MEPs hit back at 'undemocratic' treaty claims

MEPs have hit back at claims that the stalled Lisbon treaty is ‘undemocratic and not transparent.’

The comments were made in parliament on Tuesday by Irish multi-millionaire businessman Declan Ganley, who was speaking at an event hosted by UK eurosceptic Tory deputy Dan Hannan.

Ganley, who has business connections in the US, was also criticised for refusing to be drawn on where his Libertas think tank obtains its massive financial resources.

A recent article in the Times newspaper speculated that he is some kind of stooge for ‘shadowy’ figures in the US military who are set on derailing European integration.

UK Socialist deputy Richard Corbett, who was among several MEPs who attended Monday’s debate with Ganley, criticised the Irishman for failing to put forward alternatives in the wake of the Irish rejection of the treaty.

He said, “In particular, I take issue with Ganley over his refusal to dissociate himself from the wild claims about the treaty made by the No camp during the Irish campaign.”

Corbett also accused Ganley of “peddling the myth” that parliament had voted not to accept the result of the Irish referendum,  in which 54 per cent voters rejected the treaty. Ganley was one of the leading campaigners in the No camp.

Ganley took some of those present at the meeting by surprise by waxing lyrically about how good Europe was to Ireland and how the EU was the most successful peace process in history.

Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party, said, “I must admit I was surprised by some of his pro-EU comments.

“I do not see eye-to-eye with him but he still has a useful role to play.”

However, support for Ganley came from Hannan, whose SOS Democracy, an alliance of MEPs who oppose the treaty, organised the event.

“It is not the EU he opposes but the treaty which he feels tilts the balance too far from the elected national parliamentarians to unelected Brussels functionaries,” said Hannan.

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