Libertas seeks candidates for pan-European party

[Anticoalition]

Libertas seeks candidates for pan-European party - The Irish Times - Tue, Nov 04, 2008

"Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland programme, he said that the purpose was to offer other EU states an opportunity to vote on the Lisbon Treaty. "It will give people across Europe an option that they were not given, to have a proxy European referendum on the Lisbon Treaty," he said.

Mr Ganley said no final decision had been taken on launching the party.

He added that Libertas was continuing its work in travelling through Europe and talking to people who might be interested in standing as candidates.

He accepted there was a danger that the success of the Libertas campaign might not be repeated across Europe, but he said that the response so far was positive.

"I am very confident that there is a comfortable and decent majority that shares exactly the same view as was expressed in our own vote," he said.


[What do people think is the best way of opposing this threat to European democracy, on a European wide basis?]

[wysiwyg]

Entryism...

Constant court challenges ..

Crusty street protests ....

Dunno, what do you think ?

[setanta]

When Ganners was last in Brussels he lined up for a family photo with the extreme Right and also the jingoistic UK Independence Party (they who used the tricolour as a beer towel). There's plenty of such crazies he can persuade to run for Libertas, he might even get our own craizes, like Justin Barrett, to run given that Ganners and Jug Ears share the same attachment to the insane ulra-nationalist Right in Europe. Ein Volk, ein Reich indeed.

[BoyInTheHood]

I think it's important to have as many opinions as possible on the street to open a debate and for people to understand the ins and outs of the Lisbon cr@p.

Politicians urge you like crazy to vote yes saying it's going to bring in minor changes, then when it's "no", they go all ballistic and act like it's the end of the world trying to push re-runs and to force/bribe people into it.

I, as many, want to know WHAT is Lisbon. Have read it, and I understand the immediate effects whice are indeed minor... but why all this arrogant furious energy? Surely there gotta be more involved thatn just spin and politics?!

You can't ban ideas because they're not yours... So discuss and free your mind.

[smitchy2]

Considering it is unclear what the mainstream parties stand for in Europe (or they all say the same thing)- it will be good to have a clear and different position when voting on the European elections rather than voting on party line.

[richmof]

The MPF in France and some of the Poles Ganley has been courting are right wing extremists. You definitely shouldn't ban ideas but the entry of a far right xenophobic party into the political mainstream in Ireland is not something to celebrate.

Also why is Ganley continually claiming to be a constructive, if critical, pro-European whilst allying himself with parties and groups that are opposed to the EU - like his paddy-hating mates in the UKIP?

[mccafferty cat]

It seems the media are more than willing to keep his name in the papers. At least once a fortnight for the last few months, the exact same story has been rehashed - "Ganley considers launch of party"; "No decision yet on Libertas launch"; "Legal advice sought on Libertas setup". etc etc

I, for one, relish the establishment of Libertas here. I look forward to seeing how they fare when the following realities begin to bite:

1) Having to disclose their donations and accounts to an infinitely greater extent
2) Having absolutely no grassroots organisation whatsoever
3) Being entitled to the same amount of media airtime as the Christian Solidarity Party, Natural Law Party, Workers Party, etc.

Not exactly a winning combination, is it?

[markeys]

Libertas has a real chance to launch a viable political party here and in Europe. I only hope that Libertas will choose to stay as far away as possible with the more loony elements of the far right, and the historical opposition to the European Union - they need to select canditates that are able to show a level headed approach, not a sky-is-falling-in-europe-is-bad approach.

[BoyInTheHood]

Agreed Markeys. Europe has enough flaws to down it without using dirty politics... Have to be smart now!

[setanta]

Libertas has a real chance to launch a viable political party here and in Europe. I only hope that Libertas will choose to stay as far away as possible with the more loony elements of the far right, and the historical opposition to the European Union - they need to select canditates that are able to show a level headed approach, not a sky-is-falling-in-europe-is-bad approach.

The trouble is, Markeys, that there is little room for a party that is FOR European integration, just not this particular type of European integration. Ganners, for all his Napoleonic pretensions, understands that. This is the reason why he is cozying up to the extreme Right and the jingoistic UKIP. It is their brand of febrile europhobia that offers a route to some sort of limited political return.

The Irish electorate have repeatedly rejected this sort of extremism, which is why Libertas is toast as a political brand in Ireland, although it may offer an over-arching brand for the europhobic, extreme Right across Europe.