I got involved in the debate on Lisbon because of frustration. I was frustrated with a Government that was failing to tell its citizens about the positive aspects of this Treaty. Last year, people were justifiably angry that the Government didn’t present a clear explanation of what Lisbon was about. We in ‘Generation Yes’ think that this campaign is too important to leave to politicians. We think that our vote in Ireland on October 2nd will shape the EU for years to come, and for that reason, we all need to step up and take part in this debate.
The World is moving faster. Each day we are faced with problems that seem impossible to address: the climate change crisis, the financial collapse, cross-border crime and rising unemployment. What does this have to do with Lisbon or the EU? Everything. Lisbon is about making the EU fit for purpose in the 21st century. This Treaty is made up of provisions to reform the EU and make it ready to fight the kind of global problems that countries can’t fix on their own.
A Yes vote will mean a more democratic, more open EU that can work in all our interests. I want to write about three changes Lisbon makes. Take a look, read both arguments, and you can judge for yourself whether this Treaty is a change for the better.
Change number 1: More democracy. Lisbon puts more power in your hands. You as a citizen will be able to propose laws for the European Commission’s agenda through a new petition system, your elected MEPs will have a greater say in EU law-making, your TDs will have greater scrutiny on draft EU laws, and your Ministers and Taoiseach will now vote in public, in Brussels when decisions are made. Despite what the naysayers say, this is a Treaty that will make the EU more democratic and transparent than ever before.
Change number 2: Creating jobs. For the first time, “Full Employment” will be a legal objective of the EU. Building on this aspiration are the elements of an economic stimulus plan in the Treaty; one which mandates investment in renewable energy; creating jobs in wind energy and solar tech. That means both research and manufacturing jobs in the Green sector. It sets the EU on the right course to support an industry which can employ thousands of people in Ireland and can make our planet more sustainable.
Change number 3: More rights for workers and citizens. The Charter of Fundamental Rights will have full legal effect if we pass Lisbon. Until now, this progressive document has been an aspiration, a statement of ideals with little force behind it. Voting Yes to Lisbon will change this. Many people have had concerns about the European Court of Justice and some its judgements on workers’ rights. If we pass Lisbon, the Court will be obliged to comply with the rights laid out in the Charter in all its rulings.
This is good news, not just for workers, but for all of us. For those who are concerned the EU needs proper checks and balances, this means that every EU law will have to comply with our fundamental rights as citizens.
There are many other positive changes Lisbon makes which I can’t describe in full here; fighting cross-border crime, allowing states to cooperate more on peacekeeping and humanitarian missions, and giving greater coherence to the EU when all countries agree on an issue. This is a Treaty ripe with opportunities for the EU to become a greater force for good.
What is Lisbon not about? It’s not about the minimum wage. It’s not about abortion. It’s not about our tax rates, our neutrality or even turning the EU into some superstate. It is not about some anti-democratic conspiracy to subvert your rights. There is clarity on all these issues, and if you won’t take my word for it, the Independent Referendum Commission has been forthright in calling these lies out for what they are.
The EU is far from perfect. But Lisbon makes it better. When we make this decision on October 2nd, we’ll be deciding not just for ourselves, but also for 26 other countries who are watching anxiously as Ireland votes. They have all approved Lisbon in their parliaments, and now they’re waiting for us to decide what kind of EU we will all be left with after October 2nd.
We live in worrying times. It’s easy to feel powerless with many vast economic and environmental forces swirling around us. Voting Yes to Lisbon is one positive thing that is in all our power to do. This is a positive choice you can make for our future. You can choose a more democratic EU. You can choose an EU that can deal with challenges too important to ignore. Or you can choose a No vote from which we have nothing to gain, and much to lose. The choice is yours.
