. The effects of globalisation and the European Commission’s neo-liberal tendencies were major factors in the referendum defeat in France.
“In light of the referendum defeats in the Netherlands and France , the Green Party believes the best way to proceed is to form a new Convention and draw up a new Constitution, which would then be put to the people of Europe by way of a European referendum.
“In many ways the Green Party in Ireland is more pro-European and pro-integration than other Irish political parties. If Europe were to concentrate on achieving greater integration in the areas of the environment and energy, for example, it would immediately strike a chord with most European citizens.
“As a European party, part of the European Greens, we have always considered joining the European Movement and today is the appropriate time to do so. We hope by doing this we can bring some influence to bear on the important debate that is now taking place on the future of Europe. Europe must be first and foremost about the people of Europe and not the elites. If this lesson is not learned then any future referendum on a European Constitution is bound to fail,” concluded Deputy Gormley.