People from all over Ireland – from Kerry to Donegal, and from Offaly to Dublin – travelled from early morning on Sunday, 25 October, to take part in a rally in Dublin in support of Mr. Vaclav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic. President Klaus is the last remaining obstacle to the final ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, and he is being strongly pressured by the European powers in Brussels to sign the ratification documents for his country.
Outside Dáil Éireann (the houses of the Government) the rally participants displayed Irish and Czech flags, and banners (in English and in Czech) calling for the rejection of the Treaty. Speaking at the rally, Senior Lecturer Emeritus Anthony Coughlan explained once again the true impact that the Lisbon Treaty would have on Europe. He also said that the so-called promises being offered to President Klaus in relation to the Charter of Fundamental Rights, which would be discussed at an EU meeting this week, could be as worthless as the ‘guarantees’ offered to Ireland.
Dr. Seán Ó Domhnaill, speaking on behalf of Cóir, referred – amongst other things – to the utter lack of democracy on the part of the European Union in insisting that Ireland’s rejection of the Lisbon Treaty in 2008 was overruled and that the Irish people were obliged to vote for a second time in order to satisfy the EU leaders.
Mr. Roger Cole, of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance (PANA) also spoke, concentrating on the increasing militarisation of Europe under the Lisbon Treaty.